When electric supply provided by all available power generation plants, wind farms and other sources becomes insufficient to meet consumer demand, ERCOT, the Texas grid operator, begins emergency operations. During a power emergency when electric supply cannot meet consumer demand for electricity and all other operational tools have been exhausted, the demand for electricity must be reduced to avoid uncontrolled blackouts. As a last resort, ERCOT will instruct electric utilities, public power companies and electric cooperatives, who provide electric power line services, to implement controlled electricity customers outages to reduce the customer demand for electricity on the ERCOT grid. This is referred to as load shed and will last until the power emergency is resolved by ERCOT. 

Typically, before calling for controlled electricity customer outages, ERCOT takes steps to reduce the demand on the electric grid by asking electricity customers to reduce electric usage. All electric utilities and electric cooperatives who maintain electric power lines are obligated to immediately implement load shed procedures when ERCOT instructs.  

Each power delivery company is required to maintain and make available information for consumers about their procedures. Click on the link for your power delivery company below to learn more about their load shed procedures and plans. 

AEP Texas Central and AEP Texas North Load Shed Information

Oncor Load Shed Information

Centerpoint Energy Load Shed Information

TNMP Load Shed Information

Nueces Electric Cooperative Load Shed Information