PJM, ERCOT, and SWPP all set peak load records this summer

What the source reports

Energy Information Administration, Hourly Electric Grid Monitor Note: Data are the highest hourly load for a given day.

ISO=independent system operator, ERCOT=Electric Reliability Council of Texas, SWPP=Southwest Power Pool Three regional transmission organizations (RTOs) set records for peak hourly load this past summer, according to data reported on Form EIA-930 and presented in the Hourly Electric Grid Monitor :

PJM peaked at 162.

6 gigawatts (GW) on July 2, 2026, 1.

3% higher than the pre-2026 peak of 160.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) peaked at 91.

5% higher than the pre-2026 record of 85.

The Southwest Power Pool (SWPP) peaked at 58.

5% higher than the pre-2026 peak of 56.

Most of these peaks occurred during regional heat waves, amid the hottest summer on record nationally, which drove up cooling demand.

The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and the Independent System Operator for New England (ISO-NE) came within 2% of their previous records.

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) was within 3% of its previous record load, and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) was within 4%, according to Form EIA-930:

CAISO reached 50.

0 GW on September 9, 2026, below its record high of 51.

1 GW reached on September 6, 2022.

3 GW on July 2, 2026, below its record of 25.

1 GW on July 2, 2026, below its previous record of 31.

9 GW on June 24, 2025 ( NYISO reports a record of 34.

0 GW set in 2013, before we collected hourly data).

5 gigawatts (GW) on June 30, 2026, the highest in our Hourly Electric Grid Monitor but below the previous peak of 127.

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