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"Power to save Texas": The screenshot shows the various alarm levels for the Texas power grid in summer
Photo: powertosavetexas.org
For many Texans with smart homes, this apparently came unexpectedly: In order to protect the power grid, the electricity suppliers in the US state remotely regulated down private air conditioning systems.
Many customers were unaware that they had signed up for an energy saving program.
A heat wave hit the American Midwest last week. This was a stress test for the power grid: Many homes in Texas are cooled with air conditioning, so consumption rose to a record level. In addition, there were unexplained failures in electricity production. So on Friday the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) called on residents to save energy wherever possible.
How this worked in practice surprised many Texans: They were no longer able to set the thermostat in their own house below a certain temperature. Others reported that they were temporarily denied the hoped-for cooling and vented their anger on social media. They did show that they were ready to save energy. Indoor temperatures of sometimes over 26 degrees Celsius were too much for them.
However, the remote intervention did not happen secretly: In order for the electricity suppliers to be able to control the air conditioning system remotely, customers have to register for the program and receive a discount on their electricity bills. Apparently, however, many participants had forgotten this or had not carefully read the fine print of their contract with the energy supplier. The function is not new, many manufacturers of so-called "smart" thermostats are participating in the program. In 2013, for example, the company Nest, which was taken over by Google, presented the remote control function.
By turning down the air conditioning, the electricity suppliers wanted to avoid large-scale blackouts like in February.
At that time, a sudden onset of winter caused the power supply to collapse.
The measure was obviously successful: major power outages were not reported.
ERCOT is now reporting normal operation of the power grid without any restrictions.
Texas is particularly vulnerable to electricity bottlenecks because the state does not participate in national electricity exchanges.
tmk