KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and energy providers are calling on consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity usage as winter storms have created record demand on the electrical grid.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and energy providers are calling on consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity usage as winter storms have created record demand on the electrical grid.
Specifically, officials are calling on those conservation efforts between today, February 14, 2021, and Tuesday, February 16. Peak demand today is expected between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
"We are experiencing record-breaking electric demand due to the extreme cold temperatures that have gripped Texas," stated ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness. "At the same time, we are dealing with higher-than-normal generation outages due to frozen wind turbines and limited natural gas supplies available to generating units. We are asking Texans to take some simple, safe steps to lower their energy use during this time."
To help reduce electricity use, Texans are asked to turn down their thermostats to 68 degrees, close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows, turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances, and avoid using large appliances like ovens and washing machines.
Businesses are also asked to minimize their use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible. Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
"Given the prolonged, below-freezing temperatures, conservation measures should be implemented safely and within reason," stated ERCOT.
Should power reserves drop too low, ERCOT may need to declare an Energy Emergency Alert, or EEA.
"Declaring an EEA allows the grid operator to take advantage of additional resources that are only available during scarcity conditions," according to ERCOT. "There are three levels of EEA, and rotating outages are only implemented as a last resort to maintain reliability of the electric system."
