The summer heat in Texas leads many to crank up their air conditioning systems, sometimes putting them into overdrive. The state’s residents aren’t the only ones looking for some relief. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) placed 17 states, including Texas, under an emergency order amid a shortage of resources.
Is there a threat to the US power grid today?
It remains active on Thursday, July 30, to “keep Americans across 17 states powered during the region’s energy emergency brought on by hot weather conditions,” according to the institution’s website. There’s been a sudden increase in demand since around Sunday, July 26, when it was first issued, as many Americans experience triple-digit temperatures.
What is the energy emergency order?
While the order is active, the Southwest Power Pool, Inc. (SPP), a nonprofit partially responsible for the nation’s power supply and transmission infrastructure, is to send out specified generation units and to ensure any systems powering civilians’ homes are reliable.
“The order also authorizes SPP to direct backup generation resources to operate as a last resort before declaring an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3 or during an EEA 3,” according to the DOE.
An EEA 3 is “the most critical level of emergency operations” per the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). When it happens, ERCOT directs operators across the region to “reduce power on the grid through controlled outages, which impact all customer classes, including residential, commercial, and industrial.”
The full list of states under the emergency order is listed below.
The order expires at 11:59 PM CDT on August 3, 2026.
This article originally published at Texas included in 17-state emergency energy order amid extreme heat.