HOUSTON — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) asked residents and businesses to voluntarily conserve electricity Wednesday as extreme heat continues driving record power demand across the state.
ERCOT issued a conservation appeal between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. They said they expect conditions to be similar to what the state experienced Monday when the last appeal was issued.
ERCOT says no system-wide outages are expected.
On Monday, residents and businesses responded by voluntarily conserving electricity and helping ERCOT meet record power demand by reducing their energy use by 500 megawatts.
Real-time grid conditions
Check current and projected supply and demand.
ERCOT suggests Texans conserve electricity by raising thermostats to 78 degrees and postponing using large appliances (dishwashers, laundry machines, etc.) during peak afternoon hours.
Ways to conserve energy:
- Change thermostat to 78 degrees, Austin Energy says.
- Businesses should minimize energy usage as much as possible.
- Lower the water heater temperature to 120 degrees.
- Unplug electronic devices and turn off lights that are not in use.
- Reduce shower time and avoid baths.
- Refrain from using large appliances like a washer, dryer, oven, and dishwasher. When in use, limit opening the oven door to prevent wasted energy.
Why is ERCOT asking to conserve power
According to ERCOT, the factors driving the need for conserving power:
Record high electric demand. The heat wave that has settled on Texas and much of the central United States is driving increased electric use. Other grid operators are operating under similar conservative operations programs as ERCOT due to the heatwave.
Low wind. Wind generation is currently generating less than what is historically generated in this time period.
Forced thermal outages. The number of forced outages in thermal generation exceeds ERCOT forecasts.
Solar. Developing cloud cover in West Texas has reduced the amount of solar generation.