ERCOT is Once Again Asking Texans to Conserve Energy

The current heat wave is causing some serious strain on the Texas power grid.

As a result, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking Texans to conserve power today, according to KXAN. The grid operator is urging consumers to voluntarily set their thermostats to 80 degrees from 2-8 pm due to “a projected reserve capacity shortage”.

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However, ERCOT doesn’t expect that there will be any systemwide outages today.

A new record for all-time and July peak demand was set last Friday, July 8. Demand peaked at 78,204 megawatts, exceeding the previous unofficial record of 77,460 megawatts, which was set the previous Tuesday, July 5.

ERCOT previously asked Texans to conserve energy in mid-May ahead of unseasonably hot temperatures that were expected on the weekend of May 14-15.

In addition to setting your thermostat higher, Star Energy Partners offers the following 5 tips to easily conserve energy:

1. Unplug your appliances before you go to bed.
2. Wash your dishes by hand.
3. Turn on your ceiling fans.
4. Turn the lights off in unoccupied rooms.
5. Shut your computer down when you are done with it.

While rolling blackouts aren’t expected, local outages can occur due to tree limbs falling on power lines, vehicles crashing into poles, etc. Contact your local provider if you are experiencing a power outage.

You can keep an eye on the current supply and demand conditions at this location.