KWTX reports that ERCOT is asking everyone here in Texas, especially Central Texans to conserve energy as much as possible.

Sadly, that won't be a problem for the estimated 2 million Texans who've been without power for much of the day.

In a press release issued early this morning, ERCOT explained that "over 30,000 MW of generation" had been "forced off the system" due to the extreme winter weather we've experienced.

The press release, issued just before 1:30 AM, informed us that 10,500 MW of customer load was shed from the system, equaling outages for 2 million homes.

This means your area could face blackouts to preserve electricity for a period of 45 minutes to a period pushed "far beyond that", according to Dan Woodfin of ERCOT.

I would suggest keeping your phones charged, and be sure to keep candles and blankets nearby should a possible power outage hit your area. If your area is experiencing a power outage and you know of an elderly or otherwise vulnerable person living near you, consider checking on them if it is safe for you to do so. Be sure to wear a mask and keep a safe distance if possible.

If you're fortunate and have power right now, there are some simple steps you can take to help conserve power so that others can hopefully get their service back.

Keep your thermostat at 68F or below. If that's still too cold for you, layer on some loose fitting layers or more clothes or wrap up in a blanket.

Don't use any large appliances like washing machines and dryers.

Keep blinds and curtains closed to preserve heat in your home.

Be sure to eat and drink, giving your body the energy it needs to warm itself.

At the time of this article's publication, there were around 40,000 outages in Bell County alone according to a map provided by PowerOutages.US. Close to 6,000 were without power in Coryell County, and about 2,500 outages were reported in Lampasas County. An outage map is also available here, and Oncor's map can be found here.

If you don't absolutely have to drive somewhere, we highly recommend you stay home and keep warm. Snow drifts along the road near our studio were close to knee-high, and there's thick ice under the snow along the roads. We've seen people's vehicles sliding around and a few close calls, so don't risk if you're not required to be out.

 

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