Texas Power Grid Operator ERCOT Issues Conservation Alert, Asks Texans to Raise Thermostats, Unplug Appliances to Avoid Blackouts

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Texas power grid operator ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) issued a conservation alert on Monday

ERCOT manages electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers and represents 90% of the state’s electric load, according to the company.

ERCOT told customers to raise thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, turn off lights, avoid using ovens, washing machines and dryers, and unplug appliances if possible.

“Tight grid conditions expected due to high number of forced generation outages” ERCOT said in a press release.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking Texans to reduce electric use as much as possible today through Friday, June 18. A significant number of forced generation outages combined with potential record electric use for the month of June has resulted in tight grid conditions.

Generator owners have reported approximately 11,000 MW of generation is on forced outage for repairs; of that, approximately 8,000 MW is thermal and the rest is intermittent resources. According to the summer Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy, a typical range of thermal generation outages on hot summer days is around 3,600 MW. One MW typically powers around 200 homes on a summer day.

“We will be conducting a thorough analysis with generation owners to determine why so many units are out of service,” said ERCOT Vice President of Grid Planning and Operations Woody Rickerson. “This is unusual for this early in the summer season.”

According to generation owners, the number of outages should decrease throughout the week.

Wind output for today is expected to be 3,500 to 6,000 MW between 3 and 9 p.m. This is roughly 1,500 MW lower than what is typically available for peak conditions. Wind output is expected to increase as the week goes on.

Today’s peak load forecast may exceed 73,000 MW. The peak demand record for June is 69,123 MW set on June 27, 2018 between 4 and 5 p.m.

ERCOT suggested Texans take “simple actions” to hep reduce electric use:

  • Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher – every degree of cooling increases your energy use by six to eight percent.
  • Turn off lights and pool pumps and avoid using large appliances like ovens, washing machines and dryers.
  • If you don’t need something – we are asking you to turn it off and unplug it if possible.

ERCOT’s conservation alert comes after the power grid in Texas failed during an unusual cold snap in February.

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Cristina began writing for The Gateway Pundit in 2016 and she is now the Associate Editor.

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Thanks for sharing!