Texas Power Grid Holding Up As Conservation Request From ERCOT Remains
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - On another hot day approaching triple digits in North Texas, the Texas power grid is holding again.
Wednesday, June 16 is the third consecutive day Texans were asked to conserve electricity.
ERCOT said earlier in the week it saw demand during the middle of the day flatten a bit when reserves got low for the first time.
But CBS 11 found people who were a bit reluctant to help out with that conservation request.
Putting off using the oven or the washer and dryer wasn't that big of an ask, people said.
But turning the thermostat up to 78 degrees during the day, some people said they are drawing the line.
"Turn our thermostat up a little bit, but not much, but definitely not up that high, said Fort Worth resident Brian Tulbert. "It's still maybe 75 or something like that at our house right now."
Brad Glasco of Fort Worth added, "Absolutely not. I will not. I pay my electrical bill. I pay for a service I expect to get a service in return. It may sound very selfish. It may sound very first world. But I pay for a service I expect to get that service."
It's industry that uses the most energy on a daily basis in Texas and that's one reason residential customers are asked to wait until the evening to use appliances, when companies have shut down for the day.
Although an energy expert with the Webber Energy Research Group at UT Austin told CBS 11, with millions of homes, a few degrees across all of them does add up.
For now, it's made enough of a difference to get the Texas grid through another day.