Hidalgo: 'Seeing ERCOT warn about possible loss of power with hot temperatures needs to be called out'

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo responded to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas's (ERCOT) announcement on Wednesday (May 4) that an increase in the demand for power is likely during Mother's Day weekend.

Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that ERCOT has instructed power plants statewide to brace for any emergency situations that could arise because of the forecasted hot spell. 

"During the winter storm I pledged to continue advocating for a resilient energy grid," Hidalgo, a Democrat, said in a tweet. "Seeing ERCOT warn about possible loss of power with hot temperatures needs to be called out. It’s not normal and it’s not OK for Texans to fear outages with every temperature fluctuation."

An ERCOT spokesperson said in a statement issued to media outlets across Texas that the nonprofit organization, which was the subject of ire and scrutiny during and following last year's Winter Storm Uri, stands ready for the heat wave's affects on the grid, per KPRC.

"ERCOT will deploy all the tools available to us to manage the grid reliably," the statement said. "ERCOT is coordinating closely with the Public Utility Commission, generation resource owners and transmission utilities to ensure they are prepared for the extreme heat."

According to KPRC, ERCOT advised Texans that the conservation of energy is unnecessary at this time.

"At this time, ERCOT projects there will be sufficient generation to meet this high demand for electricity," the nonprofit's statement added.

The public can go to ERCOT's digital dashboard to view the latest grid conditions, according to Houston CBS affiliate KHOU.

They can also check ERCOT's other real-time monitors including, but not limited to: System-wide demand, solar and current prices, per the station.

Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that aside from potentially high temperatures affecting Texas' grid, ERCOT has also kept a watchful eye on constant Russian cyber threats with the war in Ukraine continuing to rage.

According to KTRK, a slew of federal agencies have issued an alert and advisory regarding the seemingly persistent threat to the American energy sector.