ERCOT issues 11th conservation appeal of the summer
AUSTIN (KBTX) – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, ERCOT, is asking Texans for the 11th time in 2023 to conserve energy. The latest conservation request is for Thursday, Sept. 7, from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. CT.
ERCOT is once again saying high demand, low wind, and declining solar power generation are the reasons for the expected tight grid conditions. On Wednesday, ERCOT entered Energy Emergency Alert Level 2 operations when operating reserves were extremely low. ERCOT said possible controlled outages would be required if demand did not come down. No controlled outages were required or reported.
A new all-time September peak demand record of 82,704 MW was set on Sept. 6, surpassing the previous record of 81,674 MW set the day before, according to ERCOT. Ten new all-time peak demand records have been set during the summer of 2023, including an unofficial all-time peak demand of 85,435 MW set on August 10.
ERCOT expects similar conditions on Friday. A weather watch is in effect through Sept. 8. You can track up-to-date grid conditions here. Energy-saving tips can be found here.
