7:15 pm,  February 9, 2011 -- There is an increased risk that ERCOT may need to instruct Valley-area transmission and distribution service providers to drop firm load due to transmission import limitations in the area. This is a localized to the Rio Grande Valley area; it is not a state-wide problem.

ERCOT is asking consumers in the Rio Grande Valley area to reduce energy consumption this evening and during the morning peak hours to avoid the need for rotating outages, including:
* Keep your thermostat as low as is comfortable.
* Turn off and un-plug non-essential lights and appliances.
* Avoid running large appliances such as washers, dryers, and electric ovens during peak energy demand hours.
* Close shades and blinds at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
* Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
* Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.
* These conditions are expected to continue through the night and into Thursday morning.
* See more conservation tips at "Powerful Advice," Public Utility Commission of Texas: http://puc.state.tx.us/ocp/conserve/

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), manages the flow of electric power to approximately 22 million Texas customers - representing 85 percent of the state´s electric load and 75 percent of the Texas land area. As the Independent System Operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects 40,000 miles of transmission lines and more than 550 generation units. ERCOT also manages financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers customer switching for 6.5 million Texans in competitive choice areas.