ERCOT Launches Enhanced Grid Notification System

TXANS will be a single source of information for all grid notifications

(Austin, TX) – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) today announced it has enhanced its Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS), giving the public a single source for grid notifications, including the ability to receive them by text message for the first time.

“We have enhanced TXANS as a more efficient, streamlined way to communicate with the public,” said ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas. “Communicating effectively with Texans remains a priority. These improvements ensure the public is receiving current and accurate information on grid conditions.”

TXANS is the tool ERCOT uses to communicate with the public about grid conditions, including forecasted weather events, periods of higher electricity demand, and any emergency action ERCOT must take to maintain systemwide grid reliability.

TXANS notifications include:

• Weather Watch: Advance notification may be issued when there is forecasted significant weather, high demand, and a potential for lower reserves. Grid conditions are normal during a Weather Watch.
• Voluntary Conservation Notice: Issued when higher demand is forecasted with lower energy reserves. ERCOT requests the public to voluntarily conserve electricity during a specific period, if safe to do so. ERCOT also requests all government agencies (including city and county offices) to implement all programs to reduce electricity use at their facilities. Those with critical medical needs should check with their local electric utility.
• Conservation Appeal: Issued when higher demand is forecasted with a potential to enter emergency operations. ERCOT requests the public to conserve electricity during a specific period, if safe to do so. ERCOT also requests all government agencies (including city and county offices) to implement all programs to reduce electricity use at their facilities. Those with critical medical needs should check with their local electric utility.
• Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 1: Occurs when operating reserves drop below 2,500 megawatts (MW) and are not expected to recover within 30 minutes. ERCOT has not directed systemwide controlled outages but requests the public to conserve electricity, if safe to do so. Those with critical medical needs should check with their local electric utility.
• Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 2: Occurs when operating reserves drop below 2,000 MW and are not expected to recover within 30 minutes, or frequency drops below 59.91 hertz (Hz) for 15 minutes. ERCOT has not directed systemwide controlled outages. Conservation is critical, and ERCOT requests the public to reduce electricity use as much as possible. Those with critical medical needs should check with their local electric utility.
• Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 3: Occurs when operating reserves drop below 1,500 MW, or the grid’s frequency level drops below 59.8 Hz for any period of time. Systemwide controlled outages are underway and impact every customer class. To protect the grid, ERCOT has directed utilities across the ERCOT Region to quickly reduce demand, which is done through systemwide controlled outages at the local level. ERCOT requests the public to conserve electricity during times when they have power. Those with critical medical needs should check with their local electric utility.

Text message notifications: In addition to email, TXANS subscribers can now opt in to receive text messages. To enroll, visit ercot.com/txans to select a preferred notification method.

Notification management: Current TXANS subscribers can update their contact information and notification preferences (email, text, or both) by logging in to the TXANS portal using a registered email address. The portal is powered by Regroup, a cloud-based notification platform. TXANS emails and text messages will be sent in English and Spanish.

Other ways the public can stay up to date on grid conditions include the Weekly Grid Update, ERCOT.com dashboards, and ERCOT’s social media channels.

For more information, visit TXANS at ercot.com/txans. Sign up to receive TXANS notifications and follow ERCOT on social media.

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