TCPA Executive Director, Michele Richmond, released the following statement regarding the announcement of almost 10,000 MW worth of new natural gas generation projects by TCPA members in the last three weeks. Many of these projects were made public through Notices of intent to apply filed in connection with the requirements of the Texas Energy Fund (TEF).
In the three years since deadly blackouts paralyzed Texas, two major winter storms have hit the electricity grid without plunging the state into blackouts.
Emergency Alert status from 7:30 pm to 9 pm Sept. 6 and asked Texans to curtail power demand from 5 pm to 9 pm Sept. 7 amid a persistent heat wave. Power markets responded with triple and quadruple-digit pricing.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) on Sept. 6 issued an Energy Emergency Alert 2 (EEA 2) after grid conditions quickly deteriorated around sunset (7:30 p.m.) as demand soared and operating power reserves plunged. The grid operator said that the emergency operations were necessary “due to a combination of dropping operating reserves and frequency.”