ERCOT asks Texans to conserve energy for second straight day
ERCOT is asking Texans to save energy for the second straight day to help the state's power grid.
Texas' power grid operator issued a Conservation Appeal from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, but it was allowed to expire on time.
ERCOT says operating reserves were low in the afternoon due to the potential record heat, high demand and low wind-power generation.
The forecast on ERCOT's website shows that supply from the state exceeded the predicted demand, but it was tight from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
ERCOT is asking the public to cut back on electricity use for the fourth time in the last 10 days, and it may not be the last.
ERCOT is saying, "We expect these conditions to persist through the weekend because of extreme heat and ask Texans to stay tuned for additional communications this weekend."
Doug Lewin is the author of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter. He says rather than ‘voluntary’ conservation requests, policymakers should put greater emphasis on programs that give people financial incentives for scaling back.
"I don't know if you ever had the experience. I have of being on a plane that's oversold, and they start asking people, ‘Would you take 250 bucks, take 500 bucks, you take 700?’ At some point, somebody gets up and says, ‘Yep, I'll take it,’" he said. "It's like we're oversold. There's not enough supply to meet the demand. Who wants to be paid?"
Energy expert on ERCOT's requests for Texans to conserve power: 'It is ridiculous'
ERCOT, the Texas power grid operator, has issued Voluntary Conservation Notices three times so far this summer amid record demand.
ERCOT says it believes conservation efforts during tight conditions on Thursday helped but also credited improving wind and timely rain in the Houston area.
With Thursday and Friday’s tight conditions mostly in the primetime evening hours, Lewin says the window of these requests for people to cut back on power should be much smaller.
"Conservation is not a bad thing. But if you’re trying to get people to help out at the time when the grid is getting close to the edge, this ain’t it," he said. "In the mid-afternoon, 3-5 with all the solar power we have, that’s just not as much of an issue."
ERCOT asks people to look out for any updates over the weekend.