ERCOT operates the Texas electric grid serving 26 million customers and ~90% of Texas load. This page consolidates Day-Ahead, Real-Time, and Ancillary Services prices for energy traders, battery operators, and industrial load managers.
Data freshness: 2026-05-17 (updated daily after DAM clears)
Quick Stats
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Day-Ahead Peak | $38.31/MWh |
| Day-Ahead Average | $19.02/MWh |
| Real-Time Latest | $-0.01/MWh |
| Top Hub | HB_HOUSTON |
| Top AS Product | NSPIN |
| Data Source | ERCOT MIS |
Day-Ahead Settlement Point Prices (DAM SPP)
Day-ahead prices are determined through the DAM clearing process, typically published by 1:30 PM CT for the following operating day. Prices shown are hourly averages by settlement point.
| Location | Type | Avg Price | Peak | Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB_HOUSTON | Hub | $26.14 | $34.60 | $17.87 |
| HB_NORTH | Hub | $23.90 | $36.81 | $17.22 |
| HB_BUSAVG | Hub | $20.94 | $33.26 | $14.69 |
| HB_SOUTH | Hub | $18.75 | $30.76 | $11.76 |
| HB_HUBAVG | Hub | $18.74 | $30.80 | $12.54 |
| HB_WEST | Hub | $6.19 | $21.03 | $-2.79 |
| HB_PAN | Hub | $5.12 | $20.08 | $-3.80 |
| LZ_HOUSTON | Zone | $27.00 | $34.68 | $18.10 |
| LZ_RAYBN | Zone | $25.32 | $38.31 | $17.78 |
| LZ_NORTH | Zone | $24.86 | $37.52 | $17.12 |
| LZ_AEN | Zone | $20.50 | $32.17 | $14.12 |
| LZ_LCRA | Zone | $20.25 | $31.81 | $13.86 |
| LZ_CPS | Zone | $20.07 | $32.24 | $12.96 |
| LZ_SOUTH | Zone | $19.26 | $29.42 | $12.77 |
| LZ_WEST | Zone | $8.23 | $25.42 | $-2.11 |
Hub vs Zone: Hubs (HB_) are aggregated trading points. Load Zones (LZ_) represent physical grid regions. HB_BUSAVG is the system-wide bus average.
Real-Time Settlement Point Prices (RT SPP)
Real-time prices update every 5-15 minutes based on actual grid conditions. These prices settle imbalances between day-ahead commitments and real-time delivery.
| Location | Type | RT Price |
|---|---|---|
| HB_HOUSTON | Hub | $24.27 |
| LZ_HOUSTON | Zone | $23.76 |
| LZ_CPS | Zone | $17.79 |
| LZ_AEN | Zone | $17.60 |
| LZ_LCRA | Zone | $17.51 |
| LZ_NORTH | Zone | $17.41 |
| LZ_RAYBN | Zone | $17.29 |
| LZ_SOUTH | Zone | $17.26 |
| HB_NORTH | Hub | $17.09 |
| HB_SOUTH | Hub | $16.67 |
| HB_BUSAVG | Hub | $15.83 |
| HB_HUBAVG | Hub | $14.26 |
| LZ_WEST | Zone | $-0.01 |
| HB_WEST | Hub | $-0.97 |
| HB_PAN | Hub | $-2.28 |
DA vs RT Spread: When RT > DA, generators profit from selling more real-time. When RT < DA, buyers benefit from purchasing day-ahead.
Ancillary Services Prices (DAM MCPC)
Ancillary services maintain grid reliability and are co-optimized with energy in the DAM. Prices shown are Market Clearing Price for Capacity (MCPC).
| Product | Avg Price | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| NSPIN | $2.10 | $2.10 |
| REGDN | $1.57 | $1.57 |
| REGUP | $1.04 | $1.04 |
| ECRS | $0.66 | $0.66 |
| RRS | $0.41 | $0.41 |
Key Products:
- Reg Up/Down - Frequency regulation (fastest response)
- RRS - Responsive Reserve Service (10-minute response)
- Non-Spin - Non-Spinning Reserve (30-minute response)
- ECRS - Contingency reserves for large outages
Use Cases
Energy Traders
- Monitor DA vs RT spreads for arbitrage opportunities
- Identify price volatility by hub/zone
- Track AS prices for revenue stacking
Battery Storage Operators
- Optimize charge/discharge schedules around price peaks
- Evaluate AS revenue potential vs energy arbitrage
- Assess location value (hub premium)
Industrial Load Managers
- Schedule flexible loads around low-price hours
- Evaluate curtailment economics during price spikes
- Compare zonal prices for facility siting
Methodology
Data is fetched from ERCOT via the gridstatus open-source library. This page updates daily after the Day-Ahead Market clears (~1:30 PM CT).
Data sources:
- Day-Ahead SPP: ERCOT Report NP4-190-CD
- Real-Time SPP: ERCOT Report NP6-905-CD
- Ancillary Services: ERCOT Report NP4-188-CD
For raw data access, see ERCOT's Data Access Portal.
OpenNash consulting for energy markets: We build price monitoring dashboards, automated trading signals, and battery dispatch optimization. See AI consulting.