It's Sunday, and ERCOT has issued yet another conservation appeal from 4-9pm.
ERCOT has issued a Conservation Appeal for today, August 27, from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. CT. Due to low wind and potential low solar generation and high demand, operating reserves for ERCOT are expected to be low in the afternoon and evening. As a result, ERCOT is requesting Texans to conserve electricity use, if safe to do so.
Yesterday, ERCOT avoided emergency operations due to the conservation efforts by Texas residents and businesses, combined with wind improvements and additional grid reliability tools.
Similar to yesterday, today’s conservation appeal does not indicate ERCOT is experiencing emergency conditions at this time. Current forecasts are showing a potential to enter emergency operations this evening because of expected low wind and potential low solar generation and high demand. ERCOT will continue to closely monitor conditions throughout the day and will keep the public informed through our communications channels.
What is an ERCOT Conservation Appeal?
An ERCOT Conservation Appeal is a request for Texans to reduce electrical usage, if safe to do so. Conservation is a widely used industry tool that can help the grid by lowering demand for a specific period of time, which is typically late afternoon into the evening hours in the summer. Conservation helps grid operators balance generation supply and customer demand.
Who should reduce their electric use?
ERCOT requests all Texans to reduce their electric use, if safe to do so, today, August 27, from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. ERCOT also requests all government agencies (including city and county offices) to implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities.
How can I reduce my electrical use?
Energy-saving tips for residents and businesses can be found at www.ercot.com/txans.
Stay Updated
You can monitor current and extended grid conditions on ercot.com and follow us on social media.
ERCOT issued a Weather Watch from August 23-27 due to forecasted higher temperatures, higher electrical demand, and the potential for lower reserves. Grid conditions are expected to be normal during a Weather Watch. ERCOT continues to monitor conditions closely and will deploy all available tools to manage the grid, continuing a reliability-first approach to operations. There is currently enough capacity to meet forecasted demand.
ERCOT set a new all-time weekend peak demand record of 85,116 MW on Sunday, August 20. The current all-time peak demand record of 85,435 MW was set on August 10. In 2022, the August peak demand was 78,465 MW. This summer, ERCOT set 10 new all-time peak demand records. Last year, ERCOT set 11 new peak demand records, surpassing 80 GWs for the first time ever.
ERCOT’s 6-day Supply and Demand dashboard is showing the possibility of new all-time peak demand records this week. The dashboards will update in real-time as the week progresses.
ERCOT encourages everyone to sign up for grid condition notifications through the Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS). Texans can also monitor real-time and extended grid conditions at ercot.com.
What is an ERCOT Weather Watch?
An ERCOT Weather Watch is an advance notification of forecasted significant weather with higher electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves. Grid conditions are expected to be normal, and ERCOT has enough supply to meet demand. There is not a current expectation of an energy emergency.
What Action is Needed?
No action is needed. You can monitor current and extended grid conditions on ercot.com.
Did You Know?
Reducing electric use during peak demand times can help you save and lower demand on the grid. Energy-saving tips can be found on the TXANS webpage.
Stay Updated
Sign up for TXANS notifications on the TXANS webpage. You can also subscribe to ERCOT Emergency Alerts which are not sent through TXANS notifications, and download the ERCOT Mobile App for additional notifications: iOS | Android.
photo: Getty Images