AUSTIN, Texas — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, announced Monday that the Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS), a mobile and online notifications tool ahead of significant weather conditions, will be available in Spanish.
The system was first released in May 2023 and delivers three notifications: ERCOT Weather Watch, Voluntary Conservation Notice, and Conservation Appeal. Users can select Spanish by selecting the ‘Español’ button located in the top right-hand corner of the TXANS webpage.
The notifications will not replace Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) notices, which will continue to be sent to the Emergency Alerts email distribution list. TXANS notifications do not indicate emergency grid conditions are expected.
ERCOT CEO and President Pablo Vegas said through a news release that the agency is "excited to take the next step in our communications efforts by releasing TXANS in Spanish."
“Keeping more Texans informed adds an additional level of transparency and awareness for the public on grid conditions," Vegas said.
Following Winter Storm Uri back in February 2021, with the approval of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the agency reportedly made efforts to communicate ahead of winter or summer weather including notifying up-to-date grid conditions.
The storm has been etched into many Texans’ minds as residents experienced significant snow accumulation turned catastrophic as power blackouts spanned most of the state from Feb. 15-18.
A University of Houston (UH) Hobby School of Public Affairs study found that more than two out of three, or 69 percent, of Texans lost power, and almost half, or about 49 percent, had disruptions in water service. The storm claimed at least 210 deaths, and sources cited by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimated the state’s storm-related financial losses would range from $80 billion to $130 billion.
For more information, visit Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS) at https://www.ercot.com/txans. Sign up to receive TXANS email notifications and updates and follow us on social media. TXANS notifications will be sent in English and Spanish.
