By Angelina Liu
As the sun begins to rise in North Texas, the uncomfortable humidity of the morning gives way to blazing temperatures and unbearable heat.
According to The Dallas Morning News, June typically only consists of two 100-degree days.
However, in 2022, the average was exceeded with six days recorded as of June 22.
This trend has continued throughout July, with temperatures averaging 100 degrees.
The blistering heat and constant heat advisory warnings has caused Texans to consume a record-breaking amount of power. On May 16, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas released the 2022 Summer Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) and the Capacity, Demand and Reserves (CDR) report.
“With continued economic growth across the state, ERCOT anticipates a summer 2022 peak demand of 77,317 MW, which accounts for load reductions based on an incremental rooftop solar capacity forecast,” stated the report. “This would be a new system-wide peak demand record for the region.”
According to Houston Publish Media, as of July 20, the grid briefly exceeded 80,000 MW for the first time this summer. In combination with the low wind, Texans have relied heavily on the electric grid to provide sufficient power. ERCOT issued a conservation appeal to Texans on July 10, asking for citizens to conserve electricity between 2-8 p.m.
Some easy ways to conserve electricity is to turn off unnecessary lights, and instead switch to natural light. Take shorter showers and turn off water when brushing teeth.
Unplug unused electronics and turn off the air conditioner when not home. Avoid using the oven in the summer and be efficient with refrigeration.
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