ERCOT again calls for conservation, warns of potential for energy emergency Friday - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

ERCOT again calls for conservation in Texas, warns of tight grid conditions Friday - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

ERCOT is once again asking Texans to voluntarily reduce electricity use on Friday, warning tight grid conditions could lead to an energy emergency.

The notice is in effect for Friday, Aug. 25 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Yesterday, ERCOT avoided emergency operations due to the conservation efforts by Texas residents and businesses, combined with timely rainfall in the Houston area, improved wind conditions, and additional grid reliability tools. Public Utility Commission of Texas

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) the agency that manages the state's power grid, forecasted the demand to be nearly 86,000 MW on Friday afternoon and evening. The demand forecast dashboard showed a narrowing gap between demand and expected available capacity getting dangerously close after 7 p.m. as solar generation tends to drop off.

"Similar to yesterday, today’s conservation appeal does not indicate ERCOT is experiencing emergency conditions at this time," ERCOT said in a statement. "Current forecasts are showing a potential to enter emergency operations this evening because of expected low wind-power generation and high demand."

ERCOT is also once again requesting all government agencies (including city and county offices) to implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities.

"ERCOT expects these conditions to persist through the weekend because of extreme heat and asks Texans to stay tuned for additional communications this weekend," the Public Utility Commission of Texas said in a statement. "Yesterday, ERCOT avoided emergency operations due to the conservation efforts by Texas residents and businesses, combined with timely rainfall in the Houston area, improved wind conditions, and additional grid reliability tools."

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On Monday, ERCOT issued a Weather Watch for Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 24-27, warning higher temperatures would lead to higher electrical demand and the potential for lower power reserves. When the gap between available supply and demand gets closer together, ERCOT will ask Texans to reduce electricity use to prevent overloading the grid.

Four times this month and 12 times this summer, Texans have reset the all-time record for power consumption. The most recent record of 85,435 MW was set on Aug. 10, shattering the record set the day before of 83,961 MW. The forecasted high for Thursday afternoon was more than 86,700 MW.

As for Friday being a repeat of Thursday, Dr. Daniel Cohan an associate professor of environmental engineering at Rice University told NBC 5 on Thursday that it depends on conservation, which gives ERCOT an extra buffer. It’s also important that the power plants hold up under these conditions.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Texans can conserve energy by raising the thermostat by a degree or two, avoiding the use of large appliances, turning off and unplugging non-essential lights and appliances, and shutting off pool pumps during peak hours.

Find more energy-saving tips at ercot.com/txans.

WHY THE REQUEST TO VOLUNTARILY REDUCE USAGE?

- Extreme Heat: Much of Texas is seeing a return to extreme temperatures today.
- Record Demand: Texas is seeing near-record demand due to the heat.
- Solar: Solar generation declines into the evening hours, before completely going offline at sunset.
- Wind: Lower wind generation is forecasted for this afternoon and evening during peak demand times.