ERCOT expects surging power demand as cold freeze grips Texas

Feb 18 (Reuters) - The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said on Tuesday it anticipates a surge in system demand later in the day as extremely cold temperatures grip the region.

"To ensure as much generation as possible is available to serve system demand, ERCOT has requested that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) exercise its enforcement discretion with respect to generator exceedances of TCEQ air permit limitations," ERCOT said in a statement.

ERCOT had earlier issued a watch for a predicted extreme cold weather event starting Tuesday through Friday.

Meteorologists expect weather in the Lower 48 states to remain mostly colder than normal through February 22 before switching to near normal levels from February 23-March 5.