SAN ANTONIO — The expected plunge in temperatures arriving this weekend is keeping both ERCOT and CPS Energy busy. Officials with both organizations say they're ready for whatever impact the arctic blast could have on the grid.
ERCOT has issued a winter weather watch, but it expects grid conditions to remain normal through the event, as conditions won't be nearly as bad as they were during the debilitating February freeze of 2021.
"It's super unpredictable," said CPS Energy President Rudy Garza. "You don't know until you're in the moment with the conditions, whatever they might be, what the situation is going to be. But we don't just watch the weather coming in and hope for the best."
Now, with the cold approaching, CPS Energy says they are prepared for the cold. In a statement, the utility said facilities are weatherized and crews are on standby.
"CPS Energy has submitted the required declaration of preparedness for winter weatherization to ERCOT," officials said. "We completed weatherization activities to protect critical equipment from freezing temperatures."
Garza said units that experienced issues during Winter Storm Uri have been upgraded to handle much worse conditions than we are expecting with this freeze.
"What we've done is improve the standard and push down to a zero-degree, 30 mph wind requirement for these units," he said.
How to save energy
Residents have a part to play during freeze events as well. To help conserve in a worst-case scenario:
- Don't block your air vents. You'll make your furnace work harder than it should.
- Check the insulation in your house.
- Insulate your pipes. Depending on how far the water has to travel, you may be losing a lot of heat.
- Adjust your water heater's temperature. Aim for the most efficient temperature of 120 degrees.
- Let the sun in during the day and close the drapes at night.
CPS Energy says ERCOT is doing a better job of communicating to the market in real time, which helps both the utility and its customers.
"That allows us to follow suit and communicate those conditions to our customers," Garza said. "I feel like our customers are getting more information than they have in the past, and information is key to allowing them to make decisions about their own plans."
CPS Energy also says customers are encouraged to sign up for Energy Alerts or call (210) 353-2222 to provide their emergency contact information for the utility to reach them in the case of an emergency. ERCOT also encourages everyone to sign up for grid condition notifications through the Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS).
Texans can also monitor real-time and extended grid conditions at ercot.com.
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