With another day of sweltering heat forecast across the state, ERCOT is urging Texans to voluntarily reduce their electricity use Tuesday afternoon if it’s safe to do so given extreme temperatures and expectations of another day of record-breaking electricity demand.
The ERCOT Voluntary Conservation Notice is effective Tuesday, June 20 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CT. The agency explained that this is not a state of emergency and that voluntary conservation is a widely used tool to reduce demand during peak periods, typically late afternoon and early evening — the hottest part of the day.
“The voluntary conservation notification is part of ERCOT’s Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS) and brings the public to the attention of grid conditions,” the agency said. “ERCOT urges all government agencies, including city and district offices, to implement all programs to reduce energy consumption in their facilities.”
Last week, ERCOT, the agency that manages the state’s power grid, issued a weather warning for June 15-21, expecting record-breaking demand due to excessive heat.
On Monday, Texans surpassed June’s peak demand record by 3,000 megawatts, with a capacity of 79,304 MW. Last summer, ERCOT said the Texans set 11 new records in peak demand. The current all-time record is 80,148 MW and was set on July 20, 2022.
Following ERCOT’s request Tuesday morning, the Public Utility Commission of Texas reiterated the call to protect the environment and urged Texans to help reduce demand on the power grid.
ERCOT announced on Tuesday that they are deploying additional tools to reliably manage the grid, including the use of reserve power, demanding reductions from large power customers who have volunteered to reduce their energy consumption, and bringing more into operation more quickly power generation.
Visit ercot.com/txans for tips on saving energy.
Why does usage need to be reduced?
• Extreme heat. Large parts of Texas have very high temperatures for a long period of time.
• Record demand. Texas is seeing record demand due to the heat.
• Thermal failures. The failures of power plants for forced heat generation are higher than normal.
• Solar. Solar power generation tapers off in the evening hours before shutting down completely at sunset.
• wind. Low wind generation compared to historical performance during the summer peak.
MAP: How Prone Is Your Neighborhood to Excessive Heat?
Data shows that people living in densely populated cities and remote rural areas are most at risk during heat waves. The full story from NBC News can be read here. Use the map embedded below to view your region.
As temperatures soar in North Texas this summer, NBC 5’s Ben Russell tells us how we can reduce our electricity bills.