Texas power grid operator tells customers to save electricity after six plants stop working

A Texas power grid operator told residents to conserve electricity Friday after six power plants went out amid soaring temperatures.

Brad Jones, CEO of the Texas Electrical Reliability Council, said in a statement that the company lost nearly 2,900 megawatts of electricity — or enough to power nearly 600,000 homes, The Texas Tribune reported,.

Jones noted the unusually hot weather, saying it’s driving demand for power across the state. Temperatures close to 100 degrees were forecast from Austin to Dallas over the weekend and into next week.

Jones did not say why the factories were shutting down, and a spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Friday night.

The executive asked customers to set their thermostats to 78 degrees and to avoid using large appliances in the afternoon and early evening.

The nonprofit energy organization, which manages power for 90 percent of the Texas power grid, faced harsh criticism Last year, after millions of people were out of power resulting in several days of blackouts during sub-freezing temperatures.

The company blamed frozen equipment for an accident that killed more than 200 people, many of them from carbon monoxide poisoning as they tried to stay warm. Others froze to death.

The CEO of the company has been dismissed And Six Board Members – Including the Chair and Chairman – have resigned.

State legislators responded with a raft of legislation aimed at making the network more resilient to a harsh winter storm.

After about a year, An investigation by NBC News and The Texas Tribune It found that the network remained vulnerable, with new regulations allowing companies to avoid improvements.