DALLAS — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas issued a conservation appeal for Wednesday as triple-digit temperatures continue to hit the state. It is the second time this week that the power grid operator has asked Texans and businesses to voluntarily conserve electricity.
ERCOT asked Texans to conserve electricity between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. The alert was initially issued until 8 p.m. It’s unclear why the hours were extended.
In a press release Wednesday, ERCOT said it doesn’t expect systemwide outages.
According to ERCOT’s grid and market dashboard at about noon Wednesday, demand is projected to hit a peak of more than 79,000 megawatts at around 5 p.m.
A heat advisory is in effect Wednesday as North Texas could reach between 100 and 105 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. Temperatures are expected to remain in the triple digits in Dallas-Fort Worth through the weekend, according to the weather service.
On Monday, ERCOT’s grid and market dashboard showed demand reaching a peak of 78,379 megawatts at roughly 4:40 p.m., but blackouts were avoided after a conservation alert issued helped the state’s power grid meet demand.
Several factors, including high demand and low wind, are driving Wednesday’s alert, according to an ERCOT news release. Cloud cover in West Texas has reduced the amount of solar generation, and forced outages of thermal generation — which includes gas and coal — are contributing to the alert, ERCOT said.
Conservation alerts are triggered as needed when tight operating reserves are expected to pose a reliability concern. Conditions are considered “normal” when reserves remain greater than 3,000 megawatts. ERCOT has used conservation efforts more than four dozen times since 2008, when projected reserves fall to a certain level.
———
HOW TO CONSERVE ENERGY
ERCOT recommends taking these actions to help reduce electricity use:
— Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher. Every degree of extra cooling increases your energy usage 6% to 8%.
— Use ceiling and portable fans to circulate cool air.
— Install patio covers, awnings and solar window screens to shade your home from the sun.
— Close interior blinds, drapes or shades to block the sun and heat during warm weather.
— Use a clothesline instead of a clothes dryer.
— On warm days, raise your thermostat to 80 degrees or higher if leaving for more than four hours.
— Turn off lights and try to save activities such as cooking, laundry and dishwashing for early morning and evening.
— Avoid use of large appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers.
— Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment.
— Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing nonessential processes.
— If you don’t need something, turn it off and unplug it.
———
