Grid operator asks Texans to conserve power amid outages in searing heat
Power lines stretch along along a highway near Alpine, Texas. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Texas' power grid operator has asked people to "reduce electric use as much as possible" until Friday following days of searing heat and a "significant number of forced generation outages."
Why it matters: The request by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) comes months after a deadly winter storm blew out the state's power infrastructure and left millions of Texans without power for days.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) last week signed into law a pair of bills aimed at improving the state's main power grid and reforming the agency.
Details: "A significant number of forced generation outages combined with potential record electric use for the month of June has resulted in tight grid conditions," ERCOT said in a statement Monday.
- Roughly "12,000 megawatts of generation were offline Monday, or enough to power 2.4 million homes on a hot summer day," per the Texas Tribune, which notes that ERCOT officials called the power plant outages "unexpected."
What they're saying: Woody Rickerson, vice president of ERCOT's grid planning and operations, said in the agency's statement that officials will be "conducting a thorough analysis with generation owners to determine why so many units are out of service."
- "This is unusual for this early in the summer season," Rickerson added.