ERCOT Conservation Appeal as Freeze Settles Across Texas

ERCOT has issued a Conservation Appeal for Monday, January 15, from 6 a.m. – 10. a.m. CT. Due to continued freezing temperatures, very high demand, and unseasonably low wind, operating reserves are expected to be low during the morning hours of Monday, January 15, prior to the solar ramp up. As a result, ERCOT is asking Texans to conserve electricity use, if safe to do so, Monday, January 15, from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. CT. ERCOT is expecting similar conditions on Tuesday, January 16, and will closely monitor conditions and keep the public informed through our communication channels.  

Tomorrow’s conservation appeal does not indicate ERCOT is experiencing emergency conditions at this time. ERCOT will remain vigilant and communicate further if conditions change because of continued freezing temperatures and very high demand in the morning hours. At this time, if you are experiencing an outage, it is local in nature and not related to overall grid reliability. Please check with your local electric provider for more information. 

What is an ERCOT Conservation Appeal? 

An ERCOT Conservation Appeal is a request for Texans to reduce electrical usage, if safe to do so. Conservation is a widely used industry tool that can help the grid by lowering demand for a specific period of time, which is typically in the morning hours in the winter. Conservation helps grid operators balance generation supply and customer demand. 

Who should reduce their electric use? 

ERCOT requests all Texans to reduce their electric use, if safe to do so, Monday, January 15, from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. CT. 

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

You can monitor grid conditions HERE.

You can keep up with any Centerpoint power outages HERE.

And because of the winter storm impacting much of the country, many flights nationwide have been canceled today. If you have a flight today, check its status, as both Bush and Hobby airports have been impacted. We have the latest flight cancellation information from Bush HERE. You can find Hobby flight information HERE.