Tesla Asked Texas Drivers to Avoid Charging During Record Heat Wave

Tesla also asked some Powerwall owners in Texas to help boost the power grid by sending it electricity stored in these home batteries — and making some money in the process — but that’s pending rule changes at ERCOT, which doesn’t currently allow residents to participate in the state’s energy market.

This latest heat wave affected most major cities in Texas: temperatures in Austin reached 103 degrees Fahrenheit; Dallas hit 102; Houston was at 100; and the Rio Grande Valley — more of a major bloc than major city — saw 103. These triple-digit figures get even higher when taking the heat index of a given region into account. The RGV hit 103, but “felt like 109.”

This isn’t the first time the power grid has been strained by extreme weather events in Texas and certainly won’t be the last. Neither is it the first time Tesla has asked drivers to not charge at peak hours. At the very least, it looks like it may have helped this time. But the heat keeps coming, and ERCOT reportedly keeps underestimating demand.

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