Grid Monitor’s Post

Agreed! Anyone paying attention / understanding the "grid", across the country, are holding their collective breath hoping to squeak through without a blackout. What continues to wharp my mind is that the "grid" has been reduced to intertwined ideals of "just in time capacity", "intermittent resources", and "real time pricing", creating a systemically frail state. And, this is for electricity, a product that everyone's life and livelihood depends on, in real time, to literally survive. Why would you error on the side of idealistic finite element analysis for something so critical? #reliability #safetyfirst

Energy security is challenged each and every day, and WattBridge is a significant part of the solution. Last Thursday, Texans experienced one of the tightest reserve conditions in ERCOT so far this summer. As temperatures surged and peak load reached 84.7 GW during the daily solar ramp off, exceeding the 2022 record, energy security required more than just an hour or two of dispatchable power. WattBridge dispatched all 40 units across five operating sites averaging 10 hours and contributed more than 1,700 MW.   Highlighting the acute need for dispatchable power in Texas, ERCOT deployed every measure available—including ECRS, non-spin, responsive reserves, ERS 10/30/Weather Sensitive—to avoid its final tool, load shed. While WattBridge is proud to serve Texas energy security today—and ready to build out substantial additional support upon a positive outcome with the Texas Energy Fund program under vote in November—we’re also mindful of expanding power demand, the continual issue of daily solar ramp off, and the effects of both in the 2024 and 2025 summers. #WattBridge #ERCOT #energysecurity #LM6000

𝗘𝗥𝗖𝗢𝗧 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 🔌 Pablo Vegas, the President and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), has raised concerns about the rising risk of blackouts in Texas and across the nation. Speaking at a U.S. Energy Association event, Vegas emphasized the lack of sufficient investment in critical infrastructure such as transmission lines and natural gas pipelines. ⚡ Almost two years after #WinterStormUri caused massive power outages in Texas, ERCOT and energy experts continue to grapple with the challenges of balancing the shift towards renewable energy and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. 🔧 In response, ERCOT has implemented measures to improve grid resiliency, including expanding demand response programs where consumers are compensated for reducing power usage and mapping out critical energy infrastructure to prevent power shutoffs during crises. 🏗️ Despite these efforts, the completion of necessary infrastructure projects, such as new natural gas-fired power plants backed by $7.2 billion in public funding, remains uncertain due to the low cost of electricity in Texas and the time required for construction. 🚗 A promising avenue under exploration is the integration of electric vehicles and home battery systems into the grid. This could provide a significant boost to grid stability by allowing operators to draw power from these sources when needed. 🛠️ Vegas stresses the importance of making smart investment decisions in resources to mitigate these risks and the need for a robust transmission backbone to support the evolving energy landscape. https://lnkd.in/gY64R4uW

What does the below information mean?! In a Texas House State Affairs Committee Monday, energy leaders testified to give updates about growth foreca It comes after a Friday report in which the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said that by August, energy demand in Texas could reach as high as 78,000 megawatts. The state has a projected supply of 83,000 megawatts for August, which is typically the hottest month of the year. ERCOT’s Friday report also predicts a 12% chance that energy reserves could fall below 1,500 megawatts. In that instance, it would likely trigger rolling blackouts in order to prevent the grid from collapsing completely. ERCOT has a finite amount of power in the reserves so it can fall back on that energy in case of an emergency or sudden changes in conditions. What the above tells us is that electricity rates will increase and their is a chance for power outages! More here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gjN-5u6f 🚨Protect yourself from rising energy cost by strategically procuring your retail electricity! Or by paying less for the electricity you use by installing solar… Rates between $.03 to $.06 cents per kilowatt hour depending on the system. And you can alleviate the concerns for brownouts and blackouts with either battery backup or a standby generator! We can help you with all of the above ↙️ https://lnkd.in/guXvjupy #electricity #power #retail #energy #solar #generators #batterybackup #electricityprices #electricityrates #blackouts #brownouts #ercot #texas

The Texas power grid should lessen its reliance on natural gas to generate electricity in the case of a grid failure, U.S. regulators concluded in a study published this week.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. and several regional grid reliability organizations conducted the study as part of the ongoing postmortem following the deadly outages of Winter Storm Uri in 2021. It looked at the grid managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and its available blackstart resources, power generation that is designed to provide electricity without support from the grid. Most large power plants need electricity to start up. https://lnkd.in/gJPSuVHm

🌡️⚡ Texas Power Grid: BESS to the Rescue! ⚡🌡️ Since 2020, Texas has weathered extreme winter storms, record-setting hot summers, and a rapidly growing power demand, putting immense pressure on the state’s power grid. This year, conditions suggest another challenging summer ahead. However, there is hope on the horizon. According to a new report from Aurora Energy Research, a leading global provider of power market analytics, #Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are playing a crucial role in mitigating the impact and cost of extreme weather events in #Texas. During the January 2024 winter freeze, #BESS units saved an estimated $750 million in day-ahead market costs by fulfilling essential ancillary services and freeing up to 3GW of gas generation to meet critical energy needs and reduce prices. #BatteryTechnology, such as BESS technology, is essential for stabilizing energy grids, ensuring a reliable power supply, and reducing costs associated with these extreme conditions. As Texas continues to face unpredictable weather patterns and increasing #energy needs, the adoption of advanced energy storage solutions will be key to maintaining resilience and sustainability. We simply cannot underestimate the importance of BESS in tackling these pressing issues and helping pave the way for a more resilient and #sustainable clean energy future! 🌟🔋 What do you think? Jesse Morris 🔔 Follow Jesse Morris to stay informed of exciting developments in: #Technology, #Sustainability and #BatteryTech Source: https://lnkd.in/eryBFeDT

Our unstable grid hasn't yet experienced any major outages this summer although we came close earlier this week as ERCOT declared an Energy Emergency Alert 2 as operating reserves dropped below 1,750 MW. To say demand is soaring in Texas is an understatement. We have set over 10 peak demand records this summer and in the past 14 months, peak demand in Texas has grown by 10.5 gigawatts (for reference 1 gigawatt can power ~750,000 homes). A quick and inexpensive solution? More residential demand response programs (to compensate consumers) and more energy efficiency. https://lnkd.in/gmW6by2X

This heat is no joke. Four straight days last week, ERCOT issued advisories imploring people to use less energy. And Texas has already set all-time energy demand records 10 TIMES this summer. And there are more triple digits on the way.   The safety and livelihoods of Texans are at risk. We’ve thankfully avoided mass blackouts, but people will still feel the effects of this summer on their power bills.   More than ever, solar has a role to play. It helps people generate their own electricity, keeps them free and safe from high bills and blackouts, reduces the strain on the power grid, and lets people live more powerfully.   #txlege #txenergy #heatwave #solarpower #sustainability Houston Chronicle   https://lnkd.in/gqcVJwBn

Natural Gas. Snidley Whiplash or Dudley Do-Right? As we tick down the final days to Christmas, Reese Energy Consulting today is following a tale of two utilities and the roles natural gas plays. In the latest post-mortem of the failures on the Texas Electric Grid following 2021’s Winter Storm Uri, a new study has concluded ERCOT relies too much on natural gas to fuel its blackstart system. For the uninitiated, blackstart systems kick in to restore power in the event of outages without requiring electricity to do so. More than 60% of the nation’s grids employ gas-fired turbines in their systems. The study went on to recommend ERCOT add more non-fuel options and—wait for it—“test starting dual-fuel resources without any primary fuel.” This gives us Whiplash. Meanwhile in Mich., the state’s largest utility is focused on its natural gas delivery system. If you’ve ever visited Mich., in the dead of winter, the word “supernatural” aptly describes the season’s brutality. Consumer's Energy, which provides 6.7 million customers with power and gas, operates 28,170 miles of distribution pipeline, most of which date back to 1963. The company in 2012 launched a 25-year modernization project of its natural gas infrastructure to ensure gas keeps flowing uninterrupted. Announcing now another $1 billion annual investment in the program, a company spokesman remarked, “While exploration of other affordable, clean energy alternatives continues, natural gas remains the most cost-effective means of heating homes and businesses like Michigan.” We’re calling this one Do-Right. As Steve Reese likes to say, “Natural gas. Abundant. Ubiquitous. U.S. made. Clean. Affordable.” And yes, he stole that from the one and only Aubrey McClendon. What do you think? Learn more about REC and our natural gas expertise and consulting services at https://lnkd.in/ebXT2mS. #naturalgas #cleanenergy #reeseenergyconsulting

Looks like the worst of the heat may be behind us. I’ll have more to say about the lessons of the summer of 2023, but it’s been hard not to think about how close Texas came, especially last week, to rolling blackouts. Rooftop solar can play a much bigger role in protecting Texas from blackouts. Every bit of energy that Texans generate themselves frees up electricity for parts of Texas that need it the most. Solar doesn’t just help the people who install it — it fortifies the grid, allowing others to use that energy. It’s past time to do more to help people invest in it. #txlege #Solar #RenewableEnergy #Reliability #txenergy #TexasTribune The Texas Tribune