Texas Facing ‘Horrible’ Heat That Will Stoke Energy Demand

(Bloomberg) -- Texas's power-grid manager warned that demand will jump over the weekend as customers turn to air conditioners to get relief from searing record heat.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said there could be “larger-than-normal” power consumption but the state's grid should produce enough to meet demand. There is a chance many areas across Texas and neighboring Louisiana could set records for the date as temperatures push into the upper 90s Fahrenheit (30s Celsius) and even higher closer to the Mexican border.

“They may not get any relief for days and days and days,” said David Roth, a senior branch forecaster with the U.S. Weather Prediction Center. “This weekend is horrible, not that it is going to be all that better next week.”

Extreme weather has been putting more pressure on electricity grids -- particularly in Texas and California -- in recent years, which in turn has led to economic and political fallout. Both states have experienced power outages brought on by unusual cold or heat.

Temperatures will soar across the Lone Star state, reaching 94 degrees Fahrenheit in Dallas by Saturday, while Austin will touch 99 on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Similar heat will grip the border town of Laredo and the state's biggest metropolis Houston.

A forecast high in Houston of 97 and 102 in Brownsville this weekend would certainly set new records for the date, said Roth.

In many places, temperatures will feel even hotter than the thermometer reads. The heat will also spill over into New Mexico as well, Roth said.

Normally at this time of year, a weather front would push through to ease the high temperatures and bring some mild air, but there's little chance of that in the next few days, he said.