ERCOT ISSUES WATCH, APPEALING FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION STATEWIDE; CPS ENERGY URGES CUSTOMERS TO CONSERVE ENERGY

Customers are asked to conserve energy during peak hours of 2 – 8 p.m.

(update as of July 11, 2 p.m.)

July 11, 2022 (SAN ANTONIO) – CPS Energy reminds customers that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) issued a Watch at 9:35 p.m. on July 10, 2022, for a projected reserve capacity shortage appealing to Texans to reduce their energy use today, July 11, 2022 during the peak hours of 2 – 8 p.m. The Conservation Appeal comes as an Excessive Heat Warning is in effect until 8 p.m. today for San Antonio and similar dangerous hot weather blankets the entire state. ERCOT emphasized no system-wide outages are expected at this time.

While CPS Energy has enough power to meet local energy demand, the utility is urging customers to join fellow Texans to do their part in conservation efforts. Today, Interim President & CEO Rudy Garza stood with San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh, and partners at San Antonio Water System (SAWS) and VIA Metropolitan Transit to  tell customers that every kilowatt hour counts: https://youtu.be/_Vf2dTK0RxU.

By committing to conserve energy as much as possible, customers can help ERCOT avoid issuing an energy emergency alert which could lead to rotating outages. Under CPS Energy’s color-coded conservation awareness notification system, today is a Yellow Day for Greater San Antonio and customers are asked to voluntarily conserve energy using the following tips:

• Set thermostats 2 to 3 degrees higher from 2 – 8 p.m.; set programmable thermostats to higher temperatures (up to 85 degrees) when no one is home. The optimum energy-saving temperature is 78 – 80 degrees.
• Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, etc.), especially during peak demand hours.
• Use fans to feel 4 to 6 degrees cooler. Remember: fans cool people by moving air across the skin. They don’t cool rooms and should be turned off in empty rooms.
• Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.
• Close shades and blinds on windows exposed to direct sunlight.
• Charge electric vehicles after 10 p.m.
• Set pool pumps to run early morning or overnight; shutoff from 2 -8 p.m.

To increase energy efficiency at work, business customers are encouraged to:

• Minimize the use of lighting and electric equipment as much as possible.
• Consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

CPS Energy remains in close communications with ERCOT and has partnered with the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, suburban cities and other stakeholders to provide customer and community updates. CPS Energy customers are strongly encouraged to update their contact information with the utility to stay informed of emergencies. Updates can be made online in Manage My Account or by calling (210) 353-2222.

Community cooling centers are open for customers who may need relief from the heat.

To track statewide electricity demand:

• View daily peak demand forecast, current load, and available generation at www.ercot.com.
• Sign up for the ERCOT mobile app (available for download at the Apple App Store and Google Play).

Please follow CPS Energy on social media for local updates.

###

About CPS Energy

Established in 1860, CPS Energy is the nation’s largest public power, natural gas, and electric company, providing safe, reliable, and competitively-priced service to more than 907,526 electric and 373,998 natural gas customers in San Antonio and portions of seven adjoining counties. Our customers’ combined energy bills rank among the lowest of the nation’s 20 largest cities – while generating $8 billion in revenue for the City of San Antonio for more than seven decades. As a trusted and strong community partner, we continuously focus on job creation, economic development, and educational investment. We are powered by our skilled workforce, whose commitment to the community is demonstrated through our employees’ volunteerism in giving back to our city and programs aimed at bringing value to our customers. CPS Energy is among the top public power wind energy buyers in the nation and number one in Texas for solar generation.