The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the organization that manages the state's electricity grid, is predicting a record high demand for power this summer, according to a report released this week.

Why it matters: The Texas power grid supplies electricity to more than 25 million Texans. A failure during sweltering temperatures could be catastrophic.

• ERCOT expects the state to have sufficient electricity "under normal conditions," according to the report.

Yes, but: The state has already seen abnormally high temperatures, which could soon reach triple digits.

Context: ERCOT told power generators this week that they would need to defer planned outages for maintenance for a second time this month to maintain power across the state. The warning of possible emergency conditions has been extended through Friday.

Flashback: Last week, ERCOT asked power plants to delay repairs ahead of the May heat wave. One of those plants was among the six that crashed Friday, per the Texas Tribune.

• ERCOT asked Texans to turn up their thermostats to 78 degrees for the weekend and avoid using large appliances during the hottest hours of the day.

💭 Our thought bubble: It's sad that Texas has become a state where we have to seriously worry about losing power several times a year.

Read the full story.

The man accused of shooting three women at a Korean hair salon was having "delusions around anyone of Asian descent," Dallas police said.

Driving the news: 37-year-old Jeremy Smith was arrested on three felony aggravated assault charges connected to what police have labeled a hate crime.

What happened: Smith is accused of parking his red 2004 Honda Odyssey on Royal Lane, going to the Hair World Salon and firing a .22 caliber rifle 13 times on May 11. Three people were injured.

Details: So far, Smith only faces criminal charges in the salon shooting. Police are continuing to investigate a drive-by shooting on April 2 on Royal Lane and another on May 10 in southern Dallas. Both attacks were at Asian-run businesses by a suspect driving a red van.

• Garcia said Smith's delusions began after he was involved in a car crash with an Asian man two years ago.

What they're saying: "It’s an issue of hate. It’s a hate crime," Garcia said yesterday at a news conference. "Our community sees it as a hate crime. I see it as a hate crime."

Yes, but: Smith doesn't face a hate-crime enhancement. That may come later.

• The FBI is also investigating the shootings as hate crimes.

What's next: Dallas police will continue to host forums with the Asian community like the one Monday night at the Korean Cultural Center.

Read the full story.

🌎 Find a job that’s out of this world with our Local Job Board.

1. Information Technology Architect at Airbus.
2. Senior Associate, Field Marketing at KPMG.
3. eDiscovery Senior Manager at CBRE.

Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.

Hiring? Post a job.

After ripping the still-beating hearts from the chests of the Phoenix Suns and their fans, Luka and the Mavs face the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals.

Yes, but: For the third series in a row, Dallas will enter as the betting underdog.

Context: The Mavs beat the Warriors in three of their four head-to-head matchups this season, but Golden State had a lot of injuries.

The good news: Luka Doncic has been on an all-time tear, and he's had solid help. Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie combined for 54 points in the Game 7 thrashing of the Suns.

• The Warriors also struggled at times against the Grizzlies, losing one game by 39 points before ultimately winning the series.

The bad news: Golden State is absolutely stacked. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are all healthy, and veteran forward Andre Iguodala could return as early as Game 2 after missing the entire Grizzlies series.

• The Warriors are the current odds-on favorites to win the NBA championship.

An amazing stat: Luka leads the entire league in average time of possession during the playoffs. He's had the ball an average of 10 minutes a game.

The bottom line: FiveThirtyEight's odds calculators give the Mavs a slight edge in the series.

• 🙏 Buckle up.

🏫 A Coppell middle school student put another student in a chokehold in the cafeteria while other kids watched and recorded video. (WFAA)

🏈 The mayor of Dallas created an ad hoc committee devoted to attracting and retaining professional sports teams in the city limits. Eric Johnson has been tweeting about wanting a second NFL team. (Medium)

🛒 An H-E-B grocery store will break ground this morning in Allen as part of the Texas favorite's continued expansion into North Texas. (Star-Telegram)

🏳️‍⚧️ Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says schools cannot withhold information from parents, including whether students tell a counselor they are transgender or nonbinary. (DMN)

🧑‍⚖️ Dallas County commissioners are questioning whether criminal court judges are working full days to clear the county's backlog of cases. (KERA)

In Monday's newsletter, we asked which Texas snacks we should take to Washington, D.C., to share with Axios reporters from across the country.

🔥 Axios Dallas superfan Maureen M. replied, "If you have a way to heat up chili you could make Frito pie in a bag of Fritos."

🍔 A full cheeseburger wouldn't travel well, but Brian C. recommended taking Whataburger spicy ketchup.

🥐 Fort Worth lovers recommended Esperanza's Bakery and the salsa from Joe T's, which Rhiannon C. called the "best in the country."

👍 Robert M. suggested Texas-grown pecans.

🤤 Of note: Roger H. pointed out that the official state snack is chips and salsa.