Update (5 a.m.): The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has said that rotating outages are likely to last at least through the morning. ERCOT said the blackouts may be initiated until the end of the winter weather emergency, which resulted in snow overnight in San Antonio. “Every grid operator and every electric company is fighting to restore power right now,” ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness said in an update at 4:40 a.m. Monday. ERCOT officials said about 10,500 MW of generation for customers — enough power to serve approximately two million homes — was lost at the highest point. That was caused by tripped generating units, which became unavailable. Now, about 30,000 MW of generation was forced off the system amid the outages. The rotating outages began at 1:25 a.m. Original (1:50 a.m): The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has issued an Energy Emergency Alert (Level 3) for the state, meaning rotating outages are underway to reduce demand on the electric system. “We urge Texans to put safety first during this time,” ERCOT said in a tweet early Monday morning. ERCOT says traffic lights and other infrastructure may be without power temporarily. has declared an EEA 3. Energy conservation is critical. Rotating outages are underway to reduce demand on the electric system. We urge Texans to put safety first during this time. Traffic lights and other infrastructure may be temporarily without power. 01:25:40 150221 — ERCOT (@ERCOT_ISO) February 15, 2021 ERCOT urged Texans to reduce their electricity use before sending out the Level 3 Energy Emergency Alert tweet. It had warned that rotating outages would be needed to protect the electric system. Here’s how you can help reduce electricity use, according to ERCOT: Set thermostats to 68 degrees while at home, or as low as comfortably tolerable. Set ceiling fans to the winter setting by running them clockwise, to pull the warm air down. Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, and dishwashers). Ensure doors and windows are sealed properly. Any light through the door indicates a penetration of cold air coming into the home. Turn off lights, computers, and other electronic devices whenever possible. Click here or see the PDF below to learn more about ERCOT’s Energy Emergency Alert levels. Stay Informed As always, Your Weather Authority team will keep you updated. You can get the very latest forecast anytime by bookmarking our weather page and downloading the KSAT Weather Authority App - available for both Apple and Android devices. Also on KSAT: