ERCOT is asking consumers in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region to limit or reduce their electricity use where possible through Tuesday, especially during the 3-7 p.m. peak demand hours.
“With some unplanned electric generation outages, combined with high temperatures in the region, we expect tight conditions during peak demand hours over the next few days,” Dan Woodfin, ERCOT’s director of system operations, said in a statement released Monday.
Woodfin said the 524-MW Frontera combined cycle plant’s recent withdrawal from the ERCOT system has complicated the task of meeting demand along the U.S.-Mexico border during tight conditions. Frontera’s owners, Viva Alamo, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group, is dispatching energy into the Mexican market.
ERCOT said the conservation request is limited to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and that it is not experiencing any systemwide issues at this time.
ERCOT has asked consumers to reduce demand during peak hours by:
- Turning thermostats up 2-3 degrees during the peak hours;
- Setting programmable thermostats to higher temperatures when no one is home;
- Using fans inside homes;
- Scheduling pool pumps to run in early morning or overnight hours, and shutting them off from 4-6 p.m;
- Limiting the use of large appliances (dishwashers, washers, dryers, etc.) to morning hours or after 7 p.m.;
- Use a microwave or slow cooker; and
- Closing blinds and drapes during the late afternoon.
“We believe these voluntary actions by consumers can help limit the need for further action, such as rotating outages, to maintain overall reliability in the valley,” Woodfin said.
ERCOT in June unanimously approved two transmission projects to improve reliability concerns in South Texas. (See ERCOT Board OKs Rio Grande Valley Fixes.)
– Tom Kleckner
