Officials urge summer energy conservation, tout new chart

In an attempt to make impending electrical grid failures easier for the public to understand, city officials unveiled a new color-coded chart on Monday. The chart, which can be seen below, illustrates ERCOT grid conditions with information on what to do at each stage. The chart ranges from green, which represents normal conditions and “everyday conservation,” to red, which indicates there is an ERCOT Energy Emergency Alert 3 and asks residents to put emergency plans into use. “As our air conditioners work harder and harder, ERCOT grid conditions can turn on a dime,” Mayor Kirk Watson said in a statement to the press. “You may remember that last year we had 12 energy conservation notices when ERCOT asked us to reduce our consumption – sometimes with very little advance notice. Actions by residents and businesses during those hours helped all of us avoid the worst. Our community coming together to conserve means that the lights – and AC – can stay on.” Watson and Austin Energy officials stressed that, even under the best conditions, everyone should practice conservation, which can have an impact on overall grid stability.