By The Texas electric grid operator on Monday was calling on companies to lower their energy consumption to reduce the likelihood of blackouts amid record-high power demand.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, said it was asking for voluntary conservation between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time due to record high electric demand because of the heat wave, and also because of low wind. ERCOT said current projections show wind generation coming in less than 10% of capacity.
The National Weather Service said temperatures will reach or exceed 105 degrees Fahrenheit in areas ranging from the Big Country to Central Texas regions. A heat advisory is in effect for the Dallas-Fort Worth region into East Texas, where temperatures will reach or exceed 103 degrees.
In an email, ERCOT stressed that no systemwide outages are expected. “We are not in an emergency situation. Our control room has issues a watch and we are asking for voluntary energy reduction where possible,” the company said.
Texas operates its own grid separate from the rest of the United States. That grid failed during a winter storm in February 2021.
