ERCOT issues voluntary conservation notice due to extreme temperatures and high demand for power - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

ERCOT issues voluntary conservation notice due to extreme heat - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

What to Know

- Texans urged to voluntarily reduce their electricity use Sunday evening
- ERCOT is not under emergency conditions
- Voluntary conservation is needed between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday.

ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas are asking Texans to voluntarily reduce their electricity use Sunday evening, due to extreme temperatures and unexpected loss of thermal generation.

ERCOT's Voluntary Conservation Notice is in effect Sunday, August 20 from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. CT. The agency said they are not under emergency conditions and that voluntary conservation is a widely used tool to help lower demand during a specific period of time, typically late afternoon and evening.

"Today's Voluntary Conservation Notice is part of ERCOT's Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS), which alerts the public of grid conditions. ERCOT is requesting all government agencies (including city and county offices) to implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities. ERCOT is using additional tools to manage the grid reliably, including using reserve power, calling upon reductions by large electric customers that have volunteered to lower their energy use and bringing more generation online sooner."

ERCOT and the PUCT are asking Texans to take simple power conservation steps to reduce demand on the grid.

- Raise the thermostat by a degree or two, if safe to do so.
- Avoid using large appliances like washers and dryers.
- Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.
- Set pool pumps to run early morning or overnight instead of peak hours.

The PUCT's Power to Save website has tips for reducing electricity use in homes and businesses and other ene rgy-saving tips are available at TXANS (ercot.com).

The latest news from around North Texas.

On Saturday, North Texas broke the 2011 record with a high temperature of 108 degrees, and the 2011 record of 107 was also broken on Sunday.

Yesterday, ERCOT set a new all-time weekend peak demand record of 84,805 MW. In 2022, the Aug. peak demand was 78,465 MW. This summer, ERCOT has set 10 new all-time peak demand records. Last summer, ERCOT set 11 new peak demand records.