Texas Electric Grid At Risk This Summer

The Texas electric grid operator, ERCOT, has released its July and August outlook, showing a potential energy crisis. While July looks safe, with a less than 0.5% risk of an Energy Emergency Alert, the chances jump to 16% in August between 8-9 pm.

"Reserve shortage risks are the highest during the evening hours ... when daily loads are typically near their highest levels and solar production is ramping down," the ERCOT report states.

Walt Baum, CEO of Powering Texans, an advocacy group, said:

“It’s important to note that ERCOT’s recent monthly outlook for August is intended to help prepare for all possible scenarios, including a worst-case scenario that would see demand peak for a limited amount of time...”

Baum's organization is pushing for an additional 5,000 megawatts to the Texas grid. The state has a $5 billion Texas Energy Fund to provide loans for new power generation facilities, with applications open until July 27.

Critiques of this response, like Doug Lewin of the [Texas Energy and Power Newsletter](https://www.douglewin.com/p/texas-grid-roundup-13-may-29-2024?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1180283&post_i
d=145076803&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3i3nsv&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email), suggest renewable energy sources and improved customer resilience could be a better long-term solution:

"By including the integration of distributed energy resources, such as solar panels and battery storage systems, people can better withstand increasingly extreme weather while everyone benefits from increased capacity and reduced strain during peak demand periods."

ERCOT warns that renewable sources may not be enough during the summer peak, with wind power especially at risk of low production. The report predicts that only 14,000 megawatts of wind power will be available, out of a capacity of 64,000 megawatts.

The Texas energy crisis is a complex issue, and it remains to be seen if the state's efforts will be enough to keep the lights on this summer.