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Is the Texas power grid ready for the summer heat?
FOX 26 Anchor Rashi Vats spoke with Houston-based Consumer Energy Alliance about whether or not the Texas power grid is ready for the intense summer heat.
TEXAS - It is hot, and the demand for power is holding up so far, but that might not be the case as we approach the summer months.
Can we handle the heat? It’s the big question not just for us, but the whole nation according to Marc Brown, a director of Houston-based Consumer Energy Alliance, it’s a leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses.
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"North Dakota and Montana issuing concerns about capacity shortfalls, so this isn’t anything unique to Texas. California has had issues, obviously. This is something going on across the country right now, and I think grid operators need to take a strong look at their resources and make sure they can meet demand," said Brown.
Our grid operator released a report called SARA or The Summer Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy report.
In Texas, we could use as much as 77,317 megawatts during a day at the season's peak. Previous record was 74,800 megawatts set in August 2019.
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Do we have the supply? The Electric Reliability Council of Texas report says yes. As much as 91,392 megawatts is available, but this is only under "normal system conditions." The report also says that ERCOT expects peak-demand records this summer.
"If you are having supply shortages this early in the year, this isn’t peak Texas heat in May. In August, when it is really hot, who knows what is going to happen. If the wind isn’t blowing, Texas does rely a lot on wind power. The wind isn’t blowing, and it’s really hot and other resources can’t respond, then you are going to have decisions to make," said Brown.
ERCOT is scheduled to speak to media Tuesday about current conditions and the Texas Power Grid Readiness for Summer 2022.