ERCOT, PUC SAY TEXAS POWER GRID PREPARED FOR WINTER

  

The heads of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) are confident in the state’s power grid as winter rolls in.

At a news conference Tuesday, ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas and PUC Chairman Peter Lake went over the adjustments made to the grid since Winter Storm Uri in February 2021, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and millions losing power.

Lake said the new regulations put into place over the past year and a half have made the grid better prepared, and that “the reforms are working.”  He also said he “absolutely” expects the lights to stay on.

The changes, Lake said, include increased weatherization for generators, improved inspections, and more communication between ERCOT and state agencies like the Railroad Commission of Texas, Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

ERCOT on Tuesday released its winter Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) report, indicating that demand is projected to peak at 67,398 megawatts.  The report says about 87,300 megawatts are expected to be available during peak demand.

However, the report also says there are scenarios that could lead to calls for power conservation if there is very high demand.  In the most extreme situation, combining high demand with power plant outages and low wind and solar generation, rolling blackouts would be possible.

Vegas said while that scenario is of very low probability, not having enough power during extreme conditions is “not acceptable.”  He said while the state expects to have enough supply to meet the needs of the power grid, long-term solutions to reshape the electric market are necessary.