Texas power grid operators asked customers Monday morning to conserve energy amid “unseasonably low winds.”
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking for more. 25 million As cold weather hits the state, customers need to conserve energy wherever they can safely. ERCOT's conservation appeal cites “record demand and unseasonably low winds” as the main reasons for potential supply sufficiency issues.
“ERCOT continues to monitor the situation and provide updates through communication channels,” an ERCOT spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “At this time, the outages are local in nature and have no bearing on the overall reliability of the power grid.” (Related article: “Climate change idealism meets reality”: Green energy failed to meet electricity demand when needed most)
TXANS UPDATE — January 15, 2024: ERCOT will issue a conservation appeal today, January 15, from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. CT due to continued subzero temperatures, record demand, and unseasonably low winds. announced. We ask Texas businesses and residents to conserve energy use when it is safe to do so…
— Arcot (@ERCOT_ISO) January 15, 2024
While the cold weather has reduced ERCOT's solar and wind capacity, coal, natural gas and nuclear power still provide nearly 85% of the grid's capacity. according to Go to ERCOT's fuel blend dashboard. Wind power provided about 7% of ERCOT's electricity as of 8 a.m. Monday, compared to 15% at the same time Sunday.
In February 2021, the state experienced a severe cold snap that left the state without power as wind turbines froze and became unusable.
“It's no secret that as the temperature gets colder and colder, the wind blows. If the Texas grid manager doesn't understand this, then Texas needs a new grid manager.” said David Blackmon, a 40-year veteran of the industry who now writes and consults on the energy field from his home in Texas. I have written In a post to X after the issuance of the conservation appeal. “So, as I pointed out last night, today and tomorrow (Texas Grid) As always, it comes down to natural gas and the ability of both ERCOT and the industry to keep compressor stations and pipelines running. It also depends on whether power producers can keep their plants operational. Now that all the propaganda about wind, solar, and batteries has permeated the Texas and national media, it's natural gas that will save Texas, as it has for more than 20 years.”
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott Said On Friday, power grid infrastructure and carriers are far better equipped to cope with the cold snap than they were during the 2021 winter storm and ensuing crisis, which directly or indirectly claimed more than 240 lives in the state. He said he was in an advantageous position, according to To the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
The appeal will run from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. local time. ERCOT narrowly avoided rolling blackouts in the summer of 2023, when prolonged high temperatures led to a shortage of wind power and increased demand.
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