Texas — The Texas electric grid will have less cushion than expected next summer between power demand on the hottest days and generation capacity, grid operators cautioned in a long-term study released Monday.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas now projects that the margin of capacity over projected peak demand will fall slightly below the 13.75 percent that ERCOT prefers as it tries to prevent rolling blackouts.

The latest report anticipates that electricity generators will be able to produce 74,633 megawatts of power next summer, with peak electric use projected as 65,952 megawatts. That's a 13.2 percent margin.

Last May the council, which operates most of the state grid, projected the 2013 reserve margin would be 14.3 percent. 

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