Texas enters second day of blackouts

Updated post Feb. 16:

Texans are entering the second day of blackouts Feb. 16. Although power was restored to some 500,000 homes across the state Feb. 15, overnight weather conditions forced additional outages, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas or ERCOT. ERCOT, the agency tasked with managing electrical flow to 90% of electrical users in the state, said it was able to reduce the amount of outages to 14,500 megawatts Feb. 15. As of 8:00 a.m. Feb. 16 however, the amount of outages was up again to 18,500 megawatts, the council reported. At the most severe point Feb. 15, there were 30,000 megawatts worth of weather-related outages, affecting for several million homes across the state. A statement from ERCOT does not given a specific number of outages it expects will be able to be restored throughout the day but suggests the conditions will improve.

"The number of controlled outages we have to do remains high. We are optimistic that we will be able to reduce the number throughout the day." -Dan Woodfin, Senior Director of System Operations

— ERCOT (@ERCOT_ISO) February 16, 2021

We should be able to restore some customers this afternoon due to additional wind & solar output, & additional thermal generation that has told us they expect to become available. But, the amount we restore will depend on how much generation is actually able to come online.

Original post Feb. 15:

Texans can expect rolling blackouts through at least the end of the day, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

has declared an EEA 3. Energy conservation is critical. Rotating outages are underway to reduce demand on the electric system. We urge Texans to put safety first during this time. Traffic lights and other infrastructure may be temporarily without power. 01:25:40 150221

— ERCOT (@ERCOT_ISO) February 15, 2021

As residents across the state faced mixes of sleet and snow overnight and through the morning Feb. 15, demand for power outpaced electrical grids’ capacities.

ERCOT is responsible for managing electrical flow across 90% of Texas’ power grids, or about 26 million households.

The Texas electric system is facing an unprecedented power shortage situation due to the extreme winter weather impacting the entire state, including Houston & the region. Texans’ electricity consumption needs have far surpassed current power generation. #houwx #hounews 1/10

— CenterPoint Energy (@CNPalerts) February 15, 2021

To manage increased demand caused by severe winter weather across the state, the agency began conducting rolling, or temporary, blackouts after 1 a.m. Feb. 15. It shut off 10,500 megawatts of electricity, or enough for 2 million households. Weather conditions forced an additional 30,000 megawatts off of the grid, according to a news release from the agency.

Although outages were initially intended to last for less than one hour, local grid operators are reporting longer outages.

This morning, conditions for power generation were, & continue to be, very serious; @ERCOT_ISO needs electric companies to reduce their load at a higher level & longer than they originally thought, which in turn is resulting in longer outages for customers. #houwx #hounews 4/10

— CenterPoint Energy (@CNPalerts) February 15, 2021

Outages are expected throughout the day and as long as severe conditions persist, according to ERCOT. Data from the agency shows demand is expected to continue to outpace grid capacity as local officials urge residents to conserve power by keeping lights off and blinds open during the day and lowering household temperatures.

"Every grid operator and every electric company is fighting to restore power right now," ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness said in the news release.