Summary: The number of Texans covered by the state's electric power grid is 26 million. No wonder "a new poll from the University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Politics Project found a majority of Texans believe an electrical grid failure could occur this summer." Still ERCOT insists our Texas grid is good to go for summer.
Latest Update: updated article 03 July 2024; posted 27 June, 2024
Majority of texans say an electrical grid failure could come this summer, as ERCOT predicts Texas electricity demand could nearly double in six years.
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Number of Texans covered by the state's electric power grid is 26 million. No wonder "a new poll from the University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Politics Project found that a majority of Texans believe an electrical grid failure could occur this summer." [1] Still experts say Texas grid is good to go for the summer, but new ERCOT data raises concern over the future. [3]
The state’s main electric grid operator has sharply increased its prediction for how much power demand will increase in coming years. If it’s accurate, the state would need to be able to provide nearly double the amount of power within six years. Demand on the power grid hit a record of 85 gigawatts last year, which was the hottest ever recorded in the state. ERCOT experts now say demand could reach around 150 gigawatts by 2030. [2]
“Already, we have seen a tremendous amount of storm activity, causing outages in every corner of our state... Data centers in the DFW [Dallas-Fort Worth] area; semiconductors in Central Texas; industrial electrification in the Houston, Beaumont, and Port Arthur areas; oil and gas electrification in the Permian [Basin]; and population and commercial growth throughout our state present significant challenges for generation, transmission, and distribution,” [1]
“Since 2014, the reliability of the Texas grid has collapsed as federal, state, and local subsidies for renewables [1]
Sources and Resources
• article: Abbott, Patrick Sound Alarm on Future Power Grid Stability, Texas Scorecard, 01 July 2024
Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are raising urgent concerns about the future stability of Texas’ power grid.
A joint statement released yesterday follows recent testimony from ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas, who warned that Texas might need 150,000 megawatts of power to support its grid by 2030—just six years away.
As a point of reference, Texas currently has around 85,000 megawatts of power available. It is generated by a mix of reliable producers (like natural gas, coal, and nuclear) and unreliable sources (such as wind and solar).
The potential shortfall has prompted Abbott and Patrick to call for an immediate review of all policies related to the grid.
[1] Majority of Texans Say an Electrical Grid Failure Could Come This Summer, Texas Scorecard, 21 June 2024
A new poll from the University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Politics Project found that a majority of Texans believe an electrical grid failure could occur this summer.
Conducted between May 31 and June 9, the poll showed that 17 percent of Texans think a grid failure this summer is likely, with 34 percent saying it is somewhat likely. Another 29 percent of respondents said it was not too likely, nine percent said not at all, and 10 percent were unsure.
During a June 10 hearing in the Texas House, Association of Electric Companies of Texas President and CEO Mark Bell defended ERCOT’s preparedness heading into this summer season but warned about future stressors.
“Already, we have seen a tremendous amount of storm activity, causing outages in every corner of our state,” explained Bell, “and we’re due for the most active Atlantic hurricane season that the NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] has ever predicted, with as many as 25 named storms and 13 hurricanes.
“Data centers in the DFW [Dallas-Fort Worth] area; semiconductors in Central Texas; industrial electrification in the Houston, Beaumont, and Port Arthur areas; oil and gas electrification in the Permian [Basin]; and population and commercial growth throughout our state present significant challenges for generation, transmission, and distribution,” he added.
“Since 2014, the reliability of the Texas grid has collapsed as federal, state, and local subsidies for renewables averaged $2 billion a year,” wrote Peacock. “Over the next five years, subsidies for traditional and renewable subsidies are expected to average at least $6.4 billion.”
Number of Texans covered by the state's electric power grid. 26 million
[2] Texas electricity demand could nearly double in six years, grid operator predicts, The Texas Tribune, 20 June 2024
The state’s main electric grid operator has sharply increased its prediction for how much power demand will increase in coming years. If it’s accurate, the state would need to be able to provide nearly double the amount of power within six years.
Two factors led to the higher forecast: A new law allows officials to count companies’ requests for grid connections before they are finalized. And there has been a significant rise in requests from large users such as data centers, hydrogen production facilities and oil and gas companies that are electrifying their operations.
On top of that, the state’s population continues growing...
Demand on the power grid hit a record of 85 gigawatts last year, which was the hottest ever recorded in the state. ERCOT experts now say demand could reach around 150 gigawatts by 2030.
Electricity experts said the projected growth also makes clear that the grid will need more transmission lines — which are paid for by customers and take more time to build than many of the facilities that want more power.
Lawmakers responded by requiring power facilities to prepare better to operate in extreme weather. They put $5 billion into a fund to give low-interest loans to companies that planned to build gas-fueled power plants, which legislators prioritized because they can provide power quickly on demand. State regulators are accepting applications for that money now.
[3] Experts say Texas grid good to go for summer, but new ERCOT data raises concern over future, KXII .com, 26 June 2024