Texas Power Grid Warning Issued Ahead of 'Tight Conditions'

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates 90 percent of the state's electric load, has issued a warning for residents to conserve energy ahead of "tight conditions" as bitterly cold conditions hit the Lone Star State.

The dangerous cold and wintry precipitation expected to hit Texas on Monday, January 15 and Tuesday, January 16 is likely to lead to very high demand for energy, ERCOT said. The independent company, which serves around 25 million customers, said it expects "tight grid conditions" as temperatures plunge. Newsweek contacted ERCOT for comment by email on Monday.

ERCOT issued a conservation appeal on Sunday afternoon, saying it expects the same conditions to continue through Tuesday; it "will continue to closely monitor conditions and keep the public informed through our communication channels." The conservation request, which will apply from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Monday, is voluntary.

In a post published on Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter, ERCOT wrote: "Operating reserves are expected to be low tomorrow morning due to continued freezing temperatures, record-breaking demand, and unseasonably low wind."

ERCOT added: "We request Texas businesses and residents conserve electricity use, if safe to do so. At this time, if you are experiencing an outage, it is local in nature and not related to grid reliability."

The company has issued a weather watch through Wednesday, January 17 due to the Arctic blast that has invaded Texas and Oklahoma this past weekend and is expected to bring temperatures into the -10 and -25 degrees Fahrenheit range on Monday.

After Texas' power grid's spectacular failure in February 2021, when an extreme winter storm caused more than 4.5 million homes to lose power, the causes of the crisis and the resilience of the state's energy system have been at the center of several debates. At least 57 people died across 25 Texas counties during the 2021 storm, with $195 billion reported in property damage.

However, on Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said he was confident that the state power grid and ERCOT would be able to "effectively and successfully ensure that the power is going to stay on throughout the entirety of this winter storm episode," as quoted by news website The Texas Tribune.

The situation appeared under control overnight. The available capacity of power supplies of the Texas grid was still significantly above the expected demand as of early on Monday, according to the latest update on ERCOT's website. "There is enough power for current demand," the company's website reads, announcing its operating reserves to be the equivalent of 7,627 megawatts.

The Amarillo branch of the National Weather Service (NWS) wrote that temperatures will return to above normal by Wednesday after days of severe cold and chilly winds, but another cold front is expected mid to late in the week.

The Fort Worth branch of the federal agency said on X that commutes will be exceptionally cold on Tuesday morning, "with lows in the single digits/mid teens and wind chills at or below zero."

ERCOT expects Tuesday morning demand to exceed 85,000 megawatts.