ERCOT closely monitoring changing weather conditions
Texas - An arctic blast is expected to overtake much of the U.S. next week and plunge the eastern two-thirds of the country into a deep freeze.
Temperatures at or near freezing are possible as far south as south-central Texas by the end of next week, with temperatures in the teens and 20s across much of the northern part of the Lone Star State.
Word of freezing weather in Texas has evoked memories of a deep freeze that crippled the state’s power grid in 2021. ERCOT said in a statement they expect a sufficient generation to meet possible demand and will provide updates as they arrive.
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Earlier today, ERCOT issued an Operating Condition Notice, a procedural notification to transmission and distribution owners and generation resources that temperatures will meet ERCOT’s criteria of 25 degrees or lower in the Austin/San Antonio and the Dallas Fort-Worth areas between Dec. 22 through Dec. 26.
According to reports, ERCOT has worked closely with PUC and elected officials to implement reforms and increase grid reliability, including weatherization, bringing more generation online sooner if needed, and purchasing more reserve power and as a result, they say the reliability and resiliency of the grid have been strengthened significantly.
"Providing Texans with a reliable electric grid is our highest priority. As we monitor weather conditions, we want to assure Texans that the grid is resilient and reliable," said Pablo Vegas, ERCOT President and CEO.
ERCOT released the following improvements they implemented to make the grid more reliable:
- Weatherization and Inspections. Electric generation units and transmission facilities weatherize and are inspected by ERCOT.
- Firm Fuel Supply Service. An additional source of fuel onsite for generators benefits the grid by providing a redundant, or additional, fuel source should there be a natural gas scarcity.
- Scheduled Maintenance Period. ERCOT has worked with generators and transmission operators to schedule their maintenance so they could prepare their equipment for winter.
- Fast Frequency Response Service. This is a new addition to our ancillary services that provides a group of generators that can power up quickly during operating conditions that change rapidly.
- Reliability Unit Commitments. ERCOT can bring more generation online sooner when needed.
- Critical Supply Chain and Critical Infrastructure Map. This map was created to share the locations and connectivity of all the critical parts of the Texas power infrastructure.
- Improved Communications. Agencies are seeing improved communications through both the Texas Department of Emergency Management and Texas Energy Reliability Council.
Texas has a diverse power generation system that includes solar, wind, nuclear, and coal. However, most of the electricity in the state comes from natural gas power plants.
"We will keep the public informed as weather conditions change throughout the coming week," said Vegas.
FOX Weather contributed to this story.