Current:Home > StocksTexas heat brings the state’s power grid closest it has been to outages since 2021 winter storm-LoTradeCoin
Texas heat brings the state’s power grid closest it has been to outages since 2021 winter storm
View Date:2024-12-24 00:43:16
HOUSTON (AP) — Texas’ power grid manager on Thursday again asked residents to cut their electricity use as the state endures another stretch of sizzling summer heat. The request carried fresh urgency, coming the day after the system was pushed to the brink of outages for the first time since a deadly winter blackout in 2021.
The request by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which serves most of the state’s 30 million residents, came a day after low energy reserves prompted the grid operator to issue a level 2 energy emergency alert. Operating reserves fell as demand surged amid the heat, and power from wind and solar energy sources proved insufficient, according to ERCOT.
It was the first time the council entered emergency operations since a deadly 2021 ice storm knocked out power to millions of customers for days and resulted in hundreds of deaths.
The emergency status remained in place for about an hour Wednesday night until grid conditions returned to normal, ERCOT said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
On Thursday, ERCOT asked residents to conserve power from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. CDT as reserves were again expected to be low. Much of Texas was covered by heat advisories on Thursday, with high temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) in Austin, Amarillo, Dallas and El Paso.
“We request Texas businesses & residents conserve electricity use, if safe to do so,” ERCOT said in a tweet.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has said improvements since 2021 have stabilized the grid. Earlier this year, Texas lawmakers passed bills aimed at luring developers to generate more “on-demand” electricity, but the legislation did not extend to renewable sources.
Many Texans remain skeptical of the grid’s reliability.
In June, just before this summer’s heat settled into Texas, Abbott vetoed a bill to strengthen energy efficiency in new construction, saying it wasn’t as important as cutting property taxes.
Texas is not connected to the rest of the country’s power grid, unlike other U.S. states, leaving few options to pull power from elsewhere amid shortages or failures.
In May, regulators warned that demand may outpace supply on the hottest days.
___
Follow Juan A. Lozano on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
veryGood! (8293)
Related
- What to know about Mississippi Valley State football player Ryan Quinney, who died Friday
- How Auditing Giant KPMG Became a Global Sustainability Leader While Serving Companies Accused of Forest Destruction
- These 14 Prime Day Teeth Whitening Deals Will Make You Smile Nonstop
- After Explosion, Freeport LNG Rejoins the Gulf Coast Energy Export Boom
- Brianna LaPaglia Addresses Zach Bryan's Deafening Silence After Emotional Abuse Allegations
- How RZA Really Feels About Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Naming Their Son After Him
- In the Amazon, Indigenous and Locally Controlled Land Stores Carbon, but the Rest of the Rainforest Emits Greenhouse Gases
- A Long-Sought Loss and Damage Deal Was Finalized at COP27. Now, the Hard Work Begins
- Hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field can be fixed for about $55M in time for 2026 season, per report
- California Denies Bid from Home Solar Company to Sell Power as a ‘Micro-Utility’
Ranking
- 'America's flagship' SS United States has departure from Philadelphia to Florida delayed
- Can the New High Seas Treaty Help Limit Global Warming?
- Antarctic Researchers Report an Extraordinary Marine Heatwave That Could Threaten Antarctica’s Ice Shelves
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get a $280 Convertible Crossbody Bag for Just $87
- Is Kyle Richards Finally Ready to File for Divorce From Mauricio Umansky? She Says...
- One of the World’s Coldest Places Is Now the Warmest it’s Been in 1,000 Years, Scientists Say
- To Reduce Mortality From High Heat in Cities, a New Study Recommends Trees
- Prince William and Kate Middleton's 3 Kids Steal the Show During Surprise Visit to Air Show
Recommendation
-
Noem’s Cabinet appointment will make a plain-spoken rancher South Dakota’s new governor
-
Video shows bear stuck inside car in Lake Tahoe
-
New Mexico State Soccer Player Thalia Chaverria Found Dead at 20
-
Musk reveals Twitter ad revenue is down 50% as social media competition mounts
-
MVSU football player killed, driver injured in crash after police chase
-
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton Reveals How Cheetah Girls Was Almost Very Different
-
Travis Barker Praises Pregnant Kourtney Kardashian's Healing Love After 30th Flight Since Plane Crash
-
Increasingly Large and Intense Wildfires Hinder Western Forests’ Ability to Regenerate