Collin County Future Mobility Oct 2023

Conservation request effective today, Aug 25.

by | Aug 25, 2023 | Area News, Latest

Austin, Texas – Continued low wind-power generation and high demand for electricity will result in anticipated low operating reserves for the Texas power grid this afternoon and into the evening. 

The Public Utility Commission (PUCT) is echoing a call from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) asking Texans to conserve electricity use, if safe to do so, today from 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. CT.ERCOT expects these conditions to persist through the weekend because of extreme heat and asks Texans to stay tuned for additional communications this weekend.

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.

ERCOT is not experiencing emergency conditions at this time. Current forecasts show a potential to enter emergency operations this evening because of expected low wind-power generation and high demand. ERCOT and the PUCT will continue to closely monitor conditions throughout the day and keep the public informed through multiple communication channels.

ERCOT is requesting all government agencies (including city and county offices) to implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities. ERCOT continues to use 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 is also working with out-of-state Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Market Participants to obtain additional power generation capacity.

Conservation is a widely used industry tool that can help lower demand for a specific period of peak demand time, which is typically late afternoon into the evening hours. ERCOT and the PUCT are asking Texans to take simple power conservation steps to reduce demand on the grid. The PUCT’s Power to Savewebsite has tips for reducing electricity use in homes and businesses and other energy saving tips are available at TXANS (ercot.com)

If you are experiencing an outage at this time, it is local in nature and not related to overall grid reliability. Please check with your local electric provider for more information. If you need further assistance, you can contact the PUCT’s Customer Protection Division by calling 1-888-782-8477 or emailing [email protected].
Why the Request to Reduce Usage? 
Extreme Heat. Continued statewide extreme temperatures.
Record Demand. Texas continues to experience near-record demand due to the heat.Wind. Wind generation is forecasted to be lower this afternoon/evening and throughout the weekend during peak demand time.
Solar. Solar generation declines into the evening hours, before completely going offline at sunset.
Peak Demand
ERCOT set a new, all-time, unofficial peak demand record of 85,435 MW on August 10, 2023.In 2022, the August 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 with a high of 80,148 MW on July 20.
Consumer Assistance Public Utility Commission of Texas Hotline: 1-888-782-8477
Stay Updated
Sign up for TXANS notifications on the TXANSDownload the ERCOT Mobile App for additional notifications: iOSAndroid.Monitor real-time and extended conditions at ercot.com.
Subscribe to ERCOT Emergency Alerts which are not sent through TXANS notifications.Follow ERCOT on Twitter (@ERCOT_ISO), Facebook (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), and LinkedIn (ERCOT).

From staff reports • [email protected]

State Fair of Texas 2023 SFOT

0 Comments

Public Notice - Subscribe

Related News

Plans for WISD bond campaign presented

Plans for WISD bond campaign presented

The second regular trustee meeting of the school year on Sept. 18 had several recognitions, information on a new initiative, and a Bond 2023 update. Recognitions included the Wylie High School Theatre team for receiving an award of distinction by the Texas Education...

read more
Natural gas charges going up

Natural gas charges going up

Murphy residents will pay more for natural gas next month, but not as much as the company wanted, Finance Director Berna Fitzpatrick-Walker reported. The Murphy City Council unanimously approved an average monthly increase of $6.47 or 7.31% for Atmos Energy service....

read more
Mayor delivers State of City to chamber

Mayor delivers State of City to chamber

Is your name Murphy? If so, the Texas city would love for you to visit on St. Patrick’s Day, 2024, Mayor Scott Bradley said. The mayor delivered a “State of the City” report to the Murphy Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, Sept. 19, and discussed plans to set a Guinness...

read more
PESH stops Plano to secure win

PESH stops Plano to secure win

MURPHY – In the final minute of a back-and-forth Friday night at Kimbrough Stadium, Plano had the ball with a chance to tie or win against Plano East. The Panthers (3-1, 1-0 in 6-6A) had lost its last seven games against their crosstown rivals. The Wildcats (2-2, 0-1...

read more
Natural gas charges going up

Natural gas charges going up

The Murphy City Council has unanimously approved an average monthly increase of $6.47 or 7.31% for residential Atmos Energy service. The higher rate was negotiated by Atmos and the Atmos Cities Steering Committee (ACSC) representing Murphy and 181 other...

read more
New ammo for fentanyl battle

New ammo for fentanyl battle

Fentanyl poisoning continues to claim a growing percentage of drug deaths in the state, according to the Texas Health Data dashboard published online by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). As of Aug. 25, 45.39% of all drug deaths were attributed to...

read more
Events support scholarship foundation

Events support scholarship foundation

There’s a deep satisfaction in seeing how far you can shoot a pumpkin from a giant slingshot. And there’s even more satisfaction if you can hit something with it. Well, for $5 a pumpkin you can try your luck at Punkin’ Chunkin’ at the annual Maize Days festival,...

read more
Dry times ahead as drought worsens in state

Dry times ahead as drought worsens in state

Drought, generally defined as an absence of water caused by insufficient precipitation over a period of time, is as old as the Bible. “Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me,” said Jacob as he described his hardships as a shepherd (King James Version, Genesis...

read more
Public Notice - Subscribe