In this episode, TXOGA President Todd Staples and Shana Joyce, Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs are joined by Thomas Gleeson, Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), for a discussion on the electricity outlook for Texas this summer. In addition, they highlight the respective roles of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and PUC, the role of the Permian Basin Reliability Plan, and steps that Texans can take to do their part in contributing to grid reliability.
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ERCOT: ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to 27 million Texas customers – representing about 90 percent of the state’s electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 54,100 miles of transmission lines and 1,250 generation units. It also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for nearly 8 million premises in competitive choice areas.
ERCOT: A Conservation Appeal is an elevated request for Texans to reduce their energy use during peak demand periods when there is a potential to enter emergency operations due to lower reserves. Help from Texans to conserve electricity use, if safe to do so, assists grid reliability.
ERCOT: A Voluntary Conservation Notice is a call for Texans to voluntarily reduce energy usage during peak demand periods, if safe to do so. On days when electric demand is high, ERCOT can issue a Voluntary Conservation Notice to help decrease demand while deploying available tools to manage the grid reliably.
Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS): TXANS is ERCOT’s early notification system ahead of periods of higher electricity demand.