(Photo: ERCOT)

(Texas News Radio) — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is asking Texas power users to reduce consumption Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday evening because of springtime weather in the state.

“Due to a combination of high generation outages typical in April and higher-than-forecasted demand from a stalled cold front over Texas, ERCOT may enter into emergency conditions this afternoon,” said ERCOT Vice President of Grid Planning and Operations Woody Rickerson. “Given the event in February, it is important to note that we do not expect customer outages. Rather, this emergency declaration allows us to access tools that will bring supply and demand back into line.”

The state is currently seeing scattered thunderstorms across the state with temperatures as low as the mid-50s in the Permian Basin area to as high as the upper-80s in south and southeast Texas.

(Texas News Radio) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against the Biden Administration Tuesday requesting the White House reinstate the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols.

The attorneys general say it would reduce the ongoing crisis on the Mexican border.

The former policy had migrants seeking asylum “remain in Mexico” while their immigration cases are being processed.  The two Republicans say reinstating the policy would greatly reduce the burden put on state and federal offices responsible for protecting the border.

The Migrant Protection Protocols were enacted in 2019 and rescinded shortly after President Joe Biden took office earlier this year.

“President Biden could immediately remedy the influx of crime pouring across our border by reinstating the Migrant Protection Protocols. Dangerous criminals are taking advantage of the lapse in law enforcement and it’s resulting in human trafficking, smuggling, a plethora of violent crimes, and a massive, unprecedented burden on state and federal programs for which taxpayers must foot the bill,” said Attorney General Paxton. “We cannot allow this lawlessness to destroy our communities any longer. President Biden must act.”

BEXAR COUNTY (Texas News Radio) — The Texas Department of State Health Services requested vaccine providers in the state to pause their administration of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine following CDC and FDA guidance Tuesday to pause the vaccine’s distribution.

The pause is due to six recipients of the vaccine of the 6.8 million who have received it nationally developing blood clots six to 13 days after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  None of these cases are of Texans.  More than 500,000 Texans have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“The State of Texas is working in tandem with the federal government and vaccine providers to temporarily pause all administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. While no cases of blood clots have been reported in Texas, we are taking the reports of rare adverse effects seriously and are working to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines administered in our state continue to be safe and effective,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement Tuesday.  “Vaccines are a crucial tool to mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and remain the most effective way to combat the virus in our communities. I continue to encourage Texans who wish to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to sign up.”

People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.