Texans are asked to conserve energy from 2-9 p.m. This may include turning up the temperature in homes, limiting the use of major appliances and turning off lights.
The previous conservation appeal was issued July 11. Texans successfully helped conserve energy, ERCOT said.
According to data shared by the council, Texans reduced their energy use by nearly 500 megawatts between 1:56-2 p.m. July 11, allowing ERCOT to meet record power demand during high temperatures.
On July 12, an “unofficial” demand record was set with 78,419 megawatts of power used in one day, an ERCOT spokesperson told Community Impact Newspaper in an email. This is also the record for July, which was previously set July 11 with 78,264 megawatts used.
A conservation appeal is issued when energy reserves are expected to fall below 2,300 megawatts for at least 30 minutes, according to a news release.
As of 1 p.m. July 13, there was enough power available to meet the demand, according to ERCOT’s grid and market dashboard.
ERCOT emphasized in the release that the conservation appeal does not extend past 9 p.m. July 13. If additional conservation is necessary, ERCOT will issue a new appeal. The conservation appeal is voluntary and is not an emergency alert.
In 2021, the Texas Legislature passed several bills to help prepare the power grid for emergencies and prevent massive spikes in electricity prices like what happened as a result of Winter Storm Uri.
Officials from ERCOT and the Texas Public Utility Commission expressed confidence in the strength of the power grid during a May 17 news conference.
