Abbott downplays ERCOT conservation alert, says Texas power grid ‘better than it’s ever been’
AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott downplayed a conservation request from ERCOT during a press conference on Thursday.
A reporter asked Abbott about the challenges facing the power grid in the state while he promoted his proposed border wall.
"Everyone who has been trying to make a big deal about the power grid over the past two days, I have found, were the exact same people who called me a Neanderthal after I opened up Texas 100%. They were hoping there would be a power failure," Abbott claimed.
Abbott focused on the fact that Texas has not yet entered an energy emergency alert like what took place during February’s historic winter storm.
"The energy grid in Texas is better than it’s ever been," Abbott said.
ERCOT issued a conservation alert for the state’s electric customers on Monday and urged people to reduce usage for the entire week.
ERCOT says it is slowly fixing unexpected equipment failures and getting additional capacity at power plants back online.
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