As temperatures plummeted last night, power demand soared to record levels as heating systems across Texas labored to keep up with the cold. About the same time, the severe weather began knocking power plants offline, creating powers shortages that led the state grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to order rolling blackouts.
"Many power companies have been unable to generate power, whether it’s from coal, natural gas, or wind power,” Governor Greg Abbott said in a release. “ERCOT and the (Public Utility Commission) are working non-stop to restore power supply.
How can the energy grid handle power needs in the summer and not winter?
The situations are different. In the summer, shortages are driven by extreme demand as residents and businesses crank up air conditioning systems, stretching supplies. In this case, the shortages were caused by the plunge in power supplies as generators were knocked offline.
Some 34,000 megawatts of generating capacity — more than one-third of state’s total capacity — was out Monday morning. Wind turbines were frozen. Shortages of natural gas, which must first go to heating homes, hospitals and other facilities that serve human needs, curtailed production of some power plants. Others could not operate under the extreme conditions which went “well beyond the design parameters of an extreme Texas winter,” said Dan Woodfin, ERCOT's senior director of system operations.
How much longer is this going to last?
The short answer: we don’t know.
A timetable of how long the outages will last remains unclear, Kenny Mercado, Executive Vice President, Electric Utility at CenterPoint said.
“I don’t know how long it will take,” Mercado said. “But for us to move forward, we have got to get generators back onto the grid. That is our primary need.”
ERCOT, the state's grid operator, has initiated controlled, rolling outages throughout Texas to maintain grid stability. These rolling outages typically last 15-45 minutes, but CenterPoint said the power shortages have forced it to cut so much of its transmission load that it can’t rotate the outages. Those without power are going to be without it for an extended period — until electricity generation increases.
What’s going to happen to my electric bill?
It is possible you’ll see increases in your energy bill. The average spot price for power across the Texas grid hit the state’s $9,000 per megawatt-hour price cap not long after 9:30 a.m., according to the ERCOT.
Residents with retail power contracts won’t see any changes until they’re agreements end. Those whose rates change month to month could see the impact sooner. It typically takes some time for wholesale power prices to filter to retail prices.
ERCOT has called upon Texans to conserve as much energy as possible. Setting your thermostat four degrees lower to help conserve can not only help ease the stress on the power systems, but also keep costs down. For every degree above 68°, you can expect a 3-5 percent increase in your heating costs, according to a release from retail power company Reliant Energy.
What else can I do to conserve heat?
Reliant recommends not using large electric appliances like the clothes washer and dryer or dishwasher.
Make sure to close heat escape routes. Be cognizant of how much you’re opening doors and using bathroom or utility room ventilation fans and make sure the damper on your fireplace is closed if you’re not using it, as heat can escape from your home through these outlets.
Set your ceiling fan to rotate clockwise. This helps force warm air down from the ceiling into the room to create a more comfortable environment.
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