Forced outages are load shed events controlled by ERCOT to reduce the demand of electricity on the power grid. They may also be referred to as blackouts, rolling blackouts, or controlled outages. Load shed events occur when the demand for electricity exceeds the power supply available and voluntary conservation efforts were not enough to reduce the strain on the electric grid. ERCOT will require forced outages on electric consumers to reduce the demand of electricity to maintain the integrity of the electric grid.
When forced outages (load shed events) occur, Central Texas Electric Co-op must comply with the load shed procedures as instructed by ERCOT. Central Texas Electric Co-op does not control if, when, or how long the load shed event will last. Central Texas Electric Co-op gets little to no warning when load shed events will occur.