Texas power grid resumes routine services, urges consumers to cut use

AUSTIN, Texas: On Wednesday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) announced that it was lifting an emergency alert and was resuming normal operations.

However, the state grid operator, which serves more than 26 million customers, still encouraged users to reduce their electricity use.

As operating reserves continued to drop, ERCOT previously declared an Energy Emergency Alert Level 2 (EEA 2).

Due to ongoing high temperatures, rising demand, and declining wind and solar power generation, it warned of potential power shortages and appealed for energy conservation.

In its latest release to customers, ERCOT said that to maintain the grid's stability, it brought online all available generation, released remaining reserves, and used demand response to lower electric demand.

"No power outages associated with the ERCOT power grid were necessary," ERCOT said, adding that Texas had set a new September peak demand record of 82,705 Megawatts (MW).

A deadly storm in February 2021 left millions in Texas without power, water, and heat for days, and ERCOT struggled to avoid the grid's collapse.

Real-time power prices briefly hovered around US$5,000 in most of ERCOT's Texas hubs, the grid operator said on its website.