ERCOT Asks Texans To Conserve Energy Again Today

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The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is once again asking Texans to conserve energy on Thursday due to high temperatures across the state. ERCOT is forecasting high demand this afternoon and evening.

ERCOT is asking Texans to conserve energy between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. today. ERCOT officials stress that there is no emergency but power reserves are expected to be low this afternoon due to low wind generation.

ERCOT is also asking government agencies to implement programs to reduce energy use at their facilities.  According to WFAA in Dallas, around 8 p.m. is when usage could hit its peak.

"ERCOT is not experiencing emergency conditions at this time, but forecasts are showing a high potential to enter emergency operations this evening because of expected low wind-power generation and high demand," the release said.

As of noon Thursday, ERCOT's expected demand for power Thursday evening was forecasted to slightly exceed the grid's capacity.

By around 8 p.m., the state's demand for power was expected to hit 80,808 megawatts and the capacity was expected to be just below that at 80,371. The forecasted demand and capacity for electricity can fluctuate throughout the day, and the capacity has been known to increase as demand goes up.