ERCOT Warns Texas Power Demand May Outpace Supply by 2026

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) projects that electricity demand in Texas could exceed available supply by 2026, raising concerns for the state's power grid. Industry analysts note that the growing adoption of residential solar and battery storage, especially through the use of meter collars that connect directly at the utility meter, may affect load management. Meter collars from manufacturers such as ConnectDER, Enphase and Tesla allow homes with older service panels to add solar, storage or EV charging without costly panel upgrades, but their suitability depends on the local utility.

The SolarWakeup newsletter highlighted several parallel developments in the solar sector, including FlexGen’s launch of European operations, a sales decline at First Solar, a new FCC rule on inverter production, and broader market concerns about supply‑chain and tax‑credit impacts on solar costs.