The operator of Texas’ power grid requested residents to conserve electricity Friday after six power plants went offline amid hovering temperatures.
Brad Jones, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, mentioned in a press release that the corporate had misplaced roughly 2,900 megawatts of electricity — or sufficient to power almost 600,000 properties, the Texas Tribune reported.
Jones referenced the unseasonably scorching climate, saying it was driving the demand for power throughout the state. Temperatures approaching 100 levels have been forecast from Austin to Dallas over the weekend and into subsequent week.
Jones didn’t say why the plants went offline, and a spokesperson didn’t reply to a request for remark Friday night.
The government requested customers to set their thermostats to 78 levels and keep away from utilizing giant home equipment within the afternoon and early night.
The non-profit vitality group, which manages power for 90 p.c of Texas’ electrical grid, confronted blistering criticism final 12 months after blackouts left hundreds of thousands with out power for days throughout subfreezing temperatures.
The firm blamed frozen tools in an occasion that left greater than 200 folks useless, many from carbon monoxide poisoning as they tried to keep heat. Others froze to demise.
The firm’s CEO was fired and six board members — together with the chairwoman and chairman — resigned.
State lawmakers responded with a raft of laws geared toward making the grid extra resilient to a brutal winter storm.
Nearly a 12 months later, an investigation by NBC News and the Texas Tribune discovered that the grid remained weak, with new rules permitting firms to keep away from the enhancements.