The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has issued a "Weather Watch" through Thursday but expects the grid to keep operating normally during cold weather.
Areas around Houston could receive up to six inches of snow, which would rank among the heaviest snowfalls ever for the city. Winter Storm Warnings stretch as far south as the Rio Grande.
A Cold Weather Advisory covers North Texas with wind chills as low as five degrees possible through Tuesday morning. An Extreme Cold Warning is in place for parts of the Panhandle and West Texas where wind chills as low as 25 degrees below zero are possible.
Monday morning, ERCOT said it had 8,505 megawatts in operating reserves. The grid operator estimates one megawatt can power about 200 homes in normal conditions.
"As freezing temps blanket Texas, the power grid is performing better than ever," Governor Greg Abbott wrote on X Sunday evening. "There is ample supply of power available to meet your needs."
ERCOT issues a weather watch when the grid operator anticipates high demand. The organization says grid conditions are expected to remain normal, but reserves may drop lower than usual.
"Controlled outages are not expected at this time, but it’s always best to have a plan in place," the organization writes on its website, urging people with critical medical needs to notify their local utility.
Monday morning, ERCOT's dashboard did not predict a time when capacity might fall short of predicted demand.
For a weather watch, ERCOT urges people to pay closer attention to grid updates and check out tips to save energy at https://www.ercot.com/txans#tips .
If demand reaches closer to supply, ERCOT's next step would be a "Voluntary Conservation Notice," asking people and government agencies to conserve power. A "Conservation Appeal" would be the next step "with a potential to enter emergency operations due to lower reserves."
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