The City of Coppell and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) are asking residents to conserve energy to help relieve pressure on the state’s electricity grid. A combination of high temperatures resulting in increased electricity use and several forced generation outages have put a strain on the system.
According to ERCOT, approximately 11,000 Megawatts (MW) of generation is on forced outage for repairs. Officials said this is unusual for early summer and ERCOT will be doing an analysis to find out why so many units are out of service. The peak demand record for June was set in 2018 at 69,123 MW. ERCOT is forecasting demand to rise into the 70,000 MW range this week. Approximately 1 MW powers about 200 homes on a summer day.
While the number of outages is expected to decrease as the week goes on, residents are asked to take a few simple measures to reduce electricity use this summer:
- Turn thermostats up a few degrees — 78 degrees or higher is recommended
- Limit the use of large appliances such as washers, dryers, ovens and dishwashers
- Turn off lights and pool pumps
- Unplug items when not in use such as phone chargers and small appliances
- Visit powertosavetexas.org for additional conservation tips
To stay up to date on electricity demand, go to ercot.com, follow ERCOT on Twitter and Facebook, download the ERCOT mobile app, or subscribe to emergency alerts at lists.ercot.com.