There aren’t many ways to say this: Texans have to do a better job of conserving energy, something we don’t always do well.
Whether it is the extreme cold that shut down critical power sources across the state two winters ago or the blistering 100-degree-plus summer days we’re enduring now, the bottom line is that Texas has an energy problem, a real irony in a state known as an energy-producing capital. But it is also a wake-up call for a growing state that is adding new energy users by the day and needs energy resources to meet burgeoning demand.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s power grid traffic cop, is reminding Texas homes and businesses to conserve power from 2 to 8 p.m. and reduce the risk of rolling blackouts. The reason, ERCOT warns, is that the state faces a “potential reserve capacity shortage with no market solution available.” That’s a way of saying the demand for electricity, such as air conditioners running full blast in 100-degree temperatures, is consuming more power than generators can produce.
