North Texas is on a power conservation watch after the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), grid operator for most of Texas, announced a conservation alert on Thursday.
ERCOT reserve power dropped below 2,500 MW on Aug. 13, leading the company to enter a Control Room Watch. ERCOT requests their customers to limit power usage between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
ERCOT said several generation unit outages occurred Thursday despite more moderate temperatures and power demands.
“Although we set new peak demand records without needing to issue a conservation alert during the past week, the high temperatures statewide continue to drive high levels of electricity use,” said Dan Woodfin, ERCOT director of System Operations. “Generation units on the system have been working hard to keep up with recent demands. Some of them have experienced outages today, contributing to tighter conditions.”
The ERCOT system has hit several new demand records in recent weeks, most recently reaching 69,783 MW on Monday, Aug. 10, without loss of reliability.
ERCOT said their customers can limit their power by any of the following methods:
- Turn thermostat up 2-3 degrees during the peak hours of 3 to 7 p.m.
- Set programmable thermostats to higher temperatures when no one is home.
- If home, use fans to feel 4-6 degrees cooler.
- Schedule pool pumps to run in the early morning or overnight hours; shut off between 4 to 6 p.m.
- Limit use of large appliances (dishwasher, washer, dryer, etc.) to morning or after 7 p.m.
- If you cook indoors from 3 to 7 p.m., use a microwave or slow cooker.
- Close blinds and drapes during late afternoon.
The cause of the short power supply is currently unknown.
