Energy conservation alert in Texas as generators go offline

ERCOT asked Texans to voluntarily reduce electricity use on Wednesday, warning of the potential for tight grid conditions which could lead to an energy emergency.

The notice will be in effect Wednesday, Aug. 30 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) the agency that manages the state's power grid, forecasted the demand to be well below the record set earlier this month, but said a high level of unexpected thermal generation outages and forecasted low wind generation is leading to expected lower reserves. The demand forecast dashboard showed a narrowing gap between demand and expected available capacity getting dangerously close after 6 p.m. as solar generation tends to drop off.

"Similar to yesterday, today’s conservation appeal does not indicate ERCOT is experiencing emergency conditions at this time," ERCOT said in a statement Wednesday. "ERCOT will continue to closely monitor conditions throughout the day and will keep the public informed through our communications channels."

ERCOT also requested all government agencies (including city and county offices) to implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities.

Four times this month and 12 times this summer, Texans have reset the all-time record for power consumption. The most recent record of 85,435 MW was set on Aug. 10, shattering the record set the day before of 83,961 MW. The forecasted high for Thursday afternoon was more than 86,700 MW.

Find more energy-saving tips at ercot.com/txans.