Why are there so many ERCOT alerts on electic usage in Texas ? (Houston: construction)

[Jack Lance]

AUSTIN, TX -- The operator of the electricity transmission grid for most of Texas said Monday that a power watch is in effect and that conservation measures are needed

The alert by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas followed an earlier one in which ERCOT said that due to the risk of outages throughout Texas, rolling blackouts would be necessary unless consumers reduced their use of electricity.
ERCOT then modified its warning, saying the system is recovering and that blackouts are no longer being considered.

ERCOT warns conservation measures necessary in Texas | abc13.com

Considering that temps in other parts of the country were 40 and 50 degrees colder isn't it irritating and a bit embarrassing that ERCOT seems to get into these simi-emergency shortage situations so often? How many times in the past year have they warned of the need for rolling blackouts? WHY?

[Mark Senior]

As in many other situations in Texas, this is at least due in large part by the rapid and huge population increases in DFW and Houston areas, we hear bragging all the time at how fast, as compared to other areas, the population is growing. Same situation in the need for water rationing, too fast of growth without planning. Jobs, jobs, jobs, without keeping up with these needs in advance; and look at all the road construction in DFW, way after heavy traffic congestion, there is road construction.

[Trainwreck20]

Also, much, much more of Texas relies on electricity for heat than other, more 'typically' cold parts of the country. Also, the winter season is the 'low demand' season, so much of the winter, several base-line plants are off-line for a major turnaround. These can't really be done in the summer, since the demand is always pushing the capacity.

[Jack Lance]

Aren't wholesale electric prices caped in Texas? Perhaps they need to raise that cap a bit to encourage more power plants to be built. Or just go back to the old monopoly model of public utilities. The latter would probably be seen as a bit drastic, but I don't ever remember the old HL&P ever saying it didn't have enough electricity no matter what the situation was....