With an early-season heat wave searing much of Texas over the weekend, the nonprofit that manages power to more than 26 million customers wants them to turn up their thermostats.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) made the appeal in a statement Friday…”We’re asking Texans to conserve power when they can by setting their thermostats to 78-degrees or above and avoiding the usage of large appliances (such as dishwashers, washers and dryers) during peak hours between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. through the weekend,” interim CEO Brad Jones said in the statement…

ERCOT came under scrutiny last year after record cold temperatures in February caused the state’s highest electricity demand and more than 200 people died during the power crisis, with the most common cause of death being hypothermia.

Wild temperature swings are a vaguely understood part of our changing climate. And scientific understanding means a lot less – politically – than public comprehension. Most symptomatic response continues fruitless and foolish in a state that believes that planning for public needs is so much less important than fully employed political hacks. The class that spawns most Texas bureaucrats.