Lawmakers say PUC still needs to add more generation to grid – Spectrum News
AUSTIN, Texas — As temperatures drop across Texas, experts are warning Texans to get what they need to make it through the freezing weather. Officials say the grid can withstand chilly temps, but there could still be local outages.
What You Need To Know
- The Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas are trying to rebuild trust in the grid
- A bipartisan group of senators recently wrote a letter to the PUC asking it to consult the legislature before it changes its market design
- The letter emphasizes that the market design should lead to new, reliable generation capacity being built and added to the grid
- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he would not leave at the end of the legislative session if lawmakers haven’t passed a bill to prioritize and incentivize natural gas production
“Frozen branch hits a tree limb, hits this, hits a wire and takes it down,” Ed Hirs, an energy fellow at the University of Houston. “So we all need to be prepared. In addition to bringing the pets inside, and wrapping the pipes, and closing the windows, bring in some water and some canned goods, just like we’re supposed to do to look after ourselves.”
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) are trying to rebuild trust in the grid. In 2021, a deadly winter storm killed hundreds of Texans. The grid failed, and it had fatal consequences. Thankfully, experts don’t expect that to happen again this year.
“We hope that the ERCOT generation fleet is ready to go. We hope that the Railroad Commission has done enough to keep the natural gas supply lines intact,” Hirs said.
A bipartisan group of senators recently wrote a letter to the PUC. It asks the commission to consult the legislature before it changes its market design, which is being worked on making the grid more reliable. The letter expresses worry that the current market design “will not guarantee new dispatchable generation in a timely and cost-effective manner.”
One of the letter’s co-signers, Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, said the gist of the letter compliments the PUC for everything it’s done in response to the 2021 storm so far, but says more time, effort and hard work needs to be done to make sure the market design is what’s best for Texas.
“The market designs that the PUC is taking a look at right now are the subject of a lot of disagreement among experts, among consumer advocates, among generators, among producers, among industrial consumers of electricity,” Sen. Johnson said. “There’s just not a consensus out there right now about what exactly we ought to do. For reasons I think of instilling confidence in markets, in businesses, in political circles, I think we’re going to need to speak with one voice, and that’s going to require a little bit of time… If we don’t get there, we’re not going to have investor confidence in our electricity market. And we’re not going to be able to have the generating capacity we need.”
In response, the PUC said it’ll be in discussion with lawmakers.
“Throughout this important process, the PUC has worked closely with legislators to ensure the best solution for a reliable grid and electric market and we’ll continue to work closely with them,” Rich Parsons, the PUC’s director of communications, wrote in an email to Spectrum News. “We appreciate the legislature’s leadership on this issue and we have assured them no market design will be implemented without their input and guidance.”
The letter emphasizes that the market design should lead to new, reliable generation capacity being built and added to the grid.
“They’re asking for the legislature and the Public Utility Commission to contract with power companies to add natural gas fired generation, essentially, a chemical energy backup to the grid,” Hirs said. “When the wind and the sun aren’t cooperating with us, we need to have enough dispatchable power. That’s thermal power, that’s nuclear power plants, coal fired power plants and natural gas fired power plants to meet peak demand when it’s necessary.”
Adding more generation to the grid will cost taxpayers. But Texans can actually reduce stress on the grid and cut costs by conserving energy themselves.
“The more you help us in terms of the less energy that you can consume, the less stress we have on the grid,” said Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio. “We should be helping you, and you should be a partner, because if we asked Texans to upgrade, and to use less energy, that is energy we don’t have to pay to build, and so everyone wins.”
Sen. Johnson agrees.
“I do think that Texans need to become accustomed to the idea that it’s OK to turn your thermostat down for a few hours on a particular day, or not to do the laundry, when we’re at peak demand load, because that is a quick, cheap way for us to respond not just to emergencies, but just our day-in, day-out demand,” Sen. Johnson said. “We do need to take responsibility for our own homes, for our own systems, and for our own grid.”
At a recent press conference, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he would not leave the Capitol at the end of the legislative session in May if lawmakers haven’t passed a bill to prioritize and incentivize natural gas production in the state. He argued that would help prevent another power grid crisis.
“I personally cannot see myself leaving this building knowing that another Uri could happen,” Patrick said. “I just — I’m sorry if anyone gets mad about me saying that — I just think it’s too important.”
As the cold front approaches, experts recommend opening the cabinets under your sinks, dripping water from your faucets, and installing carbon monoxide detectors.