Austin Energy’s power generation and transmission facilities have completed their weatherization readiness activities in preparation for the coming heat this summer, the Texas public power utility said on June 18.
The utility conducted planned maintenance on its generation units throughout the spring to support reliable power plant and transmission operations during the summer.
Austin Energy certified its summer weather preparedness to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas in compliance with state regulations.
The utility completes and maintains annual summer and winter season emergency preparation measures for its generation units and transmission substations.
Austin Energy’s summer preparations are complete as the state’s grid operator readies for what may be another record-breaking season regarding energy demand.
Some of the preparations Austin Energy staff have completed include:
• Setting up cooling systems for power plant equipment to prevent overheating.
• Conducting thorough maintenance and calibration checks on all power generation equipment to ensure reliability during peak demand periods.
• Promoting the utility’s Power Partner Thermostats program, a demand response program that gives bill credits to residential customers for allowing the utility to adjust their thermostats on a handful of high energy use days.
Starting in June, all City of Austin buildings are stepping up to support grid reliability by participating in Austin Energy’s Commercial Demand Response Program.
From June through September, brief two-hour demand response “events” may be called on hot days when energy use spikes. During these events, facility staff will reduce energy use by:
• Adjusting HVAC settings.
• Turning off non-essential lighting.
• Powering down equipment.
