Published: Thursday, May 20, 2021
Texas Capitol in Austin following a winter storm. Photo credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Documents from the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which is based in Austin, show how early state leaders were dealing with gas issues in February. The Texas Capitol is pictured in this Feb. 19 photo. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Texas electricity leaders were deeply focused on natural gas shortages days before blackouts crippled the state in February and plunged the state s power industry into chaos, according to documents obtained by E&E News.
A phone log shows more than 100 calls to or from DeAnn Walker, then-chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, discussing gas curtailments. It begins Feb. 10 well before massive power outages started on Feb. 15 and runs through Feb. 19.
ERCOT says Texas risk of summer blackouts low despite high power demand Bob Sechler, Austin American-Statesman
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Texans shouldn t have to worry about power blackouts this summer when temperatures hit triple digits because the state’s electricity grid appears to be in good shape to handle the strain unless, of course, something really bad happens.
That’s the upshot of the latest assessment from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid s operator. The agency said in its final summer forecast Thursday that there will be more than enough generation capacity to avoid grid emergencies under typical conditions, but it also outlined a set of “low-probability, high-impact situations” that could trigger outages.
Texans shouldn t have to worry about power blackouts this summer when temperatures hit triple digits because the state’s electricity grid appears to be in good shape to handle the strain unless, of course, something really bad happens.
That’s the upshot of the latest assessment from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid s operator. The agency said in its final summer forecast Thursday that there will be more than enough generation capacity to avoid grid emergencies under typical conditions, but it also outlined a set of “low-probability, high-impact situations” that could trigger outages.
It delivered a similar message six weeks ago in a preliminary summer assessment. The big caveat included with both is a nod to the calamity in February, when ERCOT abruptly ordered electricity providers across the state to cut usage by large amounts resulting in extensive blackouts throughout most of Texas amid subfreezing temperatures because unexpectedly severe wint
Shot Heard Across Texas: San Antonio Gets A Temporary Restraining Order Against ERCOT forbes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from forbes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) board has selected a new CEO and president. Brad Jones will fill the role in an interim capacity in early May.
Jones was formerly a top executive at ERCOT before leaving to head up the grid operator in New York. He was an early favorite to replace the embattled CEO and president, Bill Magness, who served in the position for half a decade.
Magness has maintained that ERCOT performed well during the energy crisis, and that the Public Utility Commission and state legislature hold most of the power when it comes to mandating grid resiliency.