{"id":16333,"date":"2026-05-14T12:17:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/gridlock-or-growth-ercot-warns-texas-ai-power-boom-may-not-materialize-data-center-knowledge\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T12:17:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:17:45","slug":"gridlock-or-growth-ercot-warns-texas-ai-power-boom-may-not-materialize-data-center-knowledge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/gridlock-or-growth-ercot-warns-texas-ai-power-boom-may-not-materialize-data-center-knowledge\/","title":{"rendered":"Gridlock or Growth? ERCOT Warns Texas AI Power Boom May Not Materialize – Data Center Knowledge"},"content":{"rendered":"

TechTarget and Informa Tech\u2019s Digital Business Combine.<\/span>TechTarget and Informa<\/span>
Together, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.
The energy regulator cautions that AI-driven load forecasts reshaping Texas grid planning may overstate proposed data center demand.
May 14, 2026
Texas is planning its grid around an unprecedented wave of AI-driven power demand that the state\u2019s energy regulator says may not fully materialize on projected timelines.<\/span>
In a recent <\/span>filing<\/a><\/span> to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) projected statewide power demand could surge to nearly 368 GW by 2032 \u2013 more than four times the state\u2019s current peak demand record of 85.5 GW. But the filing also contains an unusual warning from the grid operator itself.<\/span>
\u201cERCOT has concerns with using the preliminary load forecast values for the Reliability Assessment and any other transmission and resource adequacy analysis,\u201d the organization wrote in its <\/span>April 2026 long-term load forecast filing<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>
The organization added that it may seek adjustments to the forecast based on \u201cactual historical realization rates or other objective, credible, independent information.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>
Related:<\/span>Interconnection Delays Push Texas Data Center Behind the Meter<\/a>
ERCOT has already begun adjusting for realization risk internally. In its 2025 long-term load forecast report, the grid operator said the \u201caverage peak consumption per site was 49.8% of the requested MW\u201d and applied that factor to projected non-crypto data center load additions in some planning models.<\/span>
ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said the forecast reflects \u201chigher-than-expected future load growth\u201d tied to changing large-load planning dynamics.<\/span>
Texas has emerged as a hotspot for data center growth, with numerous new projects reshaping the energy market and challenging grid capacity. (Image: Alamy)
Texas has <\/span>emerged as a key data center market<\/a><\/span>, driven by its abundant land, competitive energy prices, and favorable regulatory environment. This combination has positioned the state as a magnet for hyperscale operators and AI infrastructure investments. The state is estimated to account for around 15% of all data center connectivity in the US.<\/span>
Recent and proposed AI data center campuses tied to <\/span>OpenAI<\/a><\/span>, Oracle, <\/span>Meta<\/a><\/span>, Crusoe, CoreWeave, <\/span>Soluna<\/a><\/span>, and other hyperscale operators are reshaping Texas grid planning. Developers have proposed large campuses across North Texas, Abilene, West Texas, and the Houston corridor, many requiring hundreds of megawatts of capacity and, in some cases, dedicated onsite generation to bypass interconnection delays. That buildout pushed ERCOT\u2019s non-crypto data center forecast above 228 GW by 2032.<\/span>
Developers are continuing to pursue Texas aggressively because ERCOT still offers faster timelines and more flexible market structures than many competing regions. Several proposed campuses pair AI infrastructure with onsite gas generation, colocated power assets, or flexible-load arrangements to navigate mounting transmission constraints.<\/span>
Related:<\/span>Texas Gets Tough on Data Center Power \u2013 Who\u2019s Next?<\/a>
Utilities across the US are grappling with AI-driven electricity growth, but ERCOT\u2019s projections stand apart for both scale and uncertainty. PJM Interconnection, the nation\u2019s largest grid operator, expects summer peak demand to climb above 241 GW over the next 15 years as data centers and electrification expand. ERCOT, by contrast, projects demand potentially reaching nearly 368 GW by 2032, driven largely by proposed non-crypto data center loads. At the same time, the grid operator openly questions how much of that demand will materialize on schedule.<\/span>
Similar pressures are emerging elsewhere. In California, <\/span>CAISO\u2019s latest transmission plan<\/a><\/span> cited \u201cdata center load growth\u201d as a driver of major grid upgrades and described interconnection volumes as \u201cunmanageable\u201d before recent queue reforms.\u00a0<\/span>
A recent <\/span>Grid Strategies report<\/a><\/span> reached a similar conclusion nationally, warning that the \u201cdata center portion of utility load forecasts is likely overstated by roughly 25 GW\u201d compared with market-based deployment estimates.\u00a0<\/span>
Ihab Osman, an independent strategist specializing in data center and other mission-critical infrastructure, said the distinction is less about \u201creal\u201d versus \u201cfake\u201d AI demand and more about \u201cannounced versus deliverable demand.\u201d<\/span>
Related:<\/span>Soluna Expands Texas Campus With 100 MW AI-Ready Data Center<\/a>
\u201cA large share of the current AI\/data center planned load should be treated as paper megawatts until it is validated through physical gates,\u201d Osman said, citing factors including site control, transmission deliverability, generation availability, turbine and transformer supply, permitting, financing, and credible energization schedules.<\/span>
Osman said ERCOT\u2019s forecast is best understood as \u201ca stress-test map, not as a fait accompli build map.\u201d<\/span>
The filing shows Texas regulators and grid planners struggling to distinguish operating AI infrastructure from a rapidly expanding pipeline of proposed projects.<\/span>
\u201cThe vast majority\u201d of ERCOT\u2019s projected load growth comes from submissions provided by transmission and distribution utilities, according to the filing. Those requests include hyperscale AI campuses, GPU clusters, and other large industrial loads seeking future grid capacity reservations.<\/span>
Alison Silverstein, a former senior adviser to the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said \u201ca large proportion\u201d of projects in ERCOT\u2019s large-load interconnection queue have already been canceled, particularly among smaller developers facing long interconnection delays and high turbine and transformer costs.<\/span>
ERCOT has also signaled that many projects may not materialize on the timelines shaping transmission planning.<\/span>
The grid operator said summer 2026 peak demand is likely to land between roughly 90.5 GW and 98 GW \u2013 far below the preliminary 112 GW figure embedded in the long-term forecast. ERCOT said it appears \u201cunlikely\u201d that new large-load projects and existing site expansions will ramp quickly enough to push demand that high this year.\u00a0<\/span>
The filing suggests uncertainty around AI-related load growth is beginning to influence broader infrastructure planning assumptions. By 2032, ERCOT projects non-crypto data centers reaching 228 GW of demand, compared with just 9 GW from cryptocurrency mining and roughly 3 GW each from hydrogen\/e-fuels and oil-and-gas-related industrial growth.\u00a0<\/span>
The move also suggests the regulator is no longer simply forecasting AI-driven growth, but also working to determine how much of the proposed boom can actually be financed, supplied, interconnected, and energized before utilities commit billions to long-lived infrastructure.<\/span>
Shane Snider
Senior News Writer, Data Center Knowledge
Shane Snider is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of industry experience. He started his career as a general assignment reporter and has covered government, business, education, technology and much more. He was a reporter for the Triangle Business Journal, Raleigh News and Observer and most recently a tech reporter for CRN. He was also a top wedding photographer for many years, traveling across the country and around the world. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and two children.<\/span>
May 13, 2026
Want more Data Center Knowledge stories in your Google search results?
May 13, 2026
May 13, 2026
<\/span>Copyright \u00a9 2026 TechTarget, Inc. d\/b\/a Informa TechTarget. This website is owned and operated by Informa TechTarget, part of a global network that informs, influences and connects the world\u2019s technology buyers and sellers. All copyright resides with them. Informa PLC\u2019s registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. TechTarget, Inc.\u2019s registered office is 275 Grove St. Newton, MA 02466.<\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TechTarget and Informa Tech\u2019s Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and InformaTogether, we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics, serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original, objective content from trusted sources. We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities.The energy regulator cautions that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16333","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}