No Emergency Today, But Texas Power Supplies Still Tight
McKINNEY (CBS 11 NEWS) - The state is once again trying to avoid rolling blackouts.
ERCOT said Thursday the power supply is still very tight due to the triple digit temperatures, even though it did not issue a power warning.
Several area businesses are doing their part to reduce consumption.
At Creative by Nature in McKinney, the shelves are stocked but the lights are off.
"One lady asked if i paid the light bill," said Company President Michael O'Keefe. "With all these windows I can do my drawings, I can do proposals, I can sell products to customers, so I really don't need the lights. It was a pretty easy decision to make."
O'Keefe decided to turn off all unnecessary electricity in hopes of easing the burden on the state's power grid.
Normally the garden design center's display fountains would be flowing, but the water fixtures are dry instead.
The McKinney business isn't the only company taking steps to conserve electricity.
Some of the areas largest employers are also cutting back.
At Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, some of the manufacturing facility's heavy machines are not being used during the peak energy hours, between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
"That helps reduce the electrical load to some extent but it also helps ensure we don't get interrupted, because in the event we did have an interruption in power we wouldn't want to be in the middle of a manufacturing operation," said spokesperson Joe Stout.
"Our annual electric bill every year is about $19 million."
ERCOT has urged consumers and businesses alike to cut back where they can to avoid emergency rotating blackouts. Whether big or small, many businesses are doing their part to keep the power on.
"I think I made a little dent," O'Keefe said, "I certainly made a dent in my electricity at the end of the month. I bet turning all this off will probably save me 50 or 60 dollars."
Consumers are asked to turn off unnecessary lights and appliances in their homes, to close blinds during the day, and turn the thermostat up when they're not at home.
ERCOT also asks that consumers avoid using things like hairdryers or dishwashers between the hours the hours of 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. when energy demands are the highest.
