ERCOT president presents plan to keep Texans up to date on power grid conditions

CEO Pablo Vegas held a virtual press conference at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday

Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) officials gave an update to Texans regarding the reliability of the state’s power grid.

ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas held a virtual press conference at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. You can watch the press conference in the media player above.

He presented the new campaign ERCOT is launching that will deliver clear and reliable messaging to all Texans on grid conditions throughout the summer called the Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS).

It’s a new communication tool that will deliver information on grid conditions to the public.

“TXANS will deliver clear and reliable notifications ahead of significant weather conditions where high demand on the grid is possible,” said Vegas. “Keeping Texans informed earlier adds a new level of awareness on grid conditions and any public action that may be needed.”

TXANS will introduce the ERCOT Weather Watch, which is intended to provide the public with an earlier notification 3-5 days ahead of possible higher demand due to forecasted conditions. Grid conditions are normal when an ERCOT Weather Watch is issued.

CPS Energy also sent a statement to KSAT late Wednesday afternoon, shared below:

“ERCOT’s new system will be helpful in the communication and awareness of state grid conditions and we appreciate the collaboration with them. We have been sharing proactive messaging with our customers, including communicating our color-coded conservation program that provides energy-saving tips and encouraging customers to sign up for energy alerts so we can reach them in case of an emergency. Customers can sign up for energy alerts by calling us at 210-353-2222 or by updating their info online at our website. Customers can learn more about our color-coded conservation program here.

For more information, visit Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS) at ercot.com/txans. Sign up to receive TXANS email notifications and updates from the new webpage and follow us on social media.

TXANS notifications will not replace Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) notices, which will continue to be sent to the Emergency Alerts email distribution list. TXANS notifications do not indicate emergency grid conditions are expected.

Related: What’s changed since February 2021 to prevent another power grid failure? KSAT Explains