AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Despite an original plan of "rotating outages" that would cut off residents' electricity for a short time, Austin Energy customers who are without power may be without it for some length of time, at least until weather conditions improve across the state.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, ordered the state's electric utility providers to begin implementing the "rotating outages" just before 1:30 a.m. Monday morning. ERCOT officials were forced to quickly activate all three phases of their Energy Emergency Alert plan within about an hour, moving to Level 1 shortly after midnight.
According to ERCOT officials, a combination of record demand on the state's electric grid and generation outages due to the extreme winter weather caused an "unprecedented shortfall" on the grid's power reserves. Some 2.5 million Texans were without electricity Monday afternoon, officials said.
Part of the problem, Austin Energy officials said, is a lack of available circuits to turn off that don't contain a critical load.
"These outages will continue until there's sufficient generation being able to be brought back online to meet the demands on the system," said Dan Woodfin, ERCOT's senior director of system operations. "At this time we anticipate that we'll need to continue these control outages at some level for the rest of today and at least first part of [Tuesday], perhaps all day tomorrow."
Officials are continuing to urge conservation of electricity from those that are still on the grid. Ways you can conserve include:
*Keep your thermostat at 68 degrees or lower, if possible.
*Wear warm, comfortable clothing to help stay warm indoors instead of adjusting the thermostat.
*Keep doors and windows closed to minimize hot air from escaping the home. *Close shades and blinds to reduce heat leaving home.
*Switch the setting on ceiling fans to run clockwise at a low speed.
*This gentle updraft helps push warm air near the ceiling down into your living space.
*Unplug nonessential electronics as they still draw current.
*Avoid using large appliances like dryers during peak morning and evening hours. *When not in use, make sure your fireplace damper is closed to prevent heat from escaping up the chimney.
*If you have central air and heat, do not close vents in unused rooms. This could increase pressure and cause duct leaks.
