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Three Major U.S. Power Grids Set Peak Load Records During Summer 2026

Confirmed1 source · Oct 15, 2026

PJM, ERCOT, and Southwest Power Pool all reached record hourly electricity demand this summer, driven by regional heat waves and the nation's hottest season on record.

What happened

Three regional transmission organizations set peak hourly load records during summer 2026: PJM peaked at 162.6 GW on July 2, up 1.3% from its previous record of 160.6 GW in June 2025; ERCOT peaked at 91.1 GW on July 22, up 6.5% from its prior record of 85.5 GW in August 2024; and Southwest Power Pool peaked at 58.0 GW on July 27, up 3.5% from its previous peak of 56.0 GW in August 2023. Other major grids came close to but did not exceed their records: CAISO reached 50.0 GW (within 2% of its 2022 record), ISO-NE reached 25.3 GW (within 2% of its 2025 record), NYISO reached 31.1 GW (within 3% of its 2025 record), and MISO peaked at 121.5 GW (within 4% of its 2011 peak). Most of these record peaks occurred during regional heat waves coinciding with the hottest summer on record nationally, which increased cooling demand.

Context

These load records reflect the impact of elevated temperatures on electricity demand across multiple regions of the continental United States. The concentration of records during summer 2026 and the magnitude of increases—particularly ERCOT's 6.5% jump—indicate growing strain on regional power systems during peak demand periods. The national heat context suggests climate conditions are driving demand growth that is outpacing previous trends in some markets more dramatically than others.