Will my electricity stay on during this extreme winter period?

With the winter weather conditions upon us, I would like to share some important information and resources that may be helpful for you, your family and friends. Please know that our state leaders are working nonstop to ensure necessary readiness so that all Texans stay safe and that we are well equipped for any impact that we may see from this multi-day weather event. I hope you stay safe and warm. If you have any specific problems our office can assist with, please don’t hesitate to email our office at [email protected]. 

Electricity Grid Conditions 
Our office has been in constant communication with ERCOT about the electricity grid conditions as the cold weather system moves in. Below are grid projections provided Saturday afternoon. Please note these are subject to change. 

Sunday – ERCOT anticipates all grid conditions to remain normal as the cold front arrives. (Normal means there is ample supply to meet demand)

Monday – ERCOT is projecting demand to reach around 80,000 megawatts (MW). For reference, during Winter Storm Elliott in December of 2022, the peak was at 75,000 megawatts. 

Tuesday – ERCOT is projecting Tuesday morning to be the tightest grid conditions during this cold event, anticipating a peak demand of 85,000 MW. (This type of demand level is similar to a summer number) 

Wednesday – ERCOT is projecting grid conditions to return to normal.  

Many variables can adjust these forecasts. A generation facility may trip offline or simply the wind dying down can make a big impact. We have put a lot of measures in place after Winter Storm Uri to ensure maximum preparedness and collaboration. All grid operators, companies generating electricity, and the companies that deliver the gas or electricity to your home are all communicating and are ready to work through the peak demand for power over these next few days. We have a lot of new tools in place to manage the grid through tight conditions. We saw them work well during the summer and expect the same during the winter. Inevitably, we will see localized power outages due to various reasons, like damage from a tree falling. It is always good during these tight grid conditions to be cognizant of your usage and try to conserve electricity when you can. 

There is a public dashboard that I would encourage you to utilize to monitor electricity grid conditions. This dashboard includes data on current supply/demand and what type of generation is currently providing power, just to name a few.  The dashboard can be viewed HERE. 

A map of outages can be found HERE. As a reminder, If your power goes out, contact your local energy provider to report the outage. 

Roads
We encourage everyone to stay off the roads if you can. If you do have to go somewhere, be cautious and check the current road conditions HERE. This will have the most up to date information on any road closures or damage in your area. 

Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) Cold Weather Resources 
TDEM has increased the readiness level of our Texas State Operations Center to Level II (Escalated Response) and has mobilized state emergency response resources. Their website also includes a multitude of good resources for individuals and families. These resources can be found HERE. 

Again, I hope you and your family are safe during this extreme cold weather. Please don’t hesitate to respond to this email or email the office at [email protected] if we can be a resource.