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Texas heat brings the state’s power grid closest it has been to outages since 2021 winter storm

Summary

On September 7, 2023, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), responsible for the state's power grid, issued an urgent request for residents to reduce their electricity consumption due to a prolonged and scorching summer heat wave. This request came after the power grid was pushed to the brink of outages, marking the first such instance since the devastating winter blackout in 2021. The high demand for electricity during the heat, coupled with insufficient power generation from wind and solar sources, led to low energy reserves. Although the emergency status lasted for about an hour and was eventually lifted, ERCOT requested further conservation measures from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. CDT due to expected low reserves. The situation raised concerns about Texas' power grid reliability, with calls for more power generation and storage capacity, particularly through natural gas. Texas remains disconnected from the broader U.S. power grid, limiting options for importing power during shortages or failures.

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