TEXAS, USA — Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is keeping a close eye on the supply and demand of the power grid, spurred by razor-thin margins on Wednesday. At one point during the day, Texas was forecast to use more energy than what was being produced, even on a clear October day.
State officials were alerted to the thin margin, but ERCOT said there was no need for a public conservation alert, according to sources.
Sources told WFAA that ERCOT could be walking a tightrope for the next 48 hours or so. ERCOT provides the latest grid and market conditions on its online dashboard here.
For much of the day Wednesday, there was little cushion, but they made it through the day. The specific reason why is uncertain right now, but there have been times when the weather is cooler in the spring and fall that ERCOT lets plants go off the grid for maintenance, leaving the grid at less than full capacity.
Some industry insiders say ERCOT was likely in conversations with the state's big energy users, such as plants and factories to ask them to scale back to save some energy.
Stories like these are enough to make Texans uneasy given that the February winter storm that left millions without power for days.
The Public Utility Commission has a meeting set for Thursday morning; the first item on the agenda is whether Texas will require winterization standards for energy facilities.
The board of directors for ERCOT has called a special meeting for Friday morning.