ERCOT issues heat warning. Will Texas have enough electricity for a brutally hot summer?
As temperatures begin spiking beyond normal levels this week, Texas grid operators worry that the state’s electric reserves may be sapped as residents turn up their air conditioning units.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas issued a warning that fewer reserves will be available as generators go under maintenance from May 20-22. This means the state will have less electricity to draw from if catastrophe strikes.
Summer is expected to be brutally hot in Dallas Fort Worth this summer and there’s a one in three chance that this year will be hotter than 2023. The state experienced 26 days with temperatures above 105 degrees in 2023, one of the hottest in Metroplex history.
As soon as the days get hotter, Texans crank up up their air conditioners, which puts pressure on the state’s ability to distribute energy. Texas experienced its worst nightmare during the winter of 2021 as frigid Arctic air blasted the state and freezing an already fragile power grid, cutting off electricity to millions.
Experts say you should set your thermostat to this temperature in the summer, both to save money and to help the state’s power grid. In case of a heat emergency, here’s how to cool down a room without air conditioning.
