AUSTIN (KXAN) -- With Texas headed into another summer of record-breaking heat forecasts, state lawmakers took steps to better coordinate billions of dollars in energy conservation programs amid warnings that power demand could outstrip supply as early as 2026.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) recently forecast that the state's growing demand for power could surpass available energy supply beginning in summer 2026, with demand nearly doubling by 2030 due to population growth, extreme weather and large industrial users including cryptocurrency mines and data centers.

In response, the Legislature passed House Bill 5323, creating the Texas Energy Waste Advisory Committee to coordinate state programs that reduce energy waste and improve electric grid reliability.

“This legi

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