ERCOT’s voluntary power saving period expired on Tuesday evening because the grid held up despite extremely high temperatures.
Texans were told to conserve electricity from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to prevent ongoing blackouts.
ERCOT, the Texas electric grid operator, said Tuesday that while the grid is not in emergency mode, residents are being urged to reduce electricity use when it is safe to do so.
The ERCOT website uses a graph to show the state’s supply (represented by a purple line) and how much energy is demanded (represented by a blue line).
You can check the graph in real time on the ERCOT website.
When demand exceeds supply, power outages can occur.
READ MORE: ERCOT issues power conservation warning as Texas temperatures hit near record highs
Officials offered the following actions to help reduce electricity consumption:
- Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher – each degree of cooling increases your energy use by 6 to 8%.
- Turn off lights and pool pumps, and avoid using large appliances like ovens, washers, and dryers.
- If you don’t need something, you will be asked to turn it off and, if possible, unplug it.
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