Texas Power Grid Remains Vulnerable to Winter Extremes, Per Report
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Bad news for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and the Texas power grid as a whole – despite the numerous enhancements that have been made following the February 2021 winter storm that crippled local utility operations, a new report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) concludes that the state’s grid remains vulnerable.
Why FERC Remains Unimpressed with the Texas Power Grid
According to the report, demand could exceed available capacity by up to 18k megawatts if another February 2021-like winter storm hits the state, resulting in untold outages. This is especially troublesome when you consider that the Feb. 2021 event caused hundreds of fatalities and billions of dollars in property damage.
According to ERCOT, the report’s conclusion is curious given that many enhancements have been made to the Texas power grid since that fateful event, including the implementation of power plant winterization, as well as weatherization requirements for solar farms, wind turbines, and natural gas infrastructure, as well as an impending redesign of the ERCOT market.
Simply put, the FERC report indicates the grid enhancements that have been deployed have not gone far enough, and that another February 2021-like storm would lead to a similar outcome.
The silver lining is that conditions are not expected to be as severe at least during winter 2023. In fact, a recent NOAA forecast predicted that there is up to an 80% chance that this winter’s temperatures will be higher than historical averages across the state. This means that the state’s grid operators have the luxury of time, allowing the deployment of additional hardening tactics to potentially be completed prior to the next deep freeze.
The bottom line is that, irrespective of the precise details of the FERC report, the Texas power grid remains at risk. Hopefully the report will be taken seriously enough to allow hardening efforts to go on overdrive. Otherwise, Texans could be in line for a cruel winter at some point in the future.
