The Public Utility Commission of Texas echoed a call from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) asking Texans to conserve electricity use, if safe to do so, from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16.
With the winter storm encompassing the entire state and temperatures forecasted to be colder ERCOT forecasted higher demand as Texans return to work and schools reopen.
ERCOT did not experience emergency conditions. ERCOT avoided emergency operations due to the conservation efforts by Texas residents and businesses, combined with additional grid reliability tools. ERCOT is expecting similar conditions on Wednesday, and the PUCT and ERCOT will continue to closely monitor conditions and keep the public informed through our communication channels. ERCOT plans to remain vigilant and communicate further if conditions change due to continued freezing temperatures and very high demand in the morning hours.
ERCOT is requesting all government agencies (including city and county offices) implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities.
If anyone is experiencing an outage, it is local in nature and not related to overall grid reliability. Please check with the local electricity provider for more information.
The PUCT’s Storm Resources page includes links to utility outage maps and contact information for local electricity provider.
The PUCT’s Consumer Protection rules prohibit electricity providers from disconnecting customers in Texas counties that are experiencing extreme weather conditions. More information on disconnection moratoriums and which counties are currently affected is available here.
Conservation is a widely used industry tool that can help lower demand for a specific period of peak demand time. ERCOT and the PUCT are asking Texans to take simple power conservation steps to reduce demand on the grid. The PUCT’s website has tips for reducing electricity use in homes and businesses.
PUCT emergency management staff members are on duty in the Texas State Operations Center, monitoring the weather and coordinating closely with ERCOT, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas Department of Transportation and other state agency partners.
ERCOT continues to use all available tools to manage the grid reliably, including using reserve power, calling upon reductions by large electric customers that have volunteered to lower their energy use, and bringing more generation online sooner. ERCOT is also working with neighboring Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Market Participants to obtain additional power generation capacity. ERCOT has also requested Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) enforcement discretion, which allows a generator to extend its service/run-time/operations to help meet demand, if needed, and maintain grid reliability.