Summary:
- ERCOT's third consecutive call for energy conservation ends without any power outages.
- Residents and businesses heeded the call and reduced their energy consumption.
- CEO highlights the importance of power reserves and quick resource mobilization to meet demand.
- Demand response strategies, including payment incentives, contribute to grid stability.
- ERCOT maintains a weather watch due to anticipated low reserves in the coming days.
About an hour ago, a call to conserve energy all across Texas came to an end. The state's power grid operator, ERCOT, did ask everyone to cut back between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Let's take a look at current conditions. That purple supply line is now well above the blue demand line, and the bigger the gap between those two lines, the better.
ERCOT said residents and businesses cutting back and an increase in wind speed tonight ensured that supply did exceed demand. It was the third day in a row that ERCOT asked Texans to conserve. Thankfully, there were no outages on Thursday, Friday, or tonight. ERCOT's CEO says the agency has taken precautions to prevent worst-case scenarios. We always maintain a set of power reserves on the side so that we never get to a place where we don't have enough power to meet demand. Those types of reserves include additional power plants and resources that we can call up very quickly. It also includes demand response.
So we do pay certain business customers and industrials and groups in order to be able to turn off immediately if we need them to do so. ERCOT says it is still expecting low reserves for the rest of the weekend, so a weather watch does remain in effect until tomorrow night.
The recent call for energy conservation has concluded successfully, avoiding power outages in Texas. ERCOT's proactive measures and the cooperation of residents and businesses have helped maintain a stable power supply. While ERCOT continues to anticipate low reserves, a weather watch will remain in place until tomorrow night.