Load Shed & Critical Load

This page explains how electric load shedding works under Texas regulatory standards, what members can expect during an emergency event, and how to apply for a critical load designation.

Approved critical load designations must be renewed every two years, or sooner if medical needs, facility details, or contact information change.

The 2027/2028 designation period is open November 9 - December 10, 2026. Applications approved during this period will expire in December 2028. Applications submitted after December 10, 2026, and later approved will also expire in December 2028.

The State’s Electric Grid

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power for roughly 90% of Texas, serving more than 27 million customers. As the state's independent system operator (ISO), ERCOT balances supply and demand across more than 54,100 miles of transmission lines and 1,250+ generation resources.

ERCOT monitors system health around the clock and displays live grid conditions on its Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS) dashboard. When operating reserves decline, ERCOT may initiate conservation appeals or issue formal Energy Emergency Alerts (EEA) pursuant to ERCOT Nodal Protocols Section 6.5.9.4:

  • Voluntary Conservation Notice: ERCOT requests that consumers voluntarily reduce electricity consumption, if safe to do so.
  • Conservation Appeal: ERCOT asks all consumers and state agencies to conserve electricity to avoid triggering emergency conditions.
  • Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 1: Operating reserves drop below 2,500 MW and are not projected to recover within 30 minutes. ERCOT deploys all available generation and emergency reserve capacity.
  • Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 2: Operating reserves drop below 2,000 MW and are not projected to recover within 30 minutes, or system frequency drops below 59.91 Hz for 15 minutes. Large industrial customers with interruptible demand contracts are shed, and utility demand response programs take effect.
  • Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 3: Operating reserves drop below 1,500 MW and cannot recover within 30 minutes. ERCOT instructs transmission entities to immediately implement firm load shedding (controlled, rotating outages) to preserve the integrity of the bulk electric grid.

An EEA Level 3 firm load shed is a protective measure of last resort. If demand exceeds generation and reserves fall past critical thresholds, uncontrolled equipment tripping can trigger a cascading, statewide blackout requiring weeks or months to black-start and rebuild.

What a Designation Does Not Do

  1. No Guarantee of Power: A critical load or critical care designation does not guarantee continuous electricity and does not exempt any meter from ERCOT-mandated rotating outages, severe weather interruptions, or equipment clearances.
  2. No Waiver of Payment Responsibilities: A designation does not relieve a member of the responsibility to pay for electric service, nor does it permanently prevent disconnection for non-payment under cooperative policies and applicable rules.
  3. Emergency Backup Plan Required: Anyone who relies on electric-powered medical equipment or critical commercial operations should maintain a functional emergency contingency plan, such as battery backups, an on-site uninterruptible power supply (UPS), an auxiliary generator, or arrangements to relocate if power is lost.