Texas’s grid operator asked residents to conserve their power use to avoid straining the state’s electric grid, as the heat index soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in many parts of the state.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, told residents to turn down their air conditioning by at least 1 degree Fahrenheit on Monday and asked consumers to avoid running appliances between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. “to prepare for a reserve capacity shortage.”
“With extreme hot weather driving record power demand across Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is issuing a Conservation Appeal, asking Texans and Texas businesses to voluntarily conserve electricity, Monday, July 11 between 2-8 p.m.,” the agency wrote on its website.
The state faces a “potential reserve capacity shortage with no market solution available,” ERCOT said in the notice.
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The grid is under pressure because of extreme heat across the state, as well as a lack of wind power, which generates at least 17.4% of ERCOT’s electricity.
As of Monday, ERCOT said, wind power was running at less than 10% of its normal capacity.
But despite the shortages, ERCOT said Sunday that no systemwide outages were expected.
“ERCOT continues to use all tools available to manage the grid effectively and reliably, including using reserve power and calling upon large electric customers who have volunteered to lower their energy use,” it said.
The news comes as Texas set more than a dozen new heat records on Sunday, with temperatures in parts of the state soaring as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Sunday also marked Texas’s second-hottest day since 1950, according to weather consulting firm Maxar. Record temperatures are also expected across much of Texas on Monday, adding to regulators’ fears.
Per regional PWCDDs, yesterday was the 2nd-hottest July day since 1950 for ERCOT. In terms of average temperature, yesterday was the hottest calendar day on record in College Station (111°/80°: 95.5°) and 2nd-hottest in Houston IAH (105°/82°: 93.5°). #twxwx pic.twitter.com/dz6zsGNSTP
— Maxar | WeatherDesk (@Maxar_Weather) July 11, 2022
