ERCOT
Live ERCOT prices: load zones and hubs
Real-time settlement point prices for the eight ERCOT load zones and the trading hubs, straight from the market, updated as each 15-minute interval settles. High prices and peak risk travel together. When this page runs hot on a summer afternoon, the dashboard usually says why.
Every zone's day
9:45 PM CT interval · avg $31.41Live zone and hub prices
| Load zone | Price ($/MWh) | Interval start (CT) |
|---|---|---|
| $33.57 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $32.29 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $31.99 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $31.45 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $31.42 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $31.42 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $31.29 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $31.12 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $31.10 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $31.10 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $30.64 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $30.40 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $30.36 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $30.33 | 9:45 PM CT | |
| $30.06 | 9:45 PM CT |
What prices are these?
Real-time market settlement point prices (SPPs) for ERCOT's eight load zones, in dollars per megawatt-hour, at 15-minute settlement intervals. This is what load actually settles against in the real-time market, not a retail rate.
Why do the zones differ?
Transmission congestion. When the lines between regions run full, cheap power can't reach the expensive side, and zone prices separate. West Texas often clears lower than Houston for exactly this reason.
Can ERCOT prices really go negative, or hit $5,000?
Both. Negative prices happen in windy overnight hours when generation exceeds what the lines can carry. And because ERCOT is an energy-only market, scarcity pricing can push the real-time price into the thousands when reserves get thin. The system-wide cap is $5,000/MWh.
What's the difference between real-time and day-ahead prices?
The day-ahead market clears once a day, hourly, based on forecasts. The real-time market settles every 15 minutes based on what actually happens. Most volume clears day-ahead. The drama happens in real time.
What's a trading hub, and how is it different from a load zone?
A load zone prices the demand side: what load pays in that region. A hub is a bundle of generation buses that traders use as a reference price for contracts, so it tracks what generators receive. Hub and zone prices usually move together and separate under congestion. HB_BUSAVG averages every 345 kV bus, HB_HUBAVG averages the hubs.