Can Texas Survive the Summer of 2024 Without Any Power Shortages?

I hate hot weather. It's too hot to work outdoors so, we work indoors to stay cool, one problem that is not given a lot of thought to, is the possibility of Texas losing some of its electricity-generating power due to lack of wind. Yes, lower winds happen at this time every year, and so do hurricanes.

The lack of electric generation at the wind mills could cause potential electricity shortages, according to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). Furthermore, the hotter it gets the more electricity we use to try to stay cool. Texans are divided on, "can the grid keep up?" See video below.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas along with the Public Utility Commission of Texas are both asking that everyone conserve as much energy as possible on a daily basis. ERCOT is asking consumers of larger electric usage to conserve as much as possible, especially between the hours of 4 pm to 9 pm when the power grids are in highest demand.

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The Fearless Fave 5 for cutting back on electrical usage:

1. Raise your thermostat by at least 5 degrees.
2. Check and replace immediately: weather stripping around windows & doors.
3. Turn off all lights that are not needed.
4. Unplug unused appliances, like coffee pots, phone & razor chargers .
5. Close window blinds, keeping the hot sunlight out.

ERCOT has made it very clear that they are not experiencing issues at this time. However, they are considering future forecasts that show a potential to enter into emergency operations during low wind and low solar generation periods.

Conservation is widely used to help lower the demand for electricity during those specific peak times throughout the day, throughout the week, and throughout peak seasons.

PUCT and ERCOT are also requesting government agencies (city and county) to implement programs to reduce energy use at all governmental facilities.

ERCOT says" If you are experiencing an outage, it may be local in nature and not related to overall grid reliability. Please, always check first with your local electric provider. If you further assistance is needed, contact the PUCT’s Customer Protection Division call 1-888-782-8477 or emailing customer@puc.texas.gov.

Why is ERCOT asking us to reduce power usage? Because the continued statewide extreme heat temperatures cause us to use more electricity than normal, and with less wind generation predicted this time of year, it "can" cause issues.

Remember to stay informed by signing up for TXANS notifications on the TXANS website and subscribe to ERCOT Emergency Alerts. If you have any questions, contact the Public Utility Commission of Texas Hotline at 1-888-782-8477. Stay cool, Texas.