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Texans are asked to conserve power this weekend

The control room at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texans.
Julia Reihs
/
KUT
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas wants people to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or above this weekend to conserve power.

Texas’ electric grid operator is asking people to conserve power after six power-generation facilities went offline Friday afternoon as the state experiences unseasonably hot weather.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, said in a statement that the high temperatures are causing “record” demand for electricity across the state.

How are you feeling about the state of the grid? Let us know here.

“At this time, all generation resources available are operating,” interim CEO Brad Jones said.

To conserve power, the grid operator is asking Texans to set their thermostats to 78 degrees or above and not use large appliances — like dishwashers, washers and dryers — during peak hours, which are between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. throughout the weekend.

Marisa Charpentier is KUT's assistant digital editor. Got a tip? Email her at mcharpentier@kut.org. Follow her on Twitter @marisacharp.
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