Texans asked to turn down AC and shut down appliances to avoid blackouts
Breanne Deppisch
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The Texas grid operator asked residents to conserve electricity and raise their thermostats by several degrees on Tuesday in an effort to avoid power outages amid a searing heat wave and record-breaking demand forecasts.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees roughly 90% of the Texas power grid, issued a “Weather Watch” on Tuesday between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., citing “projected reserve capacity shortage with no market solution available.”
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It asked residents to refrain from running large appliances, such as the dishwasher or the washing machine, and turn off unnecessary lights. It also asked businesses and government agencies to do the same.
Forecasters for ERCOT said Tuesday that demand could peak at 4 p.m. at around 81,230 megawatts — a record-breaking demand forecast that shatters its previous demand record of 80,148 megawatts set last July.
Last year alone, ERCOT broke its own demand forecast on 11 separate occasions.
ERCOT said the request is voluntary and that it is “not in emergency operations.” But many in the state remain on edge after 2021 Winter Storm Uri, which caused 4.5 million Texans to lose power and resulted in more than 245 deaths.
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The request comes as temperatures in many parts of the state climbed into the triple digits, with humidity expected to drive up the forecast heat index much higher — up to around 116 degrees Fahrenheit in the Houston area, according to the National Weather Service.
The heat and strain on the grid are expected to last through Wednesday.