The Texas grid operator asked residents to conserve energy yet again this weekend in an effort to avoid blackouts or rolling outages as the state braces for several more days of blistering-hot temperatures and highs expected to climb well into the triple digits in most parts of the state.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, which oversees the power grid for 90% of Texans, issued a conservation notice Friday asking consumers and businesses in the state to reduce their power use — including bumping up their thermostats and reducing the use of large appliances — between the hours of 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. this weekend.
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ERCOT said Friday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that it expects to have enough supply to meet the projected demand but that the conservation steps are crucial to ensuring it can continue to do so. ERCOT is projecting demand to be nearly 86,000 megawatts during peak demand Friday and getting close to capacity after 7 p.m. when solar generation decreases.
"Similar to yesterday, today’s conservation appeal does not indicate ERCOT is experiencing emergency conditions at this time," ERCOT said in a statement. "Current forecasts are showing a potential to enter emergency operations this evening because of expected low wind-power generation and high demand."
ERCOT avoided potential emergency operations 8/24, due to conservation by Texas residents & businesses, Houston-area rain, increased wind, & additional reliability tools. With tight conditions expected again today, please conserve from 3-9 p.m., if safe to do so.…
— ERCOT (@ERCOT_ISO) August 25, 2023
The conservation forecast comes as Texas continues to experience searing hot temperatures, which were exacerbated this week by a heat wave that blanketed large swaths of the south and central U.S.
Much of the state is under an extreme heat warning, and temperatures this summer have reached or exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit for weeks at a time.
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In the state’s capital city of Austin, which regularly experiences blistering-hot summers, there was a record-shattering 45 consecutive days of temperatures at or above 100 F, which finally came to an end, albeit briefly, on Monday following heavy rainfall in the city.
ERCOT shattered demand forecasts 10 times this summer, prompting some of the biggest reliability concerns since winter storm Uri, the 2021 storm that killed 246 Texans and left millions without power.