Did Texans Actually Conserve Energy This Week? Residents Question ERCOT's Readiness

CBS Dallas/Fort Worth

June 20, 2021

Texans were asked to conserve energy this whole week during peak hours of consumption and to turn up thermostats to at least 78 degrees. It’s a request from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas that received strong reactions from residents just a few months after the devastating winter storms that knocked out power for millions.

“Coming off the February storm disaster and this session… it frightens people. It’s not even that hot out and we’re being asked to curtail,” state Rep. Nathan Johnson said.

Johnson said the state’s grid remained several stages from any real trouble and believed the request wouldn’t have been such a concern if not for what happened in February.

CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective.