Renewable Revolution 2024: ERCOT’s Top Fuel Sources
Sunshine in Texas generated a record 17,197 megawatts of solar power on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid at 11:20 a.m. on February 19, 2024 — enough electricity to power over 3 million homes. This remarkable feat propelled Texas to become the nation’s leader in utility-scale solar generation, demonstrating the Lone Star State’s growing transition toward renewable energy.
In this in-depth analysis, we’ll explore ERCOT’s evolving energy mix in 2024 and the increasing role of renewable energy sources like solar and wind versus fossil fuels like natural gas and coal. We’ll also examine how this rising adoption of cleaner energy impacts electricity prices across the grid. This article draws on the latest energy data and expert perspectives to provide a comprehensive look at Texas’s transition toward a sustainable energy future.
Key Takeaways
- In 2024 so far (January 1 to March 21), these are the top five fuel sources for the ERCOT power grid: natural gas (40.3%), wind (29.0%), coal and lignite (12.3%), nuclear (10.2%), and solar (7.7%).
- ERCOT’s top 10 times for maximum solar-generated electricity in history occurred in 2024.
- On average, wind makes up 18.0% of ERCOT’s fuel mix in summer months and 30.1% in other months, based on ERCOT’s Average Fuel Mix from January 1, 2023, to March 21, 2024.
- From January 1, 2023, to March 21, 2024, 33.2% of ERCOT’s electricity was sourced from renewable sources; in 2024 so far, 36.9% of ERCOT’s electricity was sourced from renewable sources.
- ERCOT’s top 10 times for maximum renewable-energy generation in history occurred in 2024.
ERCOT’s Energy Mix
- ERCOT’s Average Fuel Mix Breakdown From January 1, 2023, to March 21, 2024:
- Natural gas – 43.4%
- Wind – 25.9%
- Coal and lignite – 13.6%
- Nuclear – 9.6%
- Solar – 7.2%
- Power storage – 0.2%
- Hydro – 0.1%
- Other – <0.1%
- ERCOT’s Average Fuel Mix Breakdown in 2024 So Far (January 1 to March 21, 2024):
- Natural gas – 40.3%
- Wind – 29.0%
- Coal and lignite – 12.3%
- Nuclear – 10.2%
- Solar – 7.7%
- Power storage – 0.4%
- Hydro – 0.1%
- Other – <0.1%
- On average, wind makes up 18.0% of ERCOT’s fuel mix in summer months and 30.1% in other months based on ERCOT’s Average Fuel Mix from January 1, 2023, to March 21, 2024.
- ERCOT’s top 10 times for maximum solar-generated electricity in history occurred in 2024.
- ERCOT’s Top 10 Times for Maximum Solar-Generated Electricity of All-Time:
- February 19, 2024, at 11:20 a.m. EST – 17,197 MW
- March 10, 2024, at Noon EST – 17,102 MW
- February 18, 2024, at Noon EST – 17,094 MW
- February 23, 2024, at Noon EST – 16,821 MW
- February 13, 2024, at 11:05 a.m. EST – 16,668 MW
- March 1, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. EST – 16,653 MW
- February 24, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. EST – 16,622 MW
- February 25, 2024, at 2:40 p.m. EST – 16,603 MW
- February 20, 2024, at 11:10 a.m. EST – 16,585 MW
- March 5, 2024, at 11:55 a.m. EST – 16,322 MW
How Other Grids Stack Up
- Top Major Power Grids by Average Percentage of Electricity Sourced From Renewable Energy From January 1, 2023, to March 21, 2024:
- California Independent System Operator (CAISO) – 46.2%
- Southwest Power Pool (SPP) – 41.8%
- Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) – 33.2%
- New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) – 24.1%
- Independent System Operator New England (ISO-NE) – 16.4%
- Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) – 15.1%
- Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection (PJM) – 8.0%
- Top Major Power Grids by Average Percentage of Electricity Sourced From Renewable Energy From January 1 to March 21 2024:
- SPP – 44.3%
- CAISO – 43.7%
- ERCOT – 36.9%
- NYISO – 26.5%
- MISO – 18.7%
- ISO-NE – 16.9%
- PJM – 9.2%
- ERCOT’s top 10 times for maximum renewable-energy generation in history occurred in 2024.
- ERCOT’s Top 10 Times for Maximum Solar-Generated Electricity of All-Time:
- January 19, 2024, at 11:05 a.m. EST – 35,186 MW
- January 9, 2024, at 11:10 a.m. EST – 32,652 MW
- February 21, 2024, at 5 p.m. EST – 32,582 MW
- March 8, 2024, at 2:40 p.m. EST – 32,426 MW
- February 17, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. EST – 32,056 MW
- February 26, 2024, at 2:55 p.m. EST – 32,041 MW
- January 12, 2024, at 11:55 a.m. EST – 32,011 MW
- March 24, 2024, at 2:45 p.m. EST – 31,963 MW
- March 13, 2024, at 5:20 p.m. EST – 31,857 MW
- February 25, 2024, at 2:45 p.m. EST – 31,796 MW
Methodology
For this study, we leveraged GridStatus.io to analyze what powers the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power grid, what percentage of generated electricity comes from renewable energy, and how ERCOT’s utilization of renewable energy compares to other major power grids.
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Fair Use Statement
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