BPUB Asks for Electrical Conservation
The Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) announces that electrical conservation is being requested by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) today between 5-9 p.m. because of high demand throughout Texas due to continued high temperatures as well as forecasted low wind and declining solar power generation.
ERCOT, the organization responsible for ensuring the secure and reliable operation of Texas’ electric grid, advised that it is not currently experiencing emergency conditions, but the current forecasts are showing a potential to enter emergency operations this evening because of low reserves caused by low wind and declining solar power generation in later afternoon and evening hours. This call for conservation is being used to help lower demand during a peak demand time – in this case, 5-9 p.m. BPUB typically sees its peak demand starting at about 6 p.m. and encourages customers to conserve electricity safely as much as possible during that time.
ERCOT says it is using additional tools to manage the grid reliably, including using reserve power, asking large electric customers to reduce usage, and bringing more generation online sooner to ensure electric supply meets the state’s demands.
Here are some ways customers can conserve electricity:
- Turn up thermostats on air conditioning units a couple of degrees.
- Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.
- Avoid running large appliances such as washers, dryers and electric ovens during peak energy demand hours (6-9 p.m.).
More information is available on the BPUB website at www.brownsville-pub.com and social media. To report an outage, please use the BPUB app located at https://assist.brownsville-pub.com.