However in February 2021, ERCOT lost control of the grid as large amounts of power generation went offline even after ERCOT had requested outages. In extreme circumstances, the outages may become longer.ĮRCOT has resorted to asking for controlled outages only five times: once in 1989, once in 2006, once in 2011, once in 2014 ( only in the Rio Grande Valley), and once during the winter storm in February 2021.
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Local utility companies decide how to decrease demand and typically implement rotating outages in which different areas experience temporary interruptions. The power grid operator considers service interruptions to customers a last-resort option.ĭuring a rotating outage, ERCOT contacts local power utility companies and asks them to reduce their demand on the power grid. Rotating outages, also known as rolling blackouts, occur only in ERCOT’s most severe level of emergency conditions, what it calls EEA3. If an energy emergency is called, consumers are asked to continue conserving as much energy as possible if they’re able to safely. If ERCOT has put out an energy conservation alert, it means the operator hasn’t yet moved into EEA1 conditions, but may do so in the future. EEA3, the most critical form of energy emergency, is the only time when residential customers may begin to experience outages.Įnergy conservation requests are separate from energy emergencies. Under EEA2, the grid operator can reduce power to large industrial customers, such as manufacturing facilities, refineries and cryptocurrency miners, among others. There are three levels of energy emergencies, which the grid operator calls EEA1, EEA2 and EEA3.ĭuring EEA1, ERCOT may call on all available power supplies, such as tapping into power from other neighboring grids. Declaring an energy emergency means the grid operator will start using special resources to prevent outages. Many local utilities offer updates on their website and text alerts for outages, including:Īn energy emergency occurs when the amount of stress on the grid means that ERCOT can’t balance electricity supply and demand using normal procedures. Texans who are experiencing an outage but don’t see any announcements from ERCOT should check with their local utility company instead. The power outage alert program supplies Texas broadcasters with information and updates about outages to distribute to the public. The Texas Department of Public Safety also works with ERCOT and other grid operators in Texas to put out power outage alerts when one of the grid operators believes it doesn’t have enough power supply to meet demand for the state or a particular region. ( Learn about what causes local outages here.)
When individual towns are experiencing an outage, the problem is much more likely to be local, according to an ERCOT spokesperson. Rotating outages also affect the entire ERCOT region, which covers most of Texas. This can include reports in local media, on ERCOT’s Facebook and Twitter, through the ERCOT app and through emergency email alerts that residents can sign up for here. When ERCOT calls for a rotating outage, the information will be available through several sources, a spokesperson said.
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