What is ERCOT, in one sentence?
ERCOT stands for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. It’s the nonprofit that keeps supply and demand in balance on the grid for about 90% of Texas. Think of it as the grid's air-traffic controller.
Source: ERCOT company profile, read October 4, 2026. ERCOT also handles provider switches for about 8 million homes and businesses.
A few parts of Texas, like El Paso and parts of the Panhandle and East Texas, sit on other grids. Everywhere else, from Dallas to Houston to the Valley, your power moves across ERCOT’s grid first. ERCOT doesn’t set your price, either; see Texas electricity rates.
Is the Texas grid about to fail?
The newest evidence says no. On July 22, 2026, Texas set an all-time record for power use, 91.1 gigawatts, and ERCOT issued no energy emergency that day.
Bars start at zero. The 2026 record is about 6% higher than 2023's. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Share of power at the peak hour. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration.
That's the opposite of a failing grid. A gigawatt is 1,000 megawatts, and ERCOT says one megawatt powers about 250 homes at peak times. So the record hour served the equivalent of more than 22 million homes, and there was still power to spare.
What do ERCOT's alerts actually mean?
ERCOT's alerts climb like a ladder. Only the top step can turn off power to homes. Everything below it is a warning or a request.
- 1Conservation appeal: please use less
A voluntary request to cut back for a few hours, usually on a hot afternoon. It's not an emergency, and no one loses power.
- 2Weather watch: a heads-up
ERCOT's alert system, TXANS, warns ahead of weather that could stress the grid. It's notice, not a blackout.
- 3EEA 1: reserves under 2,500 MW
Spare power drops below 2,500 megawatts and won't recover within 30 minutes. ERCOT brings on more power plants and imports power. Your lights stay on.
- 4EEA 2: reserves under 2,000 MW
ERCOT asks the public to conserve, pays big industrial users to cut back, and lowers voltage slightly. Homes still keep power.
- 5EEA 3: reserves under 1,500 MW
The only level where homes can lose power. ERCOT orders controlled outages so the whole grid doesn't collapse.
Thresholds from ERCOT's 2026 Energy Emergency Alert overview. Older articles still quote 2,300, 1,750 and 1,430 MW; those numbers are out of date.
250 homes per megawatt is ERCOT's own rule of thumb for peak hours. Home counts are rounded estimates.
How often has ERCOT really cut power?
Four times since ERCOT began running the grid: in 1989, 2006, 2011 and 2021. That's four times in about 37 years.
Bars start at zero. At about 250 homes per megawatt, 2021's cut equaled roughly 5 million homes' worth of power. Source: ERCOT 2026 Energy Emergency Alert overview.
When ERCOT orders outages, it only tells each utility how many megawatts to cut. The utility decides which neighborhoods go dark and rotates them. ERCOT's own overview says it has no oversight of those outage plans.
What happened during Winter Storm Uri?
Uri is why so many Texans worry. It was a real disaster, and it was the last time the grid itself forced outages.
Power plants and natural gas supplies froze in days of extreme cold, and ERCOT ordered the largest controlled outage in its history. Texas revised its official death toll up to 246, in 77 counties. About two in three deaths came from the cold itself, the state’s final report found. The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit newsroom, reported the count. Independent researchers estimate the true number was much higher.
My power is out, but there's no ERCOT alert. Why?
Because almost every outage is local. A storm, a downed line, a blown transformer or a car hitting a pole is your utility's job. It never shows up as an ERCOT alert.
Check the ERCOT grid dashboard.
Look at the ERCOT dashboard, then your utility's outage map.
Find your utilityERCOT never restores power on your street. Your utility does.
Not sure who your utility is? It's the delivery company on your bill, not the company you picked. Use our utility finder, and see what to do while the power is out.
ERCOT vs. your utility vs. your electric company
Three different groups touch your power. Knowing which is which tells you who to call.
In Austin and San Antonio, one city utility does both jobs. Austin Energy and CPS Energy deliver your power and send the bill. They're still on ERCOT's grid.
What should I do during an ERCOT alert?
Mostly, stay calm and cut back if you can. Here's a short plan that works for any season.
- 1Conserve when asked
During an appeal, skip the dryer and dishwasher in the late afternoon and set the thermostat a few degrees higher. It's voluntary, but it helps. Some utilities even pay you to ease up automatically; see demand response programs.
- 2Save your utility's outage number
Websites can slow down in big storms. Our power outage guide lists every major utility's line.
- 3Plan for medical needs
If someone at home uses powered medical equipment, ask about critical care status and keep a backup plan. No utility can promise power in an emergency.
- 4Check before a cold snap
ERCOT publishes a seasonal outlook before each winter and summer. Read the current one when a big freeze is forecast.
ERCOT questions, answered
What is ERCOT in simple terms?
ERCOT is the nonprofit that keeps electricity supply and demand in balance for about 90% of Texas. Think of it as the grid's air-traffic controller. It doesn't own the poles and wires, fix outages on your street or send your bill. Your utility and your electric company do those jobs.
Is the Texas power grid going to fail?
No one can promise a grid will never have trouble, but the newest evidence is reassuring. On July 22, 2026, Texas used more power than ever before, 91.1 gigawatts, and ERCOT issued no energy emergency. Record demand with the lights on is the opposite of a failing grid.
Does ERCOT decide whether my power is on?
Almost never. ERCOT orders power cuts only in its rarest emergency, EEA 3, which has happened four times since 1989. Every other outage, like a storm, a blown transformer or a car hitting a pole, is local and handled by your utility.
What is an ERCOT conservation appeal?
A voluntary request to use less power for a few hours, usually on a hot afternoon. It isn't an emergency and doesn't mean outages are coming. Cutting back helps the grid, but nothing happens to you if you don't. Think of it as an early, low-level heads-up.
What do EEA 1, 2 and 3 mean?
They're ERCOT's three emergency levels. EEA 1 starts when spare power drops below 2,500 megawatts, and EEA 2 below 2,000. Both bring on extra power and ask for conservation, and your lights stay on. Only EEA 3, below 1,500 megawatts, leads to controlled outages.
How often has ERCOT cut people's power?
Four times since it began running the grid: December 1989, April 2006, February 2011 and February 2021, during Winter Storm Uri. That's four times in about 37 years. Grid-wide forced outages are rare, not a normal part of Texas life.
What happened during Winter Storm Uri in 2021?
Power plants and gas supplies froze in extreme cold, and ERCOT ordered its largest controlled outage ever, about 20,000 megawatts. More than 4 million customers lost power, and the state's official death toll is 246. Texas then added weatherization rules and early weather warnings.
My power is out but there's no ERCOT alert. Why?
Because it's almost certainly a local outage, not a grid problem. ERCOT only steps in when the whole grid is short on power. A downed line, a storm or broken equipment on your street is your utility's job. Report it to your utility.
Who do I call when the power goes out in Texas?
Your utility, the company that delivers power to your home, not the company on your bill. That's Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas or TNMP in most areas, or Austin Energy or CPS Energy in those cities. ERCOT doesn't restore power to your street.
Is the Texas grid ready for winter?
ERCOT shares an outlook before each winter. After 2021, Texas also made power plants get ready for winter and added early weather warnings. Summer 2026's record was met without an emergency, a good sign. For the current winter outlook, check ERCOT's latest seasonal assessment before a big freeze.
Sources and updates
Sources (9)
- ERCOT, Company Profile: 27 million customers, about 90% of the Texas electric load, 55,000+ miles of transmission lines, 1,460+ generation units, about 75% of the state’s land, retail switching for about 8 million premises, and oversight by the PUCT and the Texas Legislature.
- ERCOT, 2026 Energy Emergency Alert Overview (January 2026): EEA 1, 2 and 3 thresholds (2,500, 2,000 and 1,500 MW; 59.91 Hz and 59.8 Hz), the four controlled outages of 1989, 2006, 2011 and 2021, 1 MW serving about 250 homes at peak, and utilities running outage rotations.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Today in Energy: ERCOT’s record peak of 91.1 GW on July 22, 2026, the prior 85.5 GW record of August 10, 2023, and the fuel mix at the peak hour (natural gas 48%, solar 32%).
- ERCOT, Operations messages: no energy emergency alert on July 22, 2026.
- ERCOT, Conservation: conservation appeals are voluntary requests to use less power.
- ERCOT, Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS): weather watches ahead of weather that could stress the grid.
- ERCOT, Grid and market conditions dashboards: live grid status, used in the outage check.
- The Texas Tribune (a nonprofit newsroom), Texas winter storm final death toll: 246 (January 2, 2022): the state health department’s final count of 246 deaths in 77 counties, about two-thirds from hypothermia.
- Utility outage lines, as verified for our power outage guide: Oncor 888-313-4747 (text OUT to 66267), CenterPoint 713-207-2222, AEP Texas 866-223-8508, TNMP 888-866-7456, CPS Energy (210) 353-4357 and Austin Energy 512-322-9100 (text OUT to 287846), checked October 5, 2026.
Changelog · last updated October 5, 2026 · 1 update
- October 5, 2026: Guide published: what ERCOT does, its 2026 alert levels, every ERCOT-ordered outage since 1989, Winter Storm Uri, and a grid-or-your-street outage check.
How to cite this page: The Day Company, "What is ERCOT, and is the Texas grid really in trouble?", updated October 4, 2026, https://theday.company/tx/ercot-explained.
ERCOT figures come from ERCOT and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, read October 4, 2026. Alert thresholds are ERCOT’s 2026 levels and can change. The outage check gives general guidance, not a promise about any outage. The Day Company is not affiliated with ERCOT, the PUCT, any utility or any electric company.