ERCOT Conducts Hundreds of Power Plant Inspections to Fortify Texas Grid
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has conducted hundreds of power plant inspections in an effort to help maximize the reliability of the Texas power grid over the coming winter months. Given that dozens of people died and millions were left without power during the Feb. 2021 winter storm that crippled the region, this is clearly a very smart move.
Scope of ERCOT’s Power Plant Inspections
Over 300 power plant inspections were conducted as of the end of 2021. This is a massive effort that has taken months to execute, but was mandated under the sweeping legislation signed by Governor Greg Abbott in June 2021. Specifically, the Council was tasked with “winterizing” their power plants, or risk facing a $1 million fine.
As such, the inspections were done to ensure that the plants are properly winterized for the upcoming cold season. But what exactly does winterization mean? Well, it essentially means keeping the flow of air, water and gas at optimal levels.
More specifically, air needs to be kept dry so that pipes do not freeze. This involves monitoring temperatures, dehumidifying the air, blowing out lines when appropriate, and enclosing compressors and other critical equipment as needed. In terms of water, it must be kept from freezing, and to do so often requires some form of insulation, including insulation lined with heating cables (known as “heat tracing”). The combination of all these techniques – the insulation, the heat tracing, the temperature monitors, windbreaks and air dryers – should serve to ultimately keep the gas flowing at gas-fired plants.
Thankfully, these power plant inspections indicate that the grid operators in Texas may have learned their lesson after the Feb. 2021 debacle. A similar event occurred in 2011, but unfortunately no actions were taken in response, and as fate would have it, history repeated itself only a decade later. Hopefully, lessons have been learned and the third time is the charm!
