State power grid operator calls on Texans to conserve energy late Sunday
ERCOT asked energy customers to reduce their electricity use from 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday, the third conservation request this year and the second in three days as punishing summer heat continues.
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By Sneha Dey, The Texas Tribune
Aug. 20, 2023
“State power grid operator calls on Texans to conserve energy late Sunday” was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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The state’s electric grid operator is asking Texans to limit their power use on Sunday between 7 and 10 p.m., the second such request in three days as extreme heat continues to grip the state.
Residents can reduce electricity use by turning up their thermostat a degree or two, turning off lights and holding off on running large appliances like washing machines and dryers.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said the request was spurred by “extreme temperatures, continued high demand & unexpected loss of thermal generation” — in Texas, thermal power sources are largely natural-gas-powered plants.
The request does not mean the grid is in emergency conditions. ERCOT asks for voluntary conservation when conditions look tight. On Sunday, it was forecasting demand would nearly reach the grid’s supply capacity between 8 and 9 p.m.
This is the third call for energy conservation ERCOT has made this summer.
Extreme heat and high electricity demand have tested the state’s grid this summer as Texans crank up their air conditioning amid days of triple-digit heat. Extreme temperatures are worsened by climate change, which makes heat waves last longer and reach higher temperatures than they would otherwise.
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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/20/texas-ercot-conservation-request/.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
