Monday, August 10, 2020) -- AEP Texas is strongly urging Rio Grande Valley residents to practice energy conservation today to help avoid the possibility of power disruptions.
On Saturday, August 1, AEP Texas launched an ongoing conservation appeal throughout its service territory in the Rio Grande Valley until construction of a transmission line segment in Edinburg is completed. By voluntarily taking this action, AEP Texas hopes to reduce the chance that the Electric Reliability Council (ERCOT) will have to order controlled outages in order to protect the electric grid from longer-term damage. Conservation measures are needed today to help prevent such an order from ERCOT.
Construction is underway to rebuild a two-mile stretch of 138-kilovolt the transmission line segment, and AEP Texas is working with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to mitigate the situation and continue serving area customers. However, these mitigations still leave the area’s electric grid in a strained situation.
Steps to help reduce electricity use:
• Turn thermostat up 2 to 3 degrees during the peak hours of 2 to 8 p.m.
• Set programmable thermostats to higher temperatures when no one is home.
• Use fans to feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler.
• Limit use of large appliances (i.e., dishwasher, washer, dryer, etc.) to morning or after 8 p.m.
• If you cook indoors from 2 to 8 p.m., use a microwave or slow cooker.
• Close blinds and drapes during late afternoon.
• Schedule pool pumps to run in the early morning or overnight hours; shut off between 2 and 8 p.m.
If your power does go out, turn off your air conditioner, water heater and large appliances to enable smoother service restoration. Once power is restored, you should switch the devices back on gradually over the following 30 to 45 minutes. Taking this step will help prevent a sudden surge in demand after power is restored, which could cause a second outage.
AEP Texas will provide additional information as it becomes available.
AEP Texas, a unit of American Electric Power, delivers electricity to over a million, businesses and industries in south and west Texas. AEP Texas provides regulated energy delivery service to consumers, regardless which Retail Electric Provider they choose. The region headquarters is in Corpus Christi.