Overall, Jones says, "We've been bringing on additional reserves to make sure we have an abundance of caution. (512) 463-2000, Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott, Governor Abbott Appoints Six to Texas Energy Reliability Council. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. Recognizing the reliability advantages of remaining interconnected, TIS members continued to operate and develop the interconnected grid. The most recent conservation appeal from ERCOT to Texans and Texas businesses was sent Wednesday. But after recent leadership shakeups at ERCOT and the PUC, it is state lawmakers who are now increasingly coming under pressure to pass substantial legislation that would protect the state from another power failure the next time inclement weather hits Texas. 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. [34][35], Approximately 4 million customers in Texas were without electricity for various times during the multi-day storm. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. ( ERCOT) is an American organization that operates Texas 's electrical grid, the Texas Interconnection, [3] [4] which supplies power to more than 25 million Texas customers and represents 90 percent of the state's electric load. Pavon's family sued Entergy Texas and ERCOT for gross negligence. What percentage of Texas energy is renewable? Brad Jones, interim CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, expressed confidence in the states grid heading into summer at a Tuesday press conference. Brad Jones of Liberty Hill is the Interim CEO of ERCOT. September 28, 2021 | Austin, Texas [59][60][61][62] On February 23, ERCOT announced the resignation of five out-of-state board members effective the end of the board meeting the following day. [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. Got something to say? About See All. Taylor received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire. Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Leaders of the Texas power grid tried to assure the public Tuesday that the states grid is ready for summer, when they forecast record-breaking demand for electricity during the hottest stretches. Find a complete list of them here. | 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.. When we call for it, I want Texans understand: Thats not because were going into rolling outages. 9:50 AM Dec 2, 2021 CST, 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 Shaheen, R-Plano, and Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, on Dec. 1 at the George A. Purefoy Municipal Center. [36][37] During the power loss, some Texans were forced to survive in record freezing temperatures down to 2F (19C). That's the difference.". At least one of the plants that delayed its repairs broke down Friday, and industry officials say others did, too. or. Set ceiling fans to the winter setting by running them clockwise, to pull the warm air down. He is a corporate member representative for the Texas Oil & Gas Association, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers, Louisiana Energy Users Group, Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers, Texas Energy Coalition, and the Association of Oil Pipe Lines. Natural Gas: 125,704 MWh; 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. Matt Payne reports on Frisco City Hall and its committees, Collin County Commissioners and McKinney business. When lawmakers reconvene for another special session in the fall, some are hoping grid-related issues will be on the agenda. The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved Vegas' selection Tuesday and he will begin his new position Oct. 1. Recommendations made afterward went unenforced. [11] ERCOT also performs financial settlements for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for 7 million premises in competitive choice areas. power. Nate Murphy of San Antonio is Senior Counsel for Valero. Creighton added that it may take the PUC and ERCOT months or years to implement some of the changes lawmakers approved in the spring, such as requiring power plants to protect critical infrastructure from extreme weather. [9], ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation,[12][13] and its members include consumers, electric cooperatives, generators, power marketers, retail electric providers, investor-owned electric utilities (transmission and distribution providers), and municipally owned electric utilities. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas Board of Directors has selected Brad Jones to serve as interim president and CEO for the organization that manages the Texas power grid.. 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. See more of Electric Reliability Council of Texas on Facebook. Additionally, he is a member of the California State Bar and an inactive member of the Colorado State Bar. Hydroelectric Conventional: 23,086 MWh; 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. 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. Appointment. The winter storm that has moved across our region has caused temperatures to drop well below average for this time of year. Vegas replaces interim CEO Brad Jones, who took over when the ERCOT board. Winter storm blackouts plagued Texas in 2011, too. 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. [52], The ERCOT organization is governed by a board of directors made up of independent members, consumers and representatives from each of ERCOT's electric market segments. He did not elaborate. Tuesdays hearing was more of a status update on the power grid, but it was the first public opportunity for lawmakers to question the grid operators interim president, Brad Jones, and the three-member board of the Public Utility Commission, which oversees Jones and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "He is an experienced leader and. Some key points in the plan include requiring CEOs of energy companies to sign a letter that their equipment is prepared to withstand inclement weather, incentivizing power plant operators to store reserve fuel onsite in case of emergencies and re-writing ERCOTs external communications materials to better inform the public about the state of Texas power supply. Its a shame the public doesnt have confidence in the system, state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, told Jones. Set thermostats to 68 degrees while at home, or as low as comfortably tolerable. Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, happening in downtown Austin on Sept. 22-24. He is a past Chairman of the Edison Electric Institute's Executive Advisory Committee and a board member for the Gulf Coast Power Association. [49] An 11-year-old boy, Cristian Pavon, who died of suspected hypothermia was among the deaths caused by ERCOT's grid system. Public Utility Commission of Texas Chairman Peter Lake and Electric Reliability Council of Texas CEO Brad Jones will hold a press conference to discuss the readiness of the Texas power grid for the 2022 summer [57][58] The board was also criticized for its meeting days before the storm: though the meeting lasted more than two hours, the members spent less than a minute discussing storm preparations and readiness. 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. Jones acknowledged the problem, adding that the state hasnt invested enough in part of our generation fleet.. [51][12], The PUC has primary jurisdiction over activities conducted by ERCOT. 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. You can get the very latest forecast anytime by bookmarking our weather page and downloading the KSAT Weather Authority App - available for both Apple and Android devices. She is a mentor for American Corporate Partners. Jones credited Texans for helping out and told the paper this is where I get impressed by the Texas spirit, the spirit of people who wanted to help each other.. Michele Richmond, the executive director for Texas Competitive Power Advocates, an industry group that represents large power companies, said her members were prepared to build new gas-fired power plants in Texas between 2024 and 2026 capable of producing 4,600 megawatts of power if the Legislature does not inhibit the implementation and the PUCs rule-making process continues as planned. Can't keep up with happenings around town? Any light through the door indicates a penetration of cold air coming into the home. 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. He called renewable sources of energy a luxury.. ", Power plants had until Dec. 1 to file weatherization reports, and all did except eight, who received fines totaling $7.5 million. On Wednesday, Jan. 26, the League of Women Voters and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, hosted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' interim CEO Brad Jones on a "listening tour" to explain what's being done to prepare the grid for another winter storm. Conservation is a good thing, Jones said. by Mitchell Ferman Lake declined to respond directly to the letter from senators during the House hearing Monday but said that the agency is grateful for feedback., I agree we need more dispatchable power, Lake said. 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. There, he oversaw Commercial Operations and Grid Planning and Operations. Board of Directors. "He is an experienced leader and understands the ERCOT vision and mission. 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. Other: 1,160 MWh. 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. Last week, senators from the Business and Commerce Committee, after hearing similar testimony from Lake, wrote a letter to PUCs commissioners expressing their concern that the PUCs proposal may fail to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 3 and would not guarantee that new generation will be built in a timely and cost effective manner., Also last week, Patrick held a press conference in which he called for legislation that would cause additional natural-gas-fired power plants to be built in addition to the PUCs proposed market changes. of Texas. The operator of the state's main electricity grid has hired a new CEO, ending a 16-month period in the aftermath of . Melissa Trevino of Houston is the Assistant Vice President for Power at Occidental Energy Ventures, where she leads the energy management team and oversees the power reporting and compliance group. Brad Jones, interim CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, expressed confidence in the state's grid heading into summer at a Tuesday press conference. We can help. Hunter and Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, repeatedly questioned Lake about whether the PUCs vote on the market redesign which is expected in January after the public has an opportunity to comment on the plan would be binding and whether the Legislature would have the opportunity to make changes to it. Seems to me we asked you to do something, and youre doing it, he said. Brad Jones will fill the role in an interim capacity in early May. The selection of Pablo Vegas to head the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, comes about a year and half after a devastating February's 2021 winter storm left dozens dead,. over the last decade to implement meaningful grid-related improvements. Jakob Rodriguez is a digital journalist at KSAT 12. "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. The same is true for critical infrastructure like hospitals, he said: utilities are trying to centralize those lines "so the power goes to the hospital, but those other 100 customers that are on that same line can now help in reducing their load.". Brad Jones. In the weeks since the winter storm, both ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the regulatory body that oversees it, have been lambasted for failures in preparing for and responding to the storm. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas ensures a reliable electric grid and efficient electricity markets. We need a reliability standard.. He is a 2017 graduate of the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas in Denton. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) board has selected a new CEO and president. 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. Erin Douglas, Kate McGee and Jolie McCullough, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 20:02. Dec. 5, 20223 PM Central. In the days and weeks before the plant failures, ERCOT had asked several energy companies to delay their scheduled maintenance in order to keep up with the hotter-than-expected May weather. Supply and Demand. The scene in North Austin on Feb. 16, 2021, following the devastating winter storm. 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. Rep. Richard Pea Raymond, D-Laredo, said he doesnt understand why lawmakers in the Senate asked the PUC to hit the brakes on its proposal. 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