ERCOT warning: 5 electricity blackout risks facing the entire U.S., not just Texas
Grid operator the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, called on consumers to voluntarily reduce power use on Monday when dangerous heat gripped America’s second-most populous state.
For sure, it’s a unique situation, as the state-run power grid system runs outside the main U.S. grids. Still, all Americans can learn from Texas about the fragility of a national power grid that is expected to be challenged more frequently by hot and cold weather extremes brought on by climate change.
This week, ERCOT is asking for voluntary conservation between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time daily due to record high electricity demand from the projected heat wave, and also because of low wind. ERCOT said current projections show wind generation coming in at less than 10% of capacity. ERCOT stressed that no systemwide outages are expected, but it was acting preemptively.
In 2021, emissions of atmosphere-warming CO2 by the U.S. electric power sector were about 32% of total energy-related CO2 emissions, the Energy Department says. Grid repairs are long overdue Regardless of power source, the system itself is showing its age. The U.S. Department of Energy found that 70% of U.S. transmission lines are more than 25 years old in the agency’s most recent network-infrastructure review, held back in 2015. Lines typically have a 50-year lifespan.
That means there are still growing pains when it comes to flexible use during peak and slower grid-use times, power storage and other factors.
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