ERCOT increasingly meets rising demand with solar, wind, and batteries

Published: 22 October 2025
Categories: US Energy Information Administration

RSS feed source: US Energy Information Administration

In-brief analysis

October 24, 2025

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook
Note: This data set shows demand in the electric power industry only. ERCOT=Electric Reliability Council of Texas

Since 2021, electricity demand within the Texas electricity grid operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has steadily increased. In the first nine months of 2025, electricity demand in ERCOT, which manages about 90% of the state’s load, reached a record high compared with the same period in previous years. Over those same months, ERCOT had the fastest electricity demand growth among U.S. electricity grids between 2024 and 2025. From January through September 2025, demand for electric power in ERCOT increased 5% compared with the same period in 2024 to 372 terawatthours (TWh), 23% more than the same months in 2021. Since 2023, wind

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U.S. fuel ethanol exports on track to set record, driving more domestic production

Published: 22 October 2025
Categories: US Energy Information Administration

RSS feed source: US Energy Information Administration

In-brief analysis

October 22, 2025

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Petroleum Supply Monthly
Note: The 2025 annual average is the year-to-date average through July.

The United States is on track to export a record amount of fuel ethanol for the second year in a row in 2025, driven by growing international demand. This growing market for exports is supporting increased U.S. fuel ethanol production, even as domestic consumption stagnates.

Fuel ethanol is a renewable fuel that is commonly blended with gasoline and is made by fermenting sugar from biomass, typically corn in the United States. The United States is the largest global producer and exporter of fuel ethanol.

U.S. fuel ethanol exports are on track to set new records
In the first seven months of 2025, U.S. fuel ethanol exports averaged 138,000 barrels per day

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How algae learned to harness the Sun without getting burned

Published: 22 October 2025
Categories: Engineering News

RSS feed source: US Energy Information Administration

Under the sea, green algae have evolved a clever way to handle too much sunlight. Scientists found that a special pigment called siphonein acts like a natural sun shield, protecting the algae’s delicate photosynthetic machinery from burning out. Using advanced imaging and simulations, researchers showed how siphonein helps algae safely manage excess light energy. The discovery could inspire new solar technologies that mimic nature’s built-in protection systems.

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