Breaking down the state's power sources from gas to wind. Lake said that the agency was simply moving forward with what the Legislature asked it to do last year with Senate Bill 3 but later said, We dont plan on operationalizing any market designs until we receive guidance from the Legislature.. The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. 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. Jones responded that Downtown's grid is a sort of mesh structure, which makes it more reliable for those businesses but also precludes Austin Energy from turning off any one feeder. July 13, 2021 / 8:50 AM / CBS Texas. Brad Jones of Liberty Hill is the Interim CEO of ERCOT. He has over 35 years of experience in the electric energy industry. 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. [17] The board delivered a 60-day termination notice to Magness, who had been president and CEO since 2016. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is a nonprofit organization that ensures reliable electric service for 90 percent of the state of Texas. Brad Jones. ERCOT's interim president appeared before a Senate committee on Tuesday to discuss efforts to improve the state's electrical grid. On Tuesday, Abbott amended his statement in regards to this week's ice storm: "No one can guarantee there won't be a load shed event. September 28, 2021 | Austin, Texas Presses received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Vegas replaces interim CEO Brad Jones, who took over when the ERCOT board. Austin Texas 78711 "He is an experienced leader and. An ISO schedules power on an electric grid and ensures the grid can . 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. 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. [45], On February 16, 2021, it was reported that at least 10 deaths were linked to the 2021 ERCOT grid power outages. Brad Jones, interim president and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, shared new accountability plans and fielded several questions in a town hall coordinated by state Reps Matt . 90%. ", "Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. Your donation keeps our trusted reporting free and accessible for all Texans and during a legislative session when lawmakers are set to tackle issues from school choice for K-12 students to school safety improvements to changes in property taxes, its critical that Texans know what lawmakers decisions mean for their futures. The agency has already implemented the winterization regulation the Legislature passed in 2021. Lake said that right now, according to an analysts report commissioned by the PUC, the Texas grid can be expected to experience rolling blackouts at least one day per year on average. | 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. A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austins independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the communitys political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Were seeing those problems show themselves today, Jones said. Seems to me we asked you to do something, and youre doing it, he said. Were losing megawatts, but we have more people, more businesses.. My guarantee to you is that we intend to communicate more clearly than weve done in the past, Jones told lawmakers. 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. AUSTIN, Texas -- During February's deadly winter storm, Gov. In Texas, that would largely mean new natural-gas-fired plants. Its a scenario that ERCOT forecasters originally only gave a 5% chance of happening, Jones told the Houston Chronicle. We used to stand right at the edge of the cliff before calling one, now were 10 feet back when we start to it manage.. Texas Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake, appointed by Gov. Thanks to an updated method for conservation notices, ERCOT has also been able to cut demand beyond what officials expected. 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. ", "I commend the ERCOT Board for confirming a leader of Brad's caliber as interim CEO," said PUC Chairman Peter Lake. Jones expressed some caution about times that are dark and still, meaning when the sun isnt shining to produce solar power and when wind isnt blowing enough to produce wind energy. 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. About See All. Texas is likely to see a hotter and drier summer than normal this year, according to an April climate outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and 2021 is likely to rank among the 10 warmest years on record globally. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. 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. Energy experts have raised concerns about the states aging energy infrastructure following the February storm, and state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, questioned the grid officials about those concerns. 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. ERCOT is the independent system operator (ISO) for the region. He implored his colleagues to focus on the task at hand: What I hope, members, is that we can try to figure out how to get Texas to the next step, to the next decade [because] the demand continues to go up, and continues to go up.. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Community See All. When we call for it, I want Texans understand: Thats not because were going into rolling outages. Lake said many of the changes, including better weatherization, have already improved the grids performance and that without the new regulations directed by the Legislature in 2021, the state grid would have experienced emergency condition or blackout eight times in the last 18 months. 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. "Is ERCOT a government agency? Lawmakers also didn't provide direct aid to people harmed by the February crisis. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. It wasn't ready for the extreme cold", "LMP Contour Map: Real-Time Market - Locational Marginal Pricing", "Real-Time Settlement Point Prices Display for February 16, 2021", "The Texas grid got crushed because its operators didn't see the need to prepare for cold weather", "Real-Time Settlement Point Prices Display for February 10, 2021", "Surging Texas Power Prices Promise Both Doom and Riches", "Letter from Griddy about the storm and prices", "ERCOT asks Austin Energy to shed more power, could mean outages for emergency services", "48 hours without power a 'nightmare' as residents demand answers", "A Full List of All The Record Cold Texas Temperatures", "Governor Abbott Declares ERCOT Reform An Emergency Item", "Report on Outages and Curtailments during the Southwest Cold Weather Event of February 1-5, 2011 - Causes and Recommendations", "Texas Was Warned a Decade Ago Its Grid Was Unready for Cold", "Texas counties with fewer power outages are not part of state grid", "Lawsuits against ERCOT allege warnings about Texas grid issues 'consciously ignored', "Texas power grid operator ERCOT sued over blackouts", "Regulatory Coverage: ERCOT Discloses Short-Pay Balance of $2.5B; Organization to Release Weekly Short-Pay Report Starting March 8", "Winter storm in Texas: At least 10 deaths linked to statewide disaster; Austin outages may last another day or more", "Texas' death toll from February storm, outages surpasses 100", "Nearly 200 People Died In February's Winter Storm, Double The State's Initial Estimate", "The Texas Winter Storm And Power Outages Killed Hundreds More People Than The State Says", "Family of 11-year-old boy who died in unheated Texas mobile home sues power companies for over $100 million", "ERCOT is in charge of Texas' power, but one-third of its board lives out of state", "ERCOT Removes Names of Board Members from Site Following Death Threats Over Texas Outages", "ERCOT Will Restore Board of Directors' Names to Website After Death Threats Prompted Their Removal", "ERCOT officials spent 40 seconds on winter storm preparedness at Feb. 9 meeting", "ERCOT board meeting last week included joke about cowboy boots, less than 40 seconds of storm talk", "Listen to ERCOT leaders spend 40 seconds on preparedness before Texas winter storm", "ERCOT leaders spent less than a minute discussing winter storm preparedness at Feb. 9 meeting", "ERCOT board members who live outside of Texas are resigning in the aftermath of the power outage, winter storm", "4 ERCOT board members to resign amid backlash over Texas storm", "5 ERCOT board members who live outside of Texas resign in aftermath of power outage, winter storm", Assessing climate sensitivity of peak electricity load for resilient power systems planning and operation: A study applied to the Texas region, Regional transmission organization (North America), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electric_Reliability_Council_of_Texas&oldid=1141382984, Electric power transmission system operators in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. ERCOT, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Winter Storm Uri, Gina Hinojosa, Brad Jones, Greg Abbott, Austin Energy, blackouts, League of Women Voters, Texas Railroad Commission, Information is power. Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, happening in downtown Austin on Sept. 22-24. The ERCOT Board of Directors today (April 27) announced the selection of Brad Jones to serve as the interim President and CEO for the Texas grid operator serving 90 percent of the state, effective May 4, 2021. Petroleum Coke: 742 MWh; We manage the flow of Texas' power supply. 9:50 AM Dec 2, 2021 CST Heat Wave Renews Call for Renewable Energy, Bernie, Casar Lend Support to YouTube Staff on Strike, Hundreds Die-In at Texas Capitol to Demand Movement on Overdose Crisis, I Live Here I Give Here: Amplify Austin Day. There, he oversaw Commercial Operations and Grid Planning and Operations. Overall, Jones says, "We've been bringing on additional reserves to make sure we have an abundance of caution. Many are no longer cost competitive. But it would add financial rewards for power plants that can quickly produce electricity when the grid is at its most stressed, such as during very hot or very cold days. [18], At the beginning of World War II, several electric utilities in Texas agreed to operate together as the Texas Interconnected System (TIS) to support the war effort. Greg Abbott's now-infamous guarantee that last year's Winter Storm Uri catastrophe won't be repeated, Jones said, "We've done everything possible to make sure that the lights do stay on." He has over 30 years of experience as a process engineer. Double your gift when you give by 6 p.m. Thursday. The threat is real, and its happening, he said. Other Gas: 972 MWh; What ERCOT did by making the announcement on Friday was a greater level of transparency that did not exist before [Winter Storm] Uri, Abbott said. However, the Texas grid is not subject to regulation under the Federal Power Act, being an intrastate grid for the purposes of that law. If rotating outages are necessary, ERCOT will keep customers updated about the length of time it will be in effect and how the situation is progressing, according to officials. miles of transmission lines. Energy experts say lawmakers could have passed legislation to pay consumers to reduce electricity usage or help Texans better insulate their homes and reduce their electricity usage. She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. 148 talking about this. Board of Directors. | 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. "The Board looks forward to working with Brad during this time as ERCOT prepares for summer operations," said ERCOT Board Director and . Heres how you can help reduce electricity use, according to ERCOT: According to officials, at this time, ERCOT has additional resources that are only available during tight conditions, so rotating outages are not likely.. Meanwhile, the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the natural gas industry, has required those providers to sign up as critical services whose own electricity won't be shut down during a blackout. Create new account. Greg Abbott and many state lawmakers quickly criticized the Electric Reliability Council of Texas because several members of its large . Your donation keeps our trusted reporting free and accessible for all Texans and during a legislative session when lawmakers are set to tackle issues from school choice for K-12 students to school safety improvements to changes in property taxes, its critical that Texans know what lawmakers decisions mean for their futures. In counties around El Paso in western Texas, El Paso Electric reported that, as a result of it having investing millions in cold weather upgrades after the 2011 cold snap, 3,000 customers lost power for less than five minutes. Regulators say it would. ERCOT is prioritizing backup gas resources for generating plants: "If natural gas becomes unavailable, they can switch to the alternate fuel on-site. [54], The ERCOT board appoints ERCOT's officers to direct and manage ERCOT's day-to-day operations, accompanied by a team of executives and managers responsible for critical components of ERCOT's operation. 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