ERCOT Asks Everyone to Conserve Energy Monday Afternoon

From Austin Business Journal, August 4, 2008...

With three digit temperatures heating the Austin area, and all of Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and the Public Utility Commission are asking businesses and residents to cut down on the amount of electricity they use Monday afternoon, between the peak hours of 3 to 7 p.m.

During the four-hour period, Ercot is asking businesses and residents to set their air conditioning at 80 degrees or higher, add fans for cooling, close the blinds and drapes, avoid the usage of large appliances and turn off all lights or electric-powered equipment that is not in-use.

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As state's demand for water increases, so does its appetite for power

From statesman.com, May 27, 2008...

For the past few years, the topics of energy conservation and water conservation might have appeared to mix like oil and water, so seldom were the attempts to blend them.

But this year, as discussions of the state's energy and water demands bounce around the Capitol, environmental groups, academics and some businesses are starting to think about them together in ways that could clear a path for more ambitious conservation programs, change the types of power plants that are built and boost the attention paid to water resources when the state considers new plants.

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