© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

ERCOT again asks Texans to conserve power as energy supply tightens

The state's electric grid operator is asking Texans to conserve power Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Julia Reihs
/
KUT
The state's electric grid operator is asking Texans to conserve power Wednesday afternoon and evening.

For the second time this week, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas is asking people to conserve electricity — this time between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. Wednesday. The request comes as a record-breaking heatwave continues to drive electric demand in Texas to new highs.

ERCOT, the state's electric grid operator, says the conditions on the Texas power grid Wednesday will be much the same as those that prompted Monday’s conservation request, and that it does not expect grid-wide power outages to result.

“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 the requested time frame,” ERCOT says.

The conservation call is the third one made so far this year. It comes as the state regulators are implementing an overhaul of the Texas energy system in response to the statewide blackout of February 2021.

Copyright 2022 KUT 90.5. To see more, visit KUT 90.5.

Mose Buchele is the Austin-based broadcast reporter for KUT's NPR partnership StateImpact Texas . He has been on staff at KUT 90.5 since 2009, covering local and state issues. Mose has also worked as a blogger on politics and an education reporter at his hometown paper in Western Massachusetts. He holds masters degrees in Latin American Studies and Journalism from UT Austin.