By: Nicholas Sakelaris |
Want to monitor electricity prices and real-time demand within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas grid?
There’s an updated app for that.
ERCOT launched the update Monday with new features and a new look for both Android and Apple devices.
The free app is available for download on both markets.
Wholesale electricity prices are updated every 15 minutes. There’s a map with current prices in ERCOT’s four competitive load grids. And, if you’re concerned about rolling blackouts, you can keep tabs on demand throughout the state and in your region.
The app pushes out notifications when there’s high demand for electricity so users can start conserving power.
“We will continue to update this app to make it more valuable for consumers, market participants and other people with an interest in ERCOT,” said spokeswoman Theresa Gage.
The app was updated by Handsome, an Austin-based web and mobile design firm. ERCOT already is planning the next update for the app, which will include a breakdown of the fuels being used to generate electricity. That can be interesting, because it shows how fluctuations in natural gas prices, for example, can shift the use of coal-powered plants. Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, can vary greatly by the weather or time of day, so that’s important to track as well.
