AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Texas' electric grid operator is calling on residents across the state to conserve electricity Monday afternoon, as extreme hot weather continues to grip the state and drive record power demand.
The voluntary request from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, begins at 2 p.m. Monday and lasts until 8 p.m. According to ERCOT, a conservation request is automatically issued when available reserve capacity is expected to fall below 2,300 megawatts for more than 30 minutes. Officials say there is no concern of system-wide outages right now.
Despite the assurances that outages won't be necessary, there is increasing concern about the possibility of rolling brownouts or blackouts. A report from Quorum Report published Sunday evening cites multiple sources indicating that industrial and governmental entities are on high alert for interruptions in the afternoon hours "for the next several days."
The ERCOT grid set a new all-time peak record and a new July peak record on Friday, with demand reaching 78,204 megawatts. That breaks the previous record of 77,460 megawatts set on July 5.
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Based on ERCOT's forecasts from Sunday evening, the grid operator is projecting a peak demand of 79,672 megawatts during the course of the afternoon. As of 10:40 a.m. Monday morning, ERCOT's projections showed forecasted demand exceeding the forecasted available capacity in the 2 p.m. hour.
In addition to the record heat driving increased demand, ERCOT officials say wind generation is driving significantly less than its full generation capacity. Current projections show wind generation coming in at less than 10 percent of capacity Monday afternoon.
According to the Texas Public Utility Commission, ways to reduce electricity use during peak times include turning up your thermostat a degree or two, if comfortable, and postponing running major appliances or pool pumps during afternoon peak hours.