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Aug 4, 2008 6:00 pm US/Central
Texans Urged To Reduce Their Electricity Demand
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
Staying cool is on the mind of most of us. But energy experts warn with everyone cranking up the air conditioning in North Texas demand could put a strain on the electric grid tonight.
Right now the entire state is under a 'yellow power usage alert' – that means we all need to conserve.
"We are expecting high electricity demand [Monday] due to the heat advisory in effect for much of North Central and South Central Texas," said Kent Saathoff, Vice President of System Operations for ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. "We don't anticipate any electricity emergencies, but due to the effect of any unexpected generation outages, we will be monitoring the grid very closely."
Still, ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission (PUC) are asking that consumers and businesses reduce their electricity usage on Monday between the hours of 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., the peak electricity hours.
While there's no immediate threat of a blackout experts are still asking people to cut back. By doing things like unplugging appliances in your kitchen and even unplugging your phone charger, it will help draw less energy.From traffic lights, to ovens in restaurants, to staying cool in your home, more than seven million people in the Dallas/Fort Worth area are using electricity and they're cranking up the a/c around the same time."If we all conserve energy together it will help us combat any pending blackouts," explained Mike Gutierrez with TXU Energy.A rolling blackout in our area happened two years ago when the demand of electricity was greater than what the grid could supply.Officials with ERCOT say while electrical output is at its max right now conserving will benefit everyone and save you money.Gutierrez says, "Putting the thermostat at 78 degrees while you are in the house and then putting it up to 82 when you're out of the house," is a good rule of thumb.Keep the ceiling fans on and at dinner time keep in mind that the stove takes up a lot of energy and releases a lot of heat. Experts recommend heading outside and using a charcoal grill to cook.Some suggestions for lowering your electricity demand include:
-- Set thermostats to 80 degrees or higher
-- Keep cool with fans
-- Close blinds and drapes on windows getting direct sunlight
-- Turn off unnecessary lights, appliances and electrical equipment
-- Avoid using larger appliances
Click here for more electricity conservation tips.
According to ERCOT officials, one megawatt typically powers roughly 200 homes during the summertime.
Officials estimate that, during the peak, demand could be over 63,000 megawatts. However, rain forecast in the Houston area due to Tropical Storm Edouard could lower temperatures and electricity demand.
The record for peak demand at one time is 62,339 megawatts, which happened on August 17, 2006.
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