Texas declared its first power emergency since a deadly winter storm two years ago and warned rolling blackouts might be needed as soaring temperatures roast the second-largest US state.
The declaration of a so-called Level 2 emergency late Wednesday comes in response to shrinking supplies of available power and means the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s grid operator, will draw on reserves while pushing consumers to curb usage.
Texas hasn’t experienced a grid emergency since February 2021, when a historic freeze triggered blackouts that led to the death of hundreds, stranded millions inside freezing homes, and paralyzed the Lone Star State for almost a week.
ERCOT’s move comes after the state’s GOP leadership lauded what it said were comprehensive grid overhauls that would prevent a repeat of the 2021 winter blackout.
Read More: Texas Falls Short of Big Grid Overhaul After Deadly Winter Storm
Conditions deteriorated so quickly on Wednesday that the grid operator skipped calling an emergency level one. Emergency level two indicates power reserves have dropped to critical levels and allows the operator to call on more reserves to prop up the grid.
The alert was called during the evening, the time of day that now has become perilous for grid operators because supplies of solar power go down but other generation sources aren’t always available to pick up the slack.
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Author: Joe Carroll and Naureen S. Malik
