ERCOT asks Texans to conserve electricity Monday morning, expects ‘tight grid conditions’
ERCOT, the agency that manages most of the state’s power grid, is asking Texas residents to conserve electricity if safe to do so from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday as frigid temperatures continue to grip the state.
“Due to continued freezing temperatures, very high demand, and unseasonably low wind, operating reserves are expected to be low during the morning hours of Monday, January 15, prior to the solar ramp up,” ERCOT said in a news release Sunday.
ERCOT said it is expecting similar conditions Tuesday morning — it’s expected to be 12 degrees in DFW — and may issue another appeal for that time after monitoring conditions.
Temperatures won’t rise above freezing until Wednesday afternoon.
The conservation request comes after Gov. Greg Abbott and other officials assured Texans on Friday that they were confident Texas’ grid would be able to stand up to the current winter weather and there would not be a repeat of the widespread outages that impacted millions during the February 2021 winter storm, which killed 246 people statewide.
ERCOT also is requesting all government agencies, including city and county offices, to implement programs to reduce energy use at their facilities until at least 10 a.m. Monday.
ERCOT has not announced any plans for rolling blackouts.
“Tomorrow’s conservation appeal does not indicate ERCOT is experiencing emergency conditions at this time,” the agency said in Sunday’s statement. “ERCOT will remain vigilant and communicate further if conditions change because of continued freezing temperatures and very high demand in the morning hours. At this time, if you are experiencing an outage, it is local in nature and not related to overall grid reliability. Please check with your local electric provider for more information.”
As of Sunday afternoon, the supply and demand of electricity is projected to be the tightest Monday and Tuesday morning around 8 a.m. — with demand forecast to briefly exceed capacity Tuesday, according to projections on ERCOT’s website.
Energy-saving tips are online at ercot.com/txans#tips and include lowering your thermostat by a degree or two, avoiding use of large appliances like washers and dryers, and turning off and unplugging non-essential lights and appliances.
This story was originally published January 14, 2024 at 4:53 PM.
