On Monday morning, ERCOT declared an “energy emergency alert” also called EEA 1, as the first of three alert phases. At this stage, the state seeks to obtain electricity from other networks. The second stage closes the large industrial users who have agreed to cut off the electricity supply in case of emergency. The third phase is rotary interruptions.
Electricity use on Sunday night broke a previous record set in 2018, as cold weather and icy rainfall covered the entire state, paralyzed transportation and located most of the state. below freezing temperature.
The last time the state had to implement continuous cuts was in 2011, when another major storm brought cold, ice and snow to the south of the Rio Grande Valley.
The storm of 2021 is about to reach even colder temperatures in the Lone Star State over a longer period of time.
The CEO of the Texas Electric Reliability Council of Texas, better known as ERCOT, announced Sunday that the supply of natural gas to power plants was limited and that half of the system’s wind turbines had frozen, keeping at least 12,000 megawatts out. line. ERCOT has a network condition alert system that is now in a state of conservation alert as consumption increases statewide.
Interruptions usually last from 15 minutes to an hour. According to ERCOT officials, the blackouts will continue to be repeated throughout the morning.
Continuous blackouts are expected across the state. Experts say they are needed to prevent power outages in places such as hospitals, police stations, fire stations, water treatment facilities and wastewater.
ERCOT in 2011 had to cut off the power supply to at least one million Texas homes during a cold snap it recorded that year.
The similarities with the two situations are hard to miss: both systems brought significantly colder temperatures, left roads passable with ice and snow, and caused some electrical installations to go offline due to the cold, leaving the State without enough energy. In 2011, the state imported electricity from Mexico, ABC13 reported at the time.
ERCOT officials said lowering the heaters to 68 degrees, closing shadows to help keep warm, and turning off non-essential appliances and lights can help conserve energy during the cold.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned Saturday that all of Texas is facing an unprecedented winter storm and said he was calling for a federal declaration of disaster before the storm. Abbott has already issued a state declaration of disaster.
FROM SATURDAY: Governor Abbott urges energy conservation, according to demand, which may exceed supply
ABC13 answers your main questions about winter weather
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