Texas electric grid operator ERCOT asks residents to conserve power ahead of intense heat

The summer Texas heat is once again threatening to exhaust the state’s power grid.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid, issued a warning late Sunday night about the potential for rolling blackouts Monday.

Officials have asked Texas homeowners and businesses to “voluntarily conserve electricity” between 2 and 8 p.m., when the usage is expected to be at its highest.

ERCOT said no statewide outages are expected, but that there is a “projected reserve capacity shortage.”

Transmission towers are seen at the CenterPoint Energy powerplant in Houston, Texas. (BRANDON BELL/)

“The heat wave that has settled on Texas and much of the central United States is driving increased electric use,” officials said.

Temperatures in Dallas Monday could reach as high as 104° and 102° in Houston, according to the Weather Channel.

Last year, ERCOT faced a different problem when a February freeze cut off the power grid and left 200 people dead, many of hypothermia.

CEO Bill Magness was fired in March 2021 in connection with the power failure.

ERCOT currently serves about 26 million customers in Texas, or about 90% of the state, according to the company.