Texas power grid manager issues weeklong conservation alert

The electric power grid manager for most of Texas on Monday issued its second conservation alert since the widespread February blackout, asking users to dial back energy consumption through Friday to avoid an emergency.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said numerous forced generation outages and record demand this month has squeezed the power supply. Users are being called on to lower thermostats to 78 degrees and avoid using large electric appliances until late in the day.

More than 4 million people lost power when temperatures sunk into single digits in mid-February, icing power generators and crippling the state’s electric grid. At least 151 deaths were blamed on the freeze and resulting outages, according to state officials.

Read more from the Associated Press.