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Solar, Wind Energy Powering Texas Grids Amid Heatwave

Green energy is helping to keep the Texas power grids alive amid a weeks-long heatwave that has pushed power usage to an all-time high.
The meteorological conditions have allowed renewable energy generated by wind turbines and solar panels to supply the grids with enough power to meet demand, experts told ABC News.
While natural gas is still the primary power source for the state's grid, wind and solar energy are heavily contributing to the supply, data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas show. 
On Thursday afternoon, solar produced 10,757 megawatts while wind produced 7,433 MW, representing about 26% of the grid's power.
At the same time, natural gas produced 33,514 MW – nearly 50% of the grid’s power – while coal and lignite produced 11,357 MW – about 17%.
About 1 MW of power can generate electricity for 200 Texas homes during peak demand, according to ERCOT, which supplies power to about 26 million customers, representing about 90% of the state's power load. 
On Thursday, the more than 31,000 MW generated by solar and wind was enough to power more than 3.6 million homes.
Texas generates more energy than any other state, but it also consumes the most, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
 

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