Texas Grid Operator Reports Voltage Test Failures at Data Centers and Crypto Sites

ERCOT flagged multiple data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations for failing voltage stability assessments ahead of the 2026 summer peak, per its June 2025 filing. Primary source data show these facilities drew power without maintaining required reactive power margins during simulated contingencies. Secondary ERCOT interconnection records indicate over 4 GW of such load entered the queue since 2023 without coordinated voltage ride-through upgrades.

Cross-referenced ERCOT monthly reports document a 47 percent year-over-year increase in large flexible load applications, predominantly AI training clusters and Bitcoin mining. Voltage deviations exceeded 0.95–1.05 pu thresholds at eight sites during staged tests, triggering mandatory mitigation plans. No public data link these failures directly to residential rate spikes, though transmission cost allocation filings list $1.2 billion in planned upgrades.

EIA Form 860 data confirm Texas added 2.8 GW of natural gas capacity in 2024 while data-center load forecasts rose 18 percent. ERCOT’s 2025 Long-Term Load Forecast incorporates 35 GW of new large loads by 2030, with voltage support cited as a binding constraint in five zones.