ERCOT asks Texans to conserve energy due to extreme heat

AUSTIN, Texas - ERCOT is asking Texans to voluntarily conserve their electricity use Tuesday due to extreme heat and forecasted record demand.

ERCOT's Voluntary Conservation Notice will be in effect from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 20. ERCOT says it is not experiencing emergency conditions.

All government agencies, including city and county offices, are asked to implement all their programs to reduce their energy use at their facilities.

Residents can find energy-saving tips here.

ERCOT says it is calling for voluntary conservation due to:

• Extreme Heat: Much of Texas is seeing very high temperatures for an extended period.
• Record Demand: Texas is seeing record demand due to the heat.
• Thermal Outages: Forced thermal generation power plant outages are higher than normal.
• Solar: Solar generation declines into the evening hours, before completely going offline at sunset.
• Wind: Low wind generation compared to historic performance during summer peak.

Last week, ERCOT issued a Weather Watch from June 15-21 due to increased temperatures and high demand.

ERCOT says on June 19, it broke the June peak demand record with 79,304 MW, passing last June’s record of 76,718 MW. Last summer, ERCOT set 11 new peak demand records and the current all-time record of 80,148 MW was set on July 20, 2022.

ERCOT is using additional tools to manage the grid reliably, including using reserve power, calling upon reductions by large electric customers, and bringing more generation online sooner.

ERCOT states that residents experiencing outages should know it is local in nature and not related to overall grid reliability. 

Residents needing consumer assistance can contact the Public Utility Commission of Texas Hotline at 1-888-782-8477.