ERCOT North Day-Ahead (ERCOT_NORTH_DA) Price API

You need to fetch reliable ERCOT North Day-Ahead power prices for finance workflows like settlement valuation, PnL attribution, or hedging logic. By the end of this guide, you will list the symbol to verify availability, pull the latest ERCOT_NORTH_DA price with a ready-to-run curl, parse the JSON fields you actually need, and wire it into your application with Python or JavaScript.

What you will build: finance-grade ERCOT North Day-Ahead integration

This walkthrough focuses on one instrument: ERCOT North Day-Ahead (symbol code ERCOT_NORTH_DA), quoted in USD/MWh. You will:

Illustration: ERCOT North Day-Ahead (ERCOT_NORTH_DA) Price API

Confirm the symbol appears in the catalog via GET /api/v1/symbols.
Retrieve the latest quote using the official /api/v1/latest endpoint.
Read the price, currency, and date fields you actually need for financial computations.
Handle base currency nuances and caching without overcomplicating your stack.

Everything here sticks to the official endpoints, parameters, symbols, and field names provided in this post. When in doubt, check the Documentation.

Catalog check: verify ERCOT_NORTH_DA is listed

Before coding against a symbol, confirm it’s in the catalog. Use GET /api/v1/symbols to retrieve the listing of available instruments and ensure that “ERCOT North Day-Ahead” with code “ERCOT_NORTH_DA” appears. This quick check prevents mismatched codes and saves debugging time.

Implementation guidance:

Send a GET request to /api/v1/symbols using your API key via the api_key query parameter.
Search the response for a symbol whose name is “ERCOT North Day-Ahead” and code is “ERCOT_NORTH_DA”.
Store the code exactly as ERCOT_NORTH_DA for downstream pricing calls—do not alter case or spacing.

Once confirmed, proceed to fetching live prices. If the symbol is not found, re-check spelling and verify your account has access; see Documentation for catalog details.

Authentication, pricing, and scope notes

Authentication uses an api_key query parameter. Use the placeholder YOUR_API_KEY in examples and replace it with your key in production. There is a Starter plan at $19.99/mo with a 7-day trial (50 calls). Always read the docs for current plan details before scaling your integration.

Important constraints to keep your code correct:

Unit: USD/MWh for ERCOT_NORTH_DA.
Do not pass base=USD together with symbols like TTF_GAS or EUA_CO2 in the same call; mixed commodities may imply a mixed base.
There is no MCP host—stick with the documented energy-api.com endpoints.
Some responses may return base=MIXED when multiple symbols are requested; rely on currencies.{symbol} for per-symbol currency.

Fetch the latest ERCOT North Day-Ahead price

Use the official live endpoint below. This is copy-pasteable and uses the documented parameters and symbol exactly as required for finance workflows.

curl -G "https://energy-api.com/api/v1/latest" --data-urlencode "symbols=ERCOT_NORTH_DA" --data-urlencode "api_key=YOUR_API_KEY"

Official JSON sample (use these exact values for tests and fixtures):

{
"success": true,
"date": "2026-10-19",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": 23.4117
},
"dates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "2026-10-19"
},
"currencies": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "USD"
},
"base_filter_note": null
}

What you will read in finance code:

rates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA → the numeric price (23.4117).
currencies.ERCOT_NORTH_DA → the currency for the symbol (USD).
dates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA → the data date for that symbol (2026-10-19).
date → the response date, useful for top-level auditing; prefer per-symbol dates.*
base → the response base; handle as informational only when you query a single symbol.

*For multi-symbol calls, always use dates.{symbol} and currencies.{symbol} to avoid confusion when base is MIXED.

Python example: get the price and unit for valuation

This Python snippet calls the same endpoint and extracts fields you will persist in a finance database. It prints the price, unit, and dates for auditability.

import os
import urllib.parse
import urllib.request
import json

BASE_URL = "https://energy-api.com/api/v1/latest"
API_KEY = os.environ.get("ENERGY_API_KEY", "YOUR_API_KEY") # replace in production

params = {
"symbols": "ERCOT_NORTH_DA",
"api_key": API_KEY
}
url = BASE_URL + "?" + urllib.parse.urlencode(params)

with urllib.request.urlopen(url) as resp:
data = json.loads(resp.read().decode("utf-8"))

# Validate success
if not data.get("success"):
raise RuntimeError("API call failed")

symbol = "ERCOT_NORTH_DA"
price = data["rates"][symbol]
currency = data["currencies"][symbol]
data_date = data["dates"][symbol]
unit = "USD/MWh" # per catalog for ERCOT_NORTH_DA

print(f"Symbol: {symbol}")
print(f"Date: {data_date}")
print(f"Price: {price} {currency} per MWh")
print(f"Unit: {unit}")

JavaScript example (Node.js): integrate into a pricing service

This Node.js script fetches the same symbol and demonstrates defensive parsing against the required fields.

import https from "node:https";
import { URL } from "node:url";

const API_KEY = process.env.ENERGY_API_KEY || "YOUR_API_KEY";
const endpoint = new URL("https://energy-api.com/api/v1/latest");
endpoint.searchParams.set("symbols", "ERCOT_NORTH_DA");
endpoint.searchParams.set("api_key", API_KEY);

function fetchJSON(url) {
return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
https.get(url, (res) => {
let body = "";
res.setEncoding("utf8");
res.on("data", (chunk) => (body += chunk));
res.on("end", () => {
try {
const json = JSON.parse(body);
resolve(json);
} catch (e) {
reject(e);
}
});
}).on("error", reject);
});
}

const UNIT = "USD/MWh"; // documented unit for ERCOT_NORTH_DA

const main = async () => {
const data = await fetchJSON(endpoint);
if (!data.success) throw new Error("API call was not successful");

const sym = "ERCOT_NORTH_DA";
const price = data.rates[sym];
const currency = data.currencies[sym];
const dataDate = data.dates[sym];

console.log({
symbol: sym,
date: dataDate,
price,
currency,
unit: UNIT,
});
};

main().catch((err) => {
console.error("Fetch failed:", err.message);
process.exit(1);
});

Field semantics you will actually use in finance logic

For ERCOT_NORTH_DA you only need a small subset to compute valuations and persist audit trails:

Price: rates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA (decimal). Use as USD per MWh.
Currency: currencies.ERCOT_NORTH_DA (string, “USD”). Do not rely solely on top-level base.
Instrument date: dates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA. Use as the effective date for the day-ahead value.
Global flags: success and base. Log them for diagnostics—do not derive pricing logic from base.

Persisting all four fields plus the symbol code yields reproducible PnL and allows you to backtest or reconcile if the catalog updates.

Official JSON examples for testing and fixtures

Use the official response below for unit tests or to confirm your JSON parsing. The examples are identical by design to ensure you store the exact fields and keys without guesswork.

Example A: baseline latest response

{
"success": true,
"date": "2026-10-19",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": 23.4117
},
"dates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "2026-10-19"
},
"currencies": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "USD"
},
"base_filter_note": null
}

Example B: use as integration test payload

{
"success": true,
"date": "2026-10-19",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": 23.4117
},
"dates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "2026-10-19"
},
"currencies": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "USD"
},
"base_filter_note": null
}

Example C: schema validation and logging

{
"success": true,
"date": "2026-10-19",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": 23.4117
},
"dates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "2026-10-19"
},
"currencies": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "USD"
},
"base_filter_note": null
}

Handling units, base currency, and mixed calls

Units: ERCOT_NORTH_DA is quoted as USD/MWh. Keep the unit as metadata next to your price in any persistence layer. This prevents downstream mistakes (e.g., interpreting prices as USD/kWh).

Base currency: For a single-symbol call like ERCOT_NORTH_DA, you may see base=USD at the top-level. If you mix symbols in one call (e.g., ERCOT plus non-USD commodities), the API may respond with base=MIXED. Therefore:

Always read currencies.ERCOT_NORTH_DA for the authoritative currency of this symbol.
Do not force base=USD when requesting symbols like TTF_GAS or EUA_CO2 in the same request.
When querying multiple instruments, normalize currencies after parsing, not by adding a base parameter.

Scheduling, caching, and non-trading days

Day-ahead power prices typically publish once per day. The API supplies dates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA to mark the applicable data date. For job scheduling:

Schedule retrieval after the expected publication window for the ERCOT day-ahead market. If unsure, poll at a sensible cadence and compare dates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA for a data refresh indicator.
Cache responses by symbol and data date. Do not overwrite existing records unless dates.{symbol} advances or the value changes.
On weekends or holidays, publication may shift. Rely on dates.{symbol} to determine the effective date rather than assuming a strict daily increment.

When backfilling, store price, currency, and instrument date together so reconciliation remains trivial.

Validation and reliability checklist

Catalog: Confirm ERCOT North Day-Ahead (ERCOT_NORTH_DA) appears in /api/v1/symbols.
Auth: Use api_key=YOUR_API_KEY in your requests.
Endpoint: Use /api/v1/latest for current pricing; stick to documented URLs.
Parsing: Read rates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA, currencies.ERCOT_NORTH_DA, and dates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA.
Base: Treat base as informational; for multiple instruments, expect base=MIXED.
Units: Store USD/MWh explicitly with each record.
Caching: Key records by symbol + dates.{symbol}; preserve prior values for auditability.

Error handling and observability

Implement these safeguards to avoid silent failures in finance pipelines:

Check success is true; otherwise alert and do not write incomplete records.
Validate presence and type of rates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA (numeric), currencies.ERCOT_NORTH_DA (string), and dates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA (YYYY-MM-DD).
Log the full response for failed runs with a redaction of the api_key in request logs.
Use idempotent writes keyed by symbol + date to prevent duplicates on retries.

Re-using the official sample during development

If you need a stable fixture during CI runs or local development, adopt the official live sample below to keep your mock aligned with the documented schema and fields. This prevents drift when writing parsers or serializers for finance data stores.

{
"success": true,
"date": "2026-10-19",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": 23.4117
},
"dates": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "2026-10-19"
},
"currencies": {
"ERCOT_NORTH_DA": "USD"
},
"base_filter_note": null
}

Security and key management

Keep your API key out of source control. For local testing, use environment variables; in CI/CD, inject secrets at runtime. Inventory every place that logs URLs and strip api_key query parameters before writing logs. Rotate keys periodically according to your organization’s security policy.

Putting it all together

To ship confidently:

Verify symbol presence via /api/v1/symbols.
Use the official curl for /api/v1/latest with symbols=ERCOT_NORTH_DA and api_key=YOUR_API_KEY.
Parse and persist rates, currencies, and dates for the symbol.
Normalize around USD/MWh and store the unit explicitly.
Schedule a daily job with caching keyed by symbol and data date.

This gives you a reliable backbone for finance calculations involving ERCOT North Day-Ahead prices.

FAQ

Q1: How do I confirm ERCOT_NORTH_DA exists before coding?
Call GET /api/v1/symbols with your api_key and search for “ERCOT North Day-Ahead” (code: ERCOT_NORTH_DA). Store the exact code for pricing calls.

Q2: Which fields should I persist for finance workflows?
At minimum: rates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA (price), currencies.ERCOT_NORTH_DA (currency), dates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA (instrument date), plus the symbol code and the known unit USD/MWh.

Q3: Do I need to set base=USD?
No. Avoid forcing base when mixing symbols such as TTF_GAS or EUA_CO2. Read per-symbol currencies.{symbol}; handle normalization downstream if needed.

Q4: How often should I poll for day-ahead?
Fetch after the expected publication window and compare dates.ERCOT_NORTH_DA to detect updates. Cache results by symbol and date to avoid duplicates and reduce API calls.

Q5: What if the response returns base=MIXED?
That’s expected when you query multiple instruments with different currencies. Always rely on currencies.{symbol} for the authoritative unit-of-account per instrument.

Next step

Get a key and implement the latest endpoint in your finance pipeline. Start your integration now: Register. When you’re ready to expand or check request/response specifics, read the Documentation.