ERCOT ISSUES FIRST WEATHER WATCH AS INCOMING HEAT WAVE DRIVES HIGH DEMAND
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has issued a Weather Watch effective tomorrow (Thursday) through Wednesday, June 21st as much of the state braces for blistering heat.
With temperatures hitting triple digits and heat advisories triggering around the area, ERCOT is putting out its first Weather Watch to notify residents that it is expecting increased demand for electricity.
Grid conditions are normal when a Weather Watch is issued, so no immediate action is required. However, Texans are encouraged to monitor grid conditions and plan ahead in case they are called upon to conserve energy.
The current all-time record for peak demand, set on July 20, 2022, is 80,148 MWs. According to ERCOT’s supply and demand dashboard, that record could be broken several times over the course of the 6-day forecast, but ERCOT maintains that supply will exceed demand.
The Weather Watch was introduced last month alongside the new Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS) to keep the public informed about the condition of the state’s power grid.
Unprecedented heat wave. Also more and more electric cars…where you think those plug ins have to get electricity from.
So, all the upgrades not going to work? We would like to know. Thought this was fixed.
I don’t think that there were any upgrades made toward heatproofing the infrastructure. It’s winterization that we all hope got done.
These aren’t even close to the highest temps nature throws at Texas. This is a straight up issue of growth in demand for electricity straining the available capacity to supply. We usually get through heat waves pretty well. I’m not too worried. The worst thing that could happen would be rolling blackouts but that’s fine. Those are managed. They don’t last too long.