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☆ From black gold to green power: Texas, weirdly, is leading America's clean energy future
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

John DavisDeals like Davis' have made Texas — America's oil capital for more than a century — the top producer of renewable energy in the US. The state has long generated the most wind power and is second only to California as a solar-energy producer. The high-stakes battle for Texas' energy future is a microcosm of how tricky America's green transition is shaping up to be, especially when politics are involved. Slowing down renewable energy could cost Texas in the long term, both economically and socially. The coalition seems to be growing stronger, even as Texas politicians shift further to the right on issues beyond renewable energy.

Persons: John Davis, Davis, Greg Abbott, Critics aren't, there's, George W, Bush, Rick Perry, Abbott, Winter Storm Uri, hasn't, it's, It's, Judd Messer, Madeline Gould Laughlin, Michael Looney, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Brent Bennett, Bennett, Messer, That's, Enel's Laughlin, Enel, Sandhya Ganapathy, Catherine Boudreau Organizations: Menard, RES, Texas, Republican, Texans, Power Alliance, John Davis Texans, University of Texas, Winter Storm, ERCOT, Bloomberg, Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas Energy Fund, Advance Power Alliance, San, San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce, ExxonMobil, Chevron, West Texas Chamber of Commerce, Lone Star, EV Locations: North Dakota, Texas, America, Nowhere, Menard , Texas, Concho County , Texas, California, Menard, Austin, San Angelo, Midland , Texas

☆ Two-thirds of North America could face power shortages this winter -NERC
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In its 2023-24 winter outlook, the regulatory authority warned that prolonged, wide-area cold snaps threaten the reliability of bulk power generation and availability of fuel supplies for natural gas-fired generation. "Recent extreme cold weather events have shown that energy delivery disruptions can have devastating consequences for electric and gas consumers in impacted areas," NERC said. It put the U.S. Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and South, along with some Canadian provinces, at the highest risk for electricity supply shortages this winter. NERC also found that load forecasting in winter is growing in complexity, and underestimating demand is a risk to reliability in extreme cold temperatures. Flows of gas into pipelines were reduced during Elliott, while demand for the fuel for heating and power generation increased, dramatically lowering line pressures.

Persons: Greenlee Beal, NERC, John Moura, Storm Elliott, Elliott, Anjana Anil, Scott DiSavino, Leslie Adler, Marguerita Choy Organizations: PIKE Energy, REUTERS, North American Electric Reliability Corp, U.S ., PJM, Reliability Corp, Texas, Federal Energy Regulatory, Storm, Consolidated Edison, Thomson Locations: Texas, San Antonio , Texas, U.S, Canada, U.S . Midwest, Northeast, South, New England, MISO , New York, New York City, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Texans to Vote on Funding to Modernize Electricity Generation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Nicole JaoNEW YORK (Reuters) - Texans are set to vote on Tuesday on a constitutional amendment to determine whether the state will create a special fund for financing the "construction, maintenance, and modernization of its electric generating facilities." The energy fund would be administered and used only by the Public Utility Commission of Texas to provide loans and grants to maintain and upgrade electric generating facilities. The biggest chunk of the fund, $7.2 billion, would go into loans and incentives to build new power-generating facilities in the ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) region. The proposal, titled Proposition 7, is one of several efforts by lawmakers and regulators in Texas to avoid another energy crisis like the one caused by a deadly winter storm in February 2021. That storm, known as Winter Storm Uri, left millions without power, water and heat for days as ERCOT struggled to prevent a grid collapse after the shutdown of an unusually large amount of generation.

Persons: Nicole Jao, Storm Uri, ERCOT, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Texans, Public, Commission, of, Storm Locations: Texas, of Texas

☆ Texas Power Grid Seeks to Increase Operating Reserves for Winter Preparation
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) on Monday to increase operating reserves adding up to an additional 3,000 MW for the upcoming winter peak load season. The RFP seeks capacity from both dispatchable generation and demand response solutions to cover the period of Dec. 1, 2023, through Feb. 29, 2024, the Texas power grid operator added. The capacity request was informed by several factors, mainly significant peak load growth since last winter, proposed retirements of dispatchable generation resources, and extreme winter weather events, added the grid operator. ERCOT which operates the grid for more than 26 million customers hit an all-time high of 85,435 MW on Aug. 10, due to the brutal heat wave. Winter Storm Elliott brought sub-freezing temperatures and extreme weather alerts to about two-thirds of the United States knocking out power for more than 1.5 million homes and businesses.

Persons: Pablo Vegas, MORA, Storm Elliott, Rahul Paswan, Stephen Coates Organizations: Reuters, Reliability, of Texas, Storm Locations: Texas, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Bitcoin miners beef up Texas operations ahead of extinction-level event, exclusive data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Bitcoin miners are barreling toward the "halving" — a major market-making event that some fear will be a death knell to many in the industry. "We're taking a long-term bet on bitcoin and on the fact that bitcoin mining will survive and will bounce back even stronger." Texas has grown to dominate bitcoin mining partly because of support from local authorities and the operator of the Texas energy grid, ERCOT. Even during the bear market, Texas miners are building out, buying new sites and fresh fleets of hardware. The mining company was spun off from Chinese bitcoin mining giant Bitmain and went public via SPAC earlier this year.

Persons: Kevin Zhang, Jihan Wu, Bitmain, Kevin Zhang Crypto, He's, China — he's, Zhang, bitcoin, Barry Silbert's, Foundry's, —, Chad Harris, ERCOT, Nic Carter, Shaun Connell, Brad Jones, Brandon Arvanaghi, Jason Les, Navarro, Les, hashrate, Morgan, Bitdeer Organizations: Foundry, Mining, CNBC, U.S, Riot, Cipher Mining, Georgia, Securities Exchange Commission, JPMorgan Chase Locations: Sweden, Republic of Georgia, China, America, Beijing, Shenzhen, Montana, North America, Texas, Wyoming, New York, United States, U.S, . Texas, Castle, Rockdale, Austin, Milam, Odessa , Texas, Minden , Nebraska, , Texas, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, North Carolina , Kentucky , Oklahoma, Washington

☆ Texas power prices soar 20,000% as brutal heat wave sets off emergency
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Jason Ma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Texas power prices soared 20,000% Wednesday evening amid another brutal heat wave. Spot power prices remained high the following day, topping $4,000 per megawatt-hour for more than an hour on Thursday evening. AdvertisementAdvertisementAt ERCOT's request, the Biden administration declared a power emergency in Texas on Thursday, waiving some air-pollution rules so generators in the state could produce more electricity. Last month, Texas power prices soared 6,000% in one day. And in June, power prices doubled in a single day ahead of an earlier heat wave.

Persons: ERCOT, Biden Organizations: Service, Dallas Morning News, Electric, of Texas, Northern Locations: Texas, Wall, Silicon, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Europe

☆ Texas heat wave: US Energy Department declares power emergency
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The US Energy Department has issued an emergency order aimed at keeping the lights on in Texas as the state’s power grid grapples with surging demand amid record-high temperatures. The order, issued Thursday night, could allow Texas power plants to surpass pollution limits through Friday night to meet “abnormally high” demand for electricity. Jennifer Granholm, US secretary of energy, determined in the order that “an emergency exists in Texas due to a shortage of electric energy, a shortage of facilities for the generation of electric energy and other causes.”As the heat wave continues to shatter records across the country, including in Texas, energy demand for things like air conditioning have frequently taxed the state’s delicate power grid with wind and solar energy helping to prop it up. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees the electric grid serving 90% of the state’s customers, filed a request for the emergency order Wednesday. ERCOT warned that power outages could become necessary if demand isn’t lowered or additional supply can’t be added.

Persons: Jennifer Granholm, ERCOT, CNN’s Robert Shackelford Organizations: New, New York CNN, US Energy Department, Dallas, Reliability, of Texas, Texans Locations: New York, Texas, Antonio

☆ Column: US wind power generation breaks out of summer doldrums
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLITTLETON, Colorado, Sept 8 (Reuters) - After months of low wind speeds in several key wind farm areas, U.S. wind power generation hit its highest levels in nearly five months in early September as wind speeds picked up. The remaining states recorded an average wind generation drop of 7.1%, which contributed to a 3.1% decline in total national wind generation in the January to May period. The shortfalls in wind power have been evident in the output data of major U.S. power pool markets. Reuters Image Acquire Licensing RightsAs these markets cover over 30 U.S. states as well as the areas with the largest concentrations in wind power generation in the United States, the declines in wind power in these power pools had a direct impact on national level wind output, with knock-on effects for power generation mixes across the country. Similarly, any sustained recoveries in wind power generation totals from these key areas will lead to a commensurate rebound in U.S. power generation totals, and may allow for utilities to pare back use of natural gas and other sources of power to make way for more non-emitting wind power supplies.

Persons: Nick Oxford, Ember, El Nino, Gavin Maguire, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, LSEG, Reuters, Reliability, of Texas, El, Climate Impact, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S, Thomson Locations: Big Spring , Texas, U.S, LITTLETON , Colorado, Texas, Texas , Iowa , Oklahoma , Kansas , Illinois, North Dakota, United States, pare, El Nino

HOUSTON (AP) — Texas’ power grid manager on Thursday again asked residents to cut their electricity use as the state endures another stretch of sizzling summer heat. Operating reserves fell as demand surged amid the heat, and power from wind and solar energy sources proved insufficient, according to ERCOT. On Thursday, ERCOT asked residents to conserve power from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. CDT as reserves were again expected to be low. Political Cartoons View All 1148 Images“We request Texas businesses & residents conserve electricity use, if safe to do so,” ERCOT said in a tweet. Texas is not connected to the rest of the country's power grid, unlike other U.S. states, leaving few options to pull power from elsewhere amid shortages or failures.

Persons: ERCOT, ” ERCOT, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Juan, Lozano Organizations: HOUSTON, Electric, of Texas, Twitter, Republican Gov, Texans Locations: Texas, Austin, Amarillo, Dallas, El Paso

☆ Texas Power Grid to Resume Normal Operations, Cancels Emergency Alerts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - The Texas power grid operator said late on Wednesday it was resuming normal operations after lifting emergency measures, but still encouraged users to reduce power electric use. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which serves more than 26 million customers, had earlier declared an Energy Emergency Alert Level 2 (EEA 2), as operating reserves continued to drop. "No power outages associated with the ERCOT power grid were necessary," ERCOT said, adding that Texas had set a new September peak demand record of 82,705 Megawatts (MW). That was still below its all-time peak demand record of 85,435 MW hit on Aug. 10. Real-time power prices briefly hovered around $5,000 in most of ERCOT's Texas hubs, according to the ERCOT website.

Persons: ERCOT, Swati Verma, Rahul Paswan, Sherin Elizabeth Varghese, Ashitha, Richard Chang, Jamie Freed, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reuters, Reliability, of Texas, Energy, Texas Locations: Texas, EEA, ERCOT's Texas, Bengaluru

During the crypto boom of 2021, Riot Platforms was raking in cash from bitcoin mining. Now the company is losing so much money that it's counting on energy credits from selling power back to the Texas grid to keep its costs under control. Riot said on Wednesday that it earned $31.7 million in energy credits last month from Texas power grid operator ERCOT. "August was a landmark month for Riot in showcasing the benefits of our unique power strategy," said Jason Les, CEO of Riot, in the company's press release. It's a dramatic strategy shift for Riot, whose revenue soared almost 8,000% in 2021 from booming demand for bitcoin.

Persons: Riot, Jason Les Organizations: Riot, JPMorgan Chase Locations: Texas, U.S

☆ Texas grid operator appeals for conservation as heat wave persists
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Katharine Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Wind turbines operate at sunrise in the Permian Basin oil and natural gas production area in Big Spring, Texas, U.S., February 12, 2019. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Texas' electric grid operator asked residents and businesses to conserve energy on Sunday as its reserves were expected to decrease during a scorching heat wave that has caused demand to surge. "We request Texas businesses and residents conserve electricity use, if safe to do so," ERCOT said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. ERCOT had issued another conservation appeal for the afternoon and evening on Saturday, which was lifted at around 10 p.m. that night. The fragility of the Texas grid was highlighted in 2021, when a massive blackout killed dozens and left millions without power, water and heat for days as gas supply lines and power plants froze.

Persons: Nick Oxford, ERCOT, Katharine Jackson, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reliability, of Texas, National Weather Service, Thomson Locations: Big Spring , Texas, U.S, Texas, Houston, Galveston , Texas

Utility poles lead to downtown Dallas during a heat advisory due to scorching weather in Dallas, Texas, U.S. July 12, 2022. REUTERS/Shelby Tauber/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Texas Power Systems FollowAug 25 (Reuters) - Texas power prices hit a 30-month high with demand expected to reach record-breaking levels on Friary as homes and businesses crank up their air conditioners to escape a scorching heat wave. The state grid that supplies power to 26 million customers was operating normally Friday morning, but supplies are expected to tighten when the sun goes down and solar power drops, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid operator's website. To reduce demand, the grid urged consumers to conserve energy for a second day in a row on Friday afternoon. The fragility of the Texas grid was highlighted in 2021 when a massive blackout killed dozens and left millions without power, water and heat for days as gas supply lines and power plants froze.

Persons: Shelby Tauber, ERCOT, Scott DiSavino, Rahul Paswan, Susan Fenton, Emelia, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights Companies Texas Power, Electric, of Texas, National Weather Service, Thomson Locations: Dallas, Dallas , Texas, U.S, Texas, Friary, Houston, New York

A man with American Electric Power (AEP) repairs an electricity cable during a heatwave in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. July 28, 2023. Power grids carry reserves to ensure the system remains reliable in case a large power plant or transmission line fails unexpectedly. ERCOT forecast demand would reach 85,296 megawatts (MW) on Thursday, just shy of its 85,435 MW record set Aug. 10. MISO projected it would have 125,907 MW of supplies available with 120,656 MW from internal resources and 5,251 MW of imports. That would not be enough to meet the grid's forecast peak of 127,692 MW, which would top the system's all-time high of 127,100 MW in July 2011.

Persons: Adrees Latif, ERCOT, MISO, Brandon Morris, Morris, Scott DiSavino, Nick Zieminski Organizations: American Electric Power, REUTERS, Reliability, of Texas, Thomson Locations: Pass , Texas, U.S, Texas, Central, Houston, Dallas, Minnesota, Louisiana

A man with American Electric Power (AEP) repairs an electricity cable during a heatwave in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. July 28, 2023. REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - Two U.S. electric grids issued alerts warning of the potential for power shortages on Thursday due to a brutal heat wave blanketing Texas and U.S. Central states. ERCOT faces "a high potential to enter emergency operations this evening" due to low wind generation and high power demand, the grid operator said. AccuWeather forecast temperatures in Houston, the biggest city in Texas, would reach 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41.7 degrees Celsius) on Thursday. MISO projected power use would reach 127,195 MW on Thursday, topping the system's all-time high of 127,100 MW in July 2011.

Persons: Adrees Latif, ERCOT, MISO, Brandon Morris, Morris, Scott DiSavino, Brijesh Patel, Nick Zieminski, Jonathan Oatis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: American Electric Power, REUTERS, Reliability, of Texas, Thomson Locations: Pass , Texas, U.S, Texas, Central, Houston, Dallas, Minnesota, Louisiana

☆ Column: US power system gets gasier, but not much cleaner, in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Total power generation across the lower 48 states through Aug. 20, 2023 declined by 2.1% from the same period in 2022, data compiled by Refinitiv shows. All major U.S. power markets increased electricity generation from natural gas in Jan-Aug 2023 from the same period in 2022, and cut generation from coal. Output from clean power sources, including renewables and hydro, increased by 12%, despite drops in output from biomass and wind power sources, and a decline in imports from neighbouring states. Clean power sources accounted for a 57.4% share of the CAISO generation mix, up from 50.7% in January through Aug. 20 in 2022. THE NORTHWEST & THE RESTThe Pacific Northwest of the United States had the steepest decline in clean power generation of all the major power markets in the country.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Gavin Maguire, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Electric, of Texas, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Mountain View , California, U.S, LITTLETON , Colorado, Jan, National, TEXAS, Texas, CALIFORNIA, California, United States

☆ Texas power grid operator calls for voluntary conservation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Aug 20 (Reuters) - The Texas power grid operator on Sunday urged consumers to reduce electricity use due to extreme temperatures, high demand, and loss of thermal generation. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) also requested all government agencies to implement programs to reduce energy use at their facilities, adding that it is not experiencing emergency conditions at this time. Power use hit a record for the 10th time this summer, at 85,435 megawatts (MW) on Aug. 10. Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kanjyik Ghosh, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Reliability, of Texas, Thomson Locations: Texas, Bengaluru

☆ Texas electricity prices soar 6,000% as a fresh heat wave is expected to shatter records
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Jason Ma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Texas electricity prices soared 6,000% as a fresh heat wave is expected to shatter records. An excessive heat warning has been issued for north Texas, where temperatures could top 110 degrees. The price spike came as an excessive heat warning was issued for north Texas, which includes the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In June, Texas power prices doubled in a single day ahead of an earlier record-breaking streak. The Texas power market is deregulated and on its own electricity grid.

Organizations: Service, of Texas, Bloomberg, Northern Locations: Texas, Wall, Silicon, Dallas, Fort Worth, Europe

☆ Texas grid operator deploys emergency response service as reserves drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A general view of electric lines as demand for power surges during a period of hot weather in Houston, Texas, U.S. June 27, 2023. REUTERS/Callaghan O’Hare/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 17 (Reuters) - The main grid operator in Texas said on Thursday it had engaged its emergency system after electricity reserves dropped below the critical 3,000 MW level due to increased power usage amid a heatwave. ERCOT said it also expected lower power reserves due to reduced wind generation. Real-time power prices rose above $5,000 in most of ERCOT Texas hubs, according to the ERCOT website. The grid operator had earlier urged consumers to conserve power between 3 p.m. CDT (2000 GMT) and 8 p.m. CDT on Thursday as demand surged.

Persons: Callaghan, ERCOT, Ashitha Shivaprasad, Rahul Paswan, Harshit Verma, Swati Verma, Chris Reese, Paul Simao, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Texas, Discount, NRG Energy, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Texas, Houston, ERCOT Texas, Bengaluru

Chartbook: Texas electricity consumptionBut the primary driver of record consumption has been the rapid growth in the state’s resident population and economy rather than the weather. Power consumption increased at a compound annual rate of 1.7% between 2003 and 2022 – broadly in line with the compound population increase of 1.6%. Rising population explains almost all the structural increase in power consumption over the last two decades, based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Given underlying load growth, consumption will continue hitting new records each summer unless temperatures are well below average. Related column:- Don’t blame the weather for Texas power shortages (July 14, 2022)John Kemp is a Reuters market analyst.

Persons: Callaghan, John Kemp, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, Electric, of Texas, Climate Prediction, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Texas, Chartbook

☆ Texas power use hits 3rd record this week in heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Callaghan O’Hare/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - Demand for power in Texas hit a record high on Thursday for the third time this week and the tenth time this summer as homes and businesses cranked up air conditioners to escape a lingering heat wave. ERCOT said usage hit a preliminary 85,435 megawatts (MW) Thursday, which topped the record high of 83,961 MW hit on Wednesday. Thursday’s peak is 5,287 MW over last year’s demand record of 80,148 MW set in July 2022. The current demand record will likely be broken again on Friday with ERCOT forecasting usage will reach 86,621 MW. In the real-time market, prices briefly topped $4000 per megawatt hour in some Texas ERCOT hubs, according to its website.

Persons: Callaghan, ERCOT, Ashitha Shivaprasad, Rahul Paswan, Aurora Ellis, David Gregorio, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, Reliability, of Texas, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Texas, Houston, AccuWeather . Texas, Bengaluru

☆ Texas power use hits new high again amid heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A general view of electric lines as demand for power surges during a period of hot weather in Houston, Texas, U.S. June 27, 2023. REUTERS/Callaghan O’Hare/File PhotoAug 7 (Reuters) - Demand for power in Texas hit a record high on Monday for the eighth time this summer as homes and businesses kept air conditioners cranked up to escape a lingering heat wave. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid for more than 26 million customers representing about 90% of the state's power load, said it has enough resources available to meet soaring demand. After setting 11 new highs for demand last summer, ERCOT said usage hit a preliminary 83,854 megawatts (MW), which topped the most recent record high of 83,593 MW on Aug. 1. Rising economic and population growth have boosted electricity use in Sun Belt states such as Texas even though overall U.S. power demand is projected to ease in 2023 after hitting a record high in 2022.

Persons: Callaghan, ERCOT, Ashitha, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: REUTERS, Reliability, of Texas, Sun, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Texas, Bengaluru

☆ Wind and solar are propping up the Texas power grid amid a brutally long heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Thank wind and solar, energy experts say. “The thermal plants have bounced up and down,” Lewin told CNN, saying thermal plant outages during heatwaves have been high by Texas grid manager ERCOT’s own standards. The state is also rapidly installing battery storage, to store wind and solar energy when the sun isn’t shining and wind isn’t blowing. “I think what they’re leaving out is the intermittency of the thermal plants, they continue to neglect that,” Lewin said. That’s not to say renewables are a panacea, but the point is thermal plants are also not a panacea.”

Persons: ” Michael Webber, “, Doug Lewin, Webber, ” Lewin, ERCOT’s, Mark Felix, ”, ERCOT, Lewin, that’s Organizations: CNN, Texas, “ Renewables, University of Texas, Energy Information Administration, Renewables, Energy, US Energy Information Administration, Lone Star Locations: Austin, Texas, Hill County , Texas, AFP, Gulf of Mexico

☆ Power demand breaks record in Texas again during heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 18 (Reuters) - Power demand in Texas hit a record high for a second straight day on Tuesday as homes and businesses cranked up air conditioners to escape a brutal heat wave. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid for more than 26 million customers representing about 90% of the state's power load, has said it has enough resources available to meet soaring demand. That is the fifth record high in ERCOT this summer. One megawatt can power around 1,000 U.S. homes on a typical day, but only about 200 homes on a hot summer day in Texas. Rising economic and population growth has boosted electricity use in Sun Belt states like Texas and Arizona even though overall U.S. power demand is projected to ease in 2023 after hitting a record high in 2022.

Persons: ERCOT, Scott DiSavino, Leslie Adler, Sonali Paul, Chris Reese Organizations: Reliability, of Texas, Sun, Thomson Locations: Texas, ERCOT, Houston, Dallas, Arizona

☆ Texas power use breaks record for second day in heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 13 (Reuters) - Demand for power in Texas hit a record high for a second day in a row on Thursday as homes and business kept air conditioners cranked up during a lingering heat wave. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid for more than 26 million customers representing about 90% of the state's power load, has said it has enough resources available to meet soaring demand. After setting 11 peak demand records last summer, ERCOT said usage hit a preliminary 81,406 megawatts (MW) on Thursday, topping the record hit one day earlier, of 81,351 MW. One megawatt can power around 1,000 U.S. homes on a typical day, but only about 200 homes on a hot summer day in Texas. Meteorologists at AccuWeather forecast high temperatures in Houston, the biggest city in Texas, would hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius) almost every day from July 13-19.

Persons: ERCOT, Scott DiSavino, Harshit Verma, Sandra Maler, Leslie Adler Organizations: Reliability, of Texas, Thomson Locations: Texas, Houston, Dallas

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