Three of the largest regional transmission organizations in the United States set new records for peak hourly electricity load during the summer of 2026, according to data filed on Form EIA-930 and published in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Hourly Electric Grid Monitor.

PJM, which operates the grid serving parts of thirteen states and the District of Columbia, peaked at 162.6 gigawatts on July 2, 2026. That figure is 1.3 percent above its previous record of 160.6 GW, set on June 23, 2025.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas reached 91.1 GW on July 22, 2026, 6.5 percent higher than its prior record of 85.5 GW recorded on August 20, 2024. The Southwest Power Pool peaked at 58.0 GW on July 27, 2026, 3.5 percent above its previous high of 56.0 GW from August 21, 2023.

The EIA attributed most of these peaks to regional heat waves occurring during the hottest summer on record nationally, which drove up demand for cooling. The relationship matters for grid planners because peak load, rather than total annual consumption, determines how much generating capacity and transmission headroom an operator must hold in reserve.

Four other grid operators came close to but did not exceed their records. The California Independent System Operator reached 50.0 GW on September 9, 2026, remaining below its record of 51.1 GW set on September 6, 2022. ISO New England reached 25.3 GW on July 2, 2026, below its record of 25.9 GW from June 24, 2025. The New York Independent System Operator reached 31.1 GW on the same July 2 date, below its previous record of 31.9 GW from June 24, 2025; NYISO separately reports a record of 34.0 GW set in 2013, before the EIA began collecting hourly data.

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator peaked at 121.5 GW on June 30, 2026, the highest value in the Hourly Electric Grid Monitor, but still below the previous peak of 127.1 GW recorded on July 20, 2011, as reported by MISO itself.

The EIA noted that Form EIA-930 data is submitted by each balancing authority and published on an as-is basis. The agency stated that the values represent the best figures available at the time of reporting and that reporting issues may limit data quality. Figures published directly by balancing authorities can differ from the Form EIA-930 series. The EIA listed Alex Mey as the principal contributor to the analysis.