TEMPLE, Texas — The hot summer months approaching means AC use is on the rise and there is more reliance on the state's power grid.
Texas has become a very popular destination for people from other states to call home. But more people means more demand for power.
ERCOT is warning that this summer could see some issues.
"We want to help people be aware and informed on what's going on," Pablo Vegas, CEO and President of ERCOT, said. "Be more transparent, be more open and get people used to hearing from us, under conditions that are not emergency conditions."
The state's power operator launched a new platform ahead of this summer's triple-digit heat, to keep Texans informed and encourage everyone to reduce energy usage.
"It's like how people want to know what's going on with the weather," Vegas said. "We want people to understand how weather and factors like that influence what's going on on the grid."
ERCOT's new system will have four different alert levels: Normal Grid Conditions, ERCOT Weather Watch, Voluntary Conservation Notice and Energy Emergency Alert.
"Several days in advance, we would let people know that conditions are ripe and there could be circumstances where things could get tight on the grid," Vegas said. "Just like a weather forecast. So, they give you a heads up."
ERCOT wants to get ahead of outages before they happen, and it could be tough with the constant demand for more power.
"As we looked ahead, our forecast showed an expected growth and demand this summer of a potential demand of upwards of 80,000," Vegas said. "One more could be upwards of 83,000. We expect demand to be growing. We've seen additional resources come on to the grid and we expect to leverage all of those resources and optimize them to the best possible."
For now, the power grid is expected to hold up. But, ERCOT hopes this notification system can help Texans stay up to date if demand outpaces supply.
"There was some very low probability where during very high peak demand periods and very low renewable resource periods, that there could be a shortage of dispatchable generation," Vegas said.
People can find updated grid information on ERCOT's social media page, the TXAN website or sign up to receive notifications via email by visiting ercot.com/txans.
KCEN Related Stories: