Consumers Are Urged to Conserve Electricity Today and Next Week
"The peak demand forecast is close to 67,800 megawatts (MW) today, slightly lower than yesterday which is typical for the end of the week,” said Kent Saathoff, vice president of system planning and operations. “However, there is still a strong possibility that a reduction in operating reserves could force us into a level 1 emergency and possibly a level 2 when we drop the interruptible loads,” Saathoff said.
ERCOT has set a new all-time peak demand three times this week. The current record is 68,294 MW, which occurred on Wednesday between 4-5 p.m. One megawatt of power is enough electricity to power about 200 homes in Texas during hot weather when air conditioners are running for long periods of time.
“We really appreciate the efforts of consumers and businesses all this week to reduce their electricity use during the peak hours,” Saathoff said. “We expect to continue calling for conservation next week and until the high temperatures subside.”
