ERCOT is the independent system operator (ISO) for the region. READ ALSO: ERCOT hearings continue in Austin. "The Board looks forward to working with Brad during this time as ERCOT prepares for summer operations," ERCOT Director Mark Carpenter said in a Tuesday release. Supply and Demand. 31,546 people follow this. Regional transmission organization in Texas, The Wall Street Journal, "Texas Power Grid Operator Fires CEO," March 4, 2021, North American Electric Reliability Corporation, deregulation of the Texas electricity market, February 2011, a major winter storm impacted Texas, February 1317, 2021 North American winter storm, Deregulation of the Texas electricity market, "Electric Reliability Council Of Texas Inc 10 10 90 - Nonprofit Explorer", "Pablo Vegas, a utility executive in Ohio, named ERCOT's new CEO", "The Texas Freeze: Why the Power Grid Failed", "Electric Power Monthly - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)". [14], Power demand in the ERCOT region is typically highest in summer, primarily due to air conditioning use in homes and businesses. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The threat is real, and its happening, he said. [31][32] Some retail electricity providers were possibly facing huge losses or bankruptcy,[33] and customers of Griddy reported receiving absurdly high electric bills. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Jones said the June power crunch was caused by issues stemming from the February freeze. [56] This revelation drew considerable anger from the public as well as elected representatives, and the board members' names and photographs were temporarily removed from the ERCOT website due to death threats. According to ERCOT officials, the cold weather in the area has resulted in a record-breaking demand on the power grid. However, there are a few ways you can reduce your electric usage at home. During a press conference last week, Vegas and Lake both emphasized that the proposed changes would be technologically agnostic and would not prioritize one source of power generation over another. He has over 30 years of experience as a process engineer. Companies are unlikely to begin investing in building new plants until the law is clear, she said. The Texas Energy Reliability Council was established to ensure that the energy and electric industries in this state meet high priority human needs and address critical infrastructure concerns, and enhance coordination and communication in the energy and electric industries in this state. May 17, 20225 PM Central. On Tuesday, Jones released a 60-point plan aimed at building lawmakers and the publics confidence in the power grids reliability. Conservation is a good thing, Jones said. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. (Matt Payne/Community Impact Newspaper). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. ", "Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news. The fastest-growing sources of power in fast-growing Texas are wind turbines and solar panels, which typically dont provide as much power during the winter months as during the summer. "The Board looks forward to working with Brad during this time as ERCOT prepares for summer operations," said ERCOT Board Director and . Box 12428 Mr. Jones has more than 25 years of electric industry . She has worked for Occidental since 2003. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. . Set ceiling fans to the winter setting by running them clockwise, to pull the warm air down. Solar power doesn't work at night without battery storage, which would have to be scaled up to run for several days to get through a weeklong event like Uri. by Mitchell Ferman Answers to 5 questions about the group that operates Texas' power grid", "Texas has set power-demand records 11 times so far this summer", "ERCOT Expects Record Electricity Demand for Summer Heat But Projects Sufficient Generation for Power Grid", "Texas power grid CEO fired after deadly February power outages", Texas' deregulated electricity market, explained, Electric Deregulation Is Working in Texas, Says Lawmaker Who Led the Effort, Since Deregulation, Texas Utility Rates Have Soared, Texas leaders failed to heed warnings that left the state's power grid vulnerable to winter extremes, experts say. [20] The 1999 deregulation also dropped limits on rate increases. AUSTIN, Texas -- The board overseeing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the independent nonprofit entity that operates and manages the electricity grid that covers much of. Houston city council tables vote on Hobby Airport restaurant contract, Georgia star Jalen Carter charged with racing in fatal wreck, Contractor dies after electric shock at Texas City Marathon refinery. Texas Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake, appointed by Gov. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. Jones, who worked for Texas energy companies and in senior roles at ERCOT before leading New York state's power grid operator as president, takes ERCOT's top job from Bill Magness, who was fired as president and CEO in early March after a winter storm in February left millions of people in the dark for days amid freezing temperature and claimed more than 100 lives. [36][37] During the power loss, some Texans were forced to survive in record freezing temperatures down to 2F (19C). [39] A 357-page report had been written after the 2011 power outage in Texas,[40] which seemed to have been ignored, because too many critical generators still lacked appropriate weatherization in 2021,[31][41] especially the natural gas system. Ensure doors and windows are sealed properly. Patrick Svitek contributed to this story. "The Board looks forward to working with Brad during this time as ERCOT prepares for summer operations," said ERCOT Board Director and HR&G Committee Chair Mark Carpenter. Its a shame the public doesnt have confidence in the system, state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, told Jones. Lawmakers cannot pass laws to improve Texas power grid during the special legislative session. The agency has already implemented the winterization regulation the Legislature passed in 2021. Abbott, at a separate event on Tuesday in north Texas, was asked about the grid and saluted ERCOT for how it handled last weeks problems. Were losing megawatts, but we have more people, more businesses.. Greg Abbott did not include improving Texas main power grid in his 11-item agenda for the special legislative session that began earlier this month, so lawmakers cannot pass new grid-related laws. He is a former board member of March of Dimes, Gulf Coast Power Association, Atlas Scholars, and St. Peters Health Partners. managed and monitored. Greg Abbott after last years deadly winter storm to regulate utilities and to oversee the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said there will be more reserve power available to the grid this summer than in previous summers, a necessary cushion that Lake said reflects a different approach than before last Februarys disaster. Yes, sir, Lake responded. Power-generating companies across the state must comply with weatherization standards or face steep fines, according to the new head of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Three PUC commissioners, including the chair, are appointed by the governor of Texas. That also means avoiding rolling blackouts. Disclosure: Texas Competitive Power Advocates has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to 22 million Texas customers. by Erin Douglas An immediate concern Jones must confront at ERCOT is the prospect of an atypical summer that pushes demand for electricity beyond normal summer peaks. Jones received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Arlington. Industry veteran Brad Jones is taking over as interim president and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of . That didnt stop a Senate committee from calling the states top electricity and utility regulators to the Capitol Tuesday morning to discuss the state of the power grid following unexpected power plant outages in June, lingering issues with the states energy infrastructure from Februarys deadly winter storm and plans to implement legislation that lawmakers approved in the spring during the regular legislative session. Stones received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University and a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University. Presses received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Amplify your impact and donate now. Many are no longer cost competitive. [28], Texans outside the ERCOT-controlled grid had a different power experience. [50], ERCOT is governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Texas Legislature. The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved Vegas' selection Tuesday and he will begin his new position Oct. 1. Brad Jones. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) board has selected a new CEO and president. A long-time leader among ERCOT stakeholders, Brad chaired ERCOT's Technical Advisory Committee, a Jobs Mr. Jones has 30+ years of industry experience, including serving as former ERCOT Vice President of Commercial Operations from April 2013 - December 2014 and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from January 2015 - October 2015. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Lake and Jones didnt reveal new information on Fridays outages beyond Jones noting that the six plants went down between noon and 4 p.m. that day. [20] The 1999 deregulation was aimed at counteracting a shortage of generation capacity in the state. (512) 463-2000, Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott, Governor Abbott Appoints Six to Texas Energy Reliability Council. Its our 10th year participating in Amplify, and to celebrate, weve got $15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters. In counties around Beaumont in eastern Texas, Entergy suffered relatively few outages either, because of previous winterization efforts. It should be included in the next special session, said Tom Smith, longtime former director of Public Citizens Texas office. Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, happening in downtown Austin on Sept. 22-24. Prior to becoming President and CEO of the New York ISO, Brad served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Brad Jones of Liberty Hill is the Interim CEO of ERCOT. Regulators say it would. Support the Chronicle, A wintry scene in North Austin during last February's Winter Storm Uri, Solar and wind could do the job more efficiently, advocates say, Google, Cognizant accused of illegal union-busting, Legalizing fentanyl test strips is only step one, advocates say, One click gets you all the newsletters listed below, Breaking news, arts coverage, and daily events. Theyre discussing it anyway. [4] Relatively few electric customers lost power in those regions. ERCOT's interim president appeared before a Senate committee on Tuesday to discuss efforts to improve the state's electrical grid. ERCOT is prioritizing backup gas resources for generating plants: "If natural gas becomes unavailable, they can switch to the alternate fuel on-site. Despite the demand being higher than estimated, Jones is hopeful about getting through the remainder of the summer but he does have some concerns about older thermal generators that ERCOT has asked be up and running as much as possible. Renewable Sources Excluding Hydroelectric and Solar: 38,812 MWh; [6] ERCOT works with the Texas Reliability Entity (TRE),[7] one of eight regional entities within the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) that coordinate to improve reliability of the bulk power grid. Trevino received a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the Texas Tech University. Solar: 5,381 MWh; Lake and Jones said asking Texans to conserve electricity is a tool they use to ensure reliability of the power supply and should not be viewed as a sign that the grid is unstable. [21] Since deregulation, retail providers and power generators were unregulated, although regulations on transmitters continued to control the placement of electrical lines. Senate Bills 2 and 3 included a few key changes to the grid that experts said will begin to address some issues, such as requiring power companies to upgrade plants to withstand more extreme weather and creating a statewide emergency alert system. Log In. over the last decade to implement meaningful grid-related improvements. Brad Jones will fill the role in an interim capacity in early May. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers -- representing about 90 percent of the state's electric load. Texas Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake and ERCOT President Brad Jones said the power grid is prepared for record-breaking summer electricity demand. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has declared an Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 and is urging consumers and businesses to limit their electricity use as much as possible on Sunday. VP - Commercial Operations | Electric Reliability Council of Texas. He has over 35 years of experience in the electric energy industry. or. The winter storm that has moved across our region has caused temperatures to drop well below average for this time of year. The TAC is assisted by five standing subcommittees as well as numerous workgroups and task forces. Jones' hiring as interim president and CEO, after stints as a vice president and chief operations officer at ERCOT between 2013 and 2015, provides more time for the organization to find a permanent leader. But the gas companies that fuel them, despite being the biggest contributors to the blackout (and to Abbott's reelection campaign), didn't have to. He pointed out that even with the winterization requirements, ERCOTs own analysis still points out that there are some extreme weather scenarios that would lead to the grid not having enough power to avoid rolling blackouts. [42], The first lawsuits against ERCOT grid mismanagement were filed on February 19, 2021. Now, officials are working to determine how the Texas power market will create and meet the reliability standard also mandated by Senate Bill 3. "Henry Hub Natural Gas Spot Price (Dollars per Million Btu)", "The Price Spike Report issued July 23, 2003", "Extreme winter weather is disrupting energy supply and demand, particularly in Texas", "What went wrong with the Texas power grid? After the power grid crisis during the February 2021 winter storm that left millions of Texans in the dark during dayslong power outages and caused hundreds of deaths, the Texas Legislature ordered the PUC to make several major changes, including requiring power plants to better prepare for very cold conditions and implementing a reliability standard for the states electricity market. Years of experience in the electric Energy industry he said [ 4 ] relatively few electric customers power. The power grid during the special legislative session deregulation also dropped limits on rate increases unlikely to investing. Against ERCOT grid mismanagement were filed on February 19, 2021 of Public Citizens Texas.! 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