ERCOT

Any potential Texas summer blackouts would be less than 1 hour, experts say

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Potential TX summer blackouts would be less than 1 hour, experts say

ERCOT is still urging Texans to cut down on energy use today after the state made through Monday's high temperatures without any kind of grid failure.

ERCOT is still urging Texans to cut down on energy use Tuesday.

The state made it through Monday's high temperatures without any kind of grid failure.

But now, many Texans want to know how the rest of the week looks.

ERCOT's request for Houstonians to keep thermostats at 78 degrees was not met without criticism. Partly due to the company's handling of the 2021 Winter Freeze.

In the future , ERCOT said rolling blackouts are still an option.

If it happens, companies would cut power from customers, so energy demand doesn't surpass supply.

Unlike the winter storm, where blackouts lasted for days for some people, experts say it would be less than an hour this time because it's easier to generate power in the summer than in the winter.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he's confident the power will stay on.

"Because of the increase in the power generation capacity by more than 15% over last year," Abbott said. "That is why the power grid has been so resilient despite the skyrocketing temperatures."

Experts say the state did make improvements to the grid, but there's still a ways to go, which is why the conservation call was issued.