Texas Now Under ERCOT Power Watch; Energy Conservation Still Needed

New Winter Record Set for Energy Use on Feb. 2 Breaks CPS Energy’s August 2010 Record

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the agency responsible for managing the state-wide electric grid, has lifted the emergency status for utilities across the state, placing them under an ERCOT Power Watch. Rolling outages are not likely under these conditions but energy conservation is still strongly recommended as winter weather conditions persist.

CPS Energy is asking its customers to conserve energy as much as possible during the next two days in effort to further limit the possibility for state-wide rolling outages. The critical hours for conservation are from 6 to 10 p.m. tonight and 6 to 9 a.m. on Friday. CPS Energy customers broke an August 2010 record for energy used in a 24-hour period, consuming 89,175 megawatt hours (MWh), despite wide-spread rolling outages. The previous record of nearly 87,000 MWh occurred during triple-degree heat. In addition, gas use hit its highest single-day demand in more than 15 years, with customers using three times more than an average winter day.

To conserve energy, residential customers should:

Set the thermostat between 65 to 68 degrees.
Use ceiling fans at lowest setting in reverse mode to circulate warm air.
Limit use of appliances with high energy consumption during periods of high energy demand, i.e. washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and water heaters.
Close air vents in unused rooms and shut doors.
Turn off electrical appliances and unplug chargers not in use.
Turn portable electrical heaters and lights off when not needed or the room is empty.
Avoid using too many electric items at the same time.
Layer clothing to keep warm at home.
Seal any holes or gaps with towels or other material to keep cold air from coming
in and heat from escaping. Make long-term repairs as soon as possible.
Open window blinds and curtains if the sun is shining to let in the sun's warmth.
To minimize impact to your electronics from surges in power, use a surge protector with the seal of a nationally recognized certification agency like Underwriter Laboratories (UL).

Yesterday’s high energy use came as ERCOT called a state-wide power emergency, requiring utilities across the state to reduce energy load immediately. Winter weather prompted the emergency, which resulted from not having enough power plants online to meet state-wide demand. Rolling outages are called for in order to avoid widespread blackouts. Utilities are given 15 minutes notice or less to shed electric load.

For 24-hour gas and electric emergencies, call 353-HELP (4357).