ERCOT

ERCOT manages the power supply to over 26 million Texas electric customers. It schedules and regulates electricity across a grid of over 52,700 miles of transmission line and more than 1,030 generation units, balancing supply and demand in real time. ERCOT manages around 90 percent of our statewide electric load. It’s not incorrect to think of this agency as both gatekeeper and warden of the Texas power grid.

Every year, ERCOT takes inventory of statewide generation capacity. From this assessment, the agency creates a forecast of how much total electricity generation will be possible across the grid, all at once, during day-to-day operations around the state.

Throughout the state, summer is a time of intense electric usage, especially through the week, between 3 and 7 p.m. In addition to this being the hottest part of the day, it’s also when people are arriving home from work and school and are cranking down the AC, turning on the TV, starting dinner, running the dishwasher and so forth.

Winter is also a time consumers pull much energy when heating their homes. Winter peak demands tend to occur during the early morning from 5 to 9 a.m. and early evening from 4 to 9 p.m.

Power shortages between generators and suppliers do happen across the Texas grid. High energy demand at the local level usually doesn’t have much impact statewide; however, an all-at-once spike in demand across the Texas grid that approaches or exceeds total, statewide capacity can have serious consequences for availability. Such spikes are a very real threat during the height of Texas summers or on occasions of extreme winter temperatures. One of ERCOTS’s most important tools for helping restrain usage across the grid is known as the four coincidental peaks (4CP).

You may have read about the four yearly coincidental peaks in The GVEC Review or here on our blog. The 4CPs occur one per month every June, July, August and September. These peaks happen when demand for electricity across the statewide grid reaches its highest point. ERCOT bases the next year’s share of transmission costs for each Texas provider on the provider’s share of grid demand during these four peaks. It’s important, then, for each consumer within a provider’s territory to restrain usage as much as possible during 4CPs to keep rates down.

As a way to help our members reduce usage during the 4CPs, GVEC has partnered with thermostat brands Nest®, ecobee, Honeywell and Amazon to offer Peak-Time Payback, our latest and most rewarding peak-time usage program. For more information on how you can help reduce GVEC’s overall grid demand during ERCOT’s 4CPs—and get paid doing it—visit our Peak-Time Payback page.

Conservation Alert

At this level, ERCOT aims to raise public awareness about shrinking reserves and the need to actively conserve energy to prevent emergency conditions.

Emergency Alerts

Level 1: The first EEA level is Conservation Needed. ERCOT issues this alert when operating reserves drop below a target threshold. This level puts providers on notice to take preliminary measures to curb demand before the situation worsens.

Level 2: If conditions worsen, ERCOT will next issue an EEA Level 2 – Conservation Critical. At this level, providers are permitted to reduce their power load by interrupting supply to large commercial and industrial accounts. The contracts these clients sign stipulate that such measures may be necessary in an emergency.

Level 3: If power supply declines further, ERCOT will then declare an EEA Level 3 – Rotating Outages in Progress, the final alert level. At this level, ERCOT will require electricity providers throughout the state to begin introducing temporary outages at the local distribution level—also known as rolling brownouts or rotating outages.

Rotating outages, sometimes referred to as “brownouts,” are temporary, controlled interruptions of service. They typically last 15-45 minutes. During these outages, service is interrupted within only one section of a local grid at a time before rolling on to another section. The need for rotating outages across the Texas energy grid are rare.

Use fans when you’re home, but turn them off when you leave the room. Although fans don’t lower the room temperature, they make your skin feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler, allowing you to set your thermostat temperature higher.

Limit electricity usage to only that consumption that is absolutely necessary. Turn off all unnecessary lights, appliances and electronic equipment.

Turn the temperature on your thermostat down to 68 degrees. If that seems too cool, find ways to stay warm in your home without turning up the heat in this blog. 

Do not use your dishwasher, laundry equipment, hair dryers, coffee makers, pool pump or other home appliances unless absolutely necessary, especially between the hours of 5 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 9 p.m.

Open blinds and drapes on sunny days to utilize the sun’s natural heat during the day. Close them at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through your windows.

Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible. Larger consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing nonessential production processes.