ERCOT asks Texans to conserve power as demand spikes due to heat

AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) - If the heat alone wasn't bad enough, ERCOT is asking Texans to conserve power this weekend as demand is expected to spike due to the weather.

ERCOT put out the notice on May 13 after six plants unexpectedly went offline, taking 2,900 MW of electricity off the grid. A spokesperson said that all of the state's generation resources were operating.

In order to avoid electricity overuse, the agency is asking Texans to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher and avoid using large appliances like dishwashers, washers, and dryers during peak hours between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. today and this weekend.

As of 4 p.m. on Friday, 66% of all thermal resources were running. Wind resources were performing at just 17% of their capacity, but solar sources were operating at 73%.

ERCOT did not immediately say what caused the outages.