A high number of outages in Texas combined with potential record electricity usage caused the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on June 14, 2021, to request that residents reduce electric use during peak hours through June 18, 2021.[1] On June 14, 2021, generator owners reported that about 11,000 MW of generation is on forced outage for repairs. Of that generation, 8,000 MW is thermal energy, and the rest is intermittent resources. Typically, the average for thermal generation outages on hot summer days is about 3,600 MW. Roughly 1,200 MW of power was regained overnight on June 14, 2021, when some repairs were done.[2]
According to ERCOT, the peak load reached a new record. On June 15, 2021, the peak load was 69,943 MW, which exceeds the previous June record of 69,123 MW set on June 27, 2018. ERCOT has requested that residents set their thermostat to 78 degrees or higher. The grid operator has also asked that residents turn off lights and pool pumps and avoid using large appliances like ovens, washing machines, and dryers. In addition, residents have been asked to turn off and unplug all unnecessary devices.