A frigid arctic blast that continues to sweep across the United States is expected to linger through at least the middle of the week.
On Monday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, known as ERCOT, issued a conservation appeal for Tuesday, Jan. 16, from 6 to 9 a.m. as bitterly cold temperatures increase power demands across the state.
“Tomorrow’s conservation appeal does not indicate ERCOT is experiencing emergency conditions at this time,” ERCOT said in a press release. “ERCOT will remain vigilant and communicate further if conditions change because of continued freezing temperatures and very high demand in the morning hours.”
A conservation appeal is an “elevated request” for energy reduction “during peak demand periods when there is a potential to enter emergency operations due to lower reserves,” according to the agency.
Tuesday’s power demand is expected to peak at 85,564 megawatts (MW) at about 8 a.m. as businesses and schools reopen following the MLK Day holiday and weather-related closures.
ERCOT said an all-time record winter peak demand of 75,559 MW was set between 9 and 10 a.m. on Monday morning, surpassing the previous record of 74,525 MW set on Dec. 23, 2022.
Light snow and freezing precipitation overnight covered much of the state, where Monday’s daytime temperatures are expected to range from the single digits to the 20s. Temperatures even dipped below freezing along the Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, much of the northern Plains is not expected to get above zero, according to AccuWeather.
“Residents of the region will want to keep cold-weather gear handy to reduce the risk of frostbite and hypothermia,” said AccuWeather Meteorologist Joseph Bauer. “The bitter cold could threaten livestock as well as individuals who do not have proper sheltering or heating.”
But ERCOT says it is not to blame for current outages and that residents without power should contact their local electric provider.
Slick Road Conditions
Late last week, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) road crews pretreated thousands of miles of highways and interstates with a layer of brine in an effort to make the roads as safe as possible ahead of the winter weather.In the Dallas area, TxDOT used 300,000 gallons of the salt mixture to prepare major thoroughfares.
TxDOT spokesperson Madison Schein told The Epoch Times that the agency is continuing to monitor road conditions “around the clock” and it will treat roadways “as needed.”
“Crews continue to put brine and salt on roadways as the winter storm progresses,” Ms. Schein told The Epoch Times in an email. “If drivers need to be out, then please plan extra travel time and drive to the conditions.”
