PUCT Reminds Consumers of Utility Disconnection Moratorium; Consumer Protection Team on Duty over Holiday
Austin, Texas – The Public Utility Commission of Texas is echoing a call from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) asking Texans to conserve electricity use, if safe to do so, from 6 a.m. – 9 a.m. CT, Tuesday, Jan. 16. With the winter storm encompassing the entire state and temperatures forecasted to be colder this evening and into the morning, ERCOT is forecasting higher demand tomorrow morning as Texans return to work and schools reopen.
ERCOT is not experiencing emergency conditions at this time. This morning, ERCOT avoided emergency operations due to the conservation efforts by Texas residents and businesses, combined with additional grid reliability tools.
ERCOT is expecting similar conditions on Wednesday, January 17, and the PUCT and ERCOT will continue to closely monitor conditions and keep the public informed through our communication channels. ERCOT will remain vigilant and communicate further if conditions change due to continued freezing temperatures and very high demand in the morning hours.
ERCOT is requesting all government agencies (including city and county offices) implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities.
Important Consumer Information
- Outages: If you are experiencing an outage at this time, it is local in nature and not related to overall grid reliability. Please check with your local electricity provider for more information.
- Storm Resources Page: The PUCT’s Storm Resources page includes links to utility outage maps and contact information for local electricity provider.
- Disconnections: The PUCT’s Consumer Protection rules prohibit electricity providers from disconnecting customers in Texas counties that are experiencing extreme weather conditions. More information on disconnection moratoriums and which counties are currently affected is available here.
- Contact the PUCT: If you are experiencing and outage, first, contact your local utility provider for assistance. The PUCT’s Consumer Protection Division (CPD) staff are working today (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) and every day this week to answer calls and emails from consumers for additional help. To contact CPD, email consumer@puc.texas.gov or call 1-888-782-8477.
Conservation is a widely used industry tool that can help lower demand for a specific period of peak demand time. ERCOT and the PUCT are asking Texans to take simple power conservation steps to reduce demand on the grid. The PUCT’s website has tips for reducing electricity use in homes and businesses.
PUCT emergency management staff members are on duty in the Texas State Operations Center, monitoring the weather and coordinating closely with ERCOT, Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas Department of Transportation and other state agency partners.
ERCOT continues to use all available tools to manage the grid reliably, including using reserve power, calling upon reductions by large electric customers that have volunteered to lower their energy use, and bringing more generation online sooner. ERCOT is also working with neighboring Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Market Participants to obtain additional power generation capacity. ERCOT has also requested Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) enforcement discretion, which allows a generator to extend its service/run-time/operations to help meet demand, if needed, and maintain grid reliability.
Stay Updated
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- Check the PUCT’s Storm Resources page for outage maps and utility provider contact information.
- Sign up for ERCOT’s TXANS notifications on the TXANS webpage.
- Download the ERCOT Mobile App for additional notifications: iOS | Android.
- Monitor real-time and extended conditions at com.
- Subscribe to ERCOT Emergency Alerts which are not sent through TXANS notifications.
- Follow the PUCT and ERCOT on X (formerly Twitter) (@PUCT and @ERCOT_ISO), Facebook (Public Utility Commission of Texas and Electric Reliability Council of Texas), and LinkedIn (Public Utility Commission of Texas and ERCOT).
About the Public Utility Commission
Our mission is to serve Texans by regulating the state’s electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities, implementing respective legislation, and offering customer assistance in resolving consumer complaints. Since its founding in 1975, the Commission has a long and proud history of service to Texas, protecting customers, fostering competition, and promoting high quality infrastructure. To learn more, please visit https://www.puc.texas.gov.
