Oil and gas companies have said the region needs more power. Environmentalists and a conservative think tank worry the state is moving too fast — and ratepayers will see the costs in their bills.
With below-freezing temperatures expected to arrive this weekend, Texas officials and agencies are preparing for potential icy conditions in San Antonio.
ERCOT is making a first attempt at a planning process in which multiple requests will be considered simultaneously.
As companies look to build projects that consume more power than cities, the state’s grid manager is trying to plan how to provide enough electricity to meet the demand.
This week, Matthew and Eleanor speak with Eric Goff, founder of an energy policy advising firm, about the growth of wind and solar power in Texas and whether it will continue after recent federal efforts targeting the industry.
CPS Energy’s executive team shared a single message Friday on all company fronts: the utility company is ready for the summer. The message was affirmed by Rudy Garza, the utility’s president and CEO.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas anticipates that the power grid will handle the increased demand, largely thanks to solar power.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas issued a weather watch Monday due to forecasted frigid weather, increased electricity demand and the possibility of lower energy reserves.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has issued a weather watch for a portion of next week due to forecasted cold weather, increased electricity demand and the possibility of lower energy reserves.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has issued a weather watch for a portion of next week due to forecasted cold weather, increased electricity demand, and the possibility of lower energy reserves.
CPS Energy wants to close three gas plants they say cost too much money and are old. ERCOT fights back saying they are needed to help sustain the Texas power grid.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has issued a Weather Watch for Wednesday due to anticipated high temperatures, high levels of expected maintenance outage and the potential for low reserves.
Years in the making, the transition from a municipal electric company to an open market has left some residents unsure.
Pablo Vegas, president and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said preparation and planning were among the reasons the grid held firm.
ERCOT is requesting safe conservation efforts on Tuesday morning from 6-9 a.m.
Gov. Greg Abbott stressed the reliability of the Texas power grid as an arctic front takes aim at Texas, and asked people to take precautions now as some parts of the state will be below freezing for more than 72 hours.
The Electrical Reliability Council of Texas adjusted its Weather Watch to begin on Sunday, Jan. 14, through Wednesday, Jan. 17.
ERCOT and local energy companies have been alerting Texans to reduce their energy use during peak hours, but other than asking politely, there’s not much they can do to force people to comply.
CPS Energy said it would return to its Yellow Alert after ERCOT’s Energy Emergency Alert Level 2 has been discontinued. ERCOT said Wednesday night that it would move to Energy Emergency Alert Level 1.
The Electrical Reliability Council of Texas issued a Weather Watch for Wednesday thru Friday due to forecasted higher temperatures, higher electrical demand, and the potential for lower reserves.
Record-high power demand and faltering electricity sources have tested the grid in the past month, forcing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas to dig deep into its toolbox to keep power flowing.
Texans are being asked to conserve energy Wednesday evening as tight grid conditions are expected to continue, according to ERCOT.
ERCOT is requesting Texans to conserve energy on Tuesday evening as tight grid conditions are expected.
ERCOT and CPS Energy are urging Texans to conserve their energy use on Saturday evening due to the expectation for tight grid conditions.
ERCOT is urging Texans to conserve their energy use Saturday afternoon and evening due to the expectation for tight grid conditions.
ERCOT is urging Texans to conserve their energy use on Friday evening due to the expectation for tight grid conditions.
Due to low wind-power generation and high demand, operating reserves for ERCOT are expected to be low for several hours Thursday, prompting an appeal for Texans to conserve electricity use, from 3-10 p.m.
The latest conservation request from ERCOT — the third in the past week — sought to reduce power demand from 3 to 10 p.m. Thursday.
The Electrical Reliability Council of Texas has extended a Weather Watch for a second consecutive week due to 100-plus-degree high temperatures, higher electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves.
The Electrical Reliability Council of Texas has issued a Weather Watch due to high temperatures, higher electrical demand and the potential for lower reserves
The all-Republican court narrowly found that the nonprofit corporation operating the state’s electrical grid qualifies for sovereign immunity, which protects government entities from lawsuits.
ERCOT is asking Texans to voluntarily reduce electricity use from 4– 8 p.m. Tuesday due to extreme temperatures and forecasted record demand.
Texans were asked to conserve energy from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday as temperatures climb over 100 degrees for much of the state.
The Electrical Reliability Council of Texas issued a weather watch Tuesday that will be effective late this week to early next, from June 15 to June 21.
Public Utility Commission chair Peter Lake had spearheaded a plan to help the state’s power grid withstand weather disasters, but the plan lacked support in the Texas Legislature.
Electric Reliability Council of Texas officials are set to give an update to Texans regarding the reliability of the state’s power grid.
After the snow and ice of February 2021 had melted and power and water service finally returned, catastrophe turned to criticism. Lawmakers and power providers have since gone to work in hopes that it doesn't happen again.
It’s an event that those of us around Texas will likely remember for the rest of our lives: The Big Freeze of February 2021.
Tens of thousands of Austin households and businesses went days without electricity after a winter storm wreaked havoc across Texas.
Friends in North Austin removed downed trees from neighbors’ roofs, while closer to the city core, volunteers rushed to meet the immediate needs of people without homes — those most severely impacted by the freezing temperatures.
Gov. Greg Abbott is holding a news conference on Wednesday morning ahead of the hard freeze that’s expected to hit Texas on Thursday afternoon.
The proposal is aimed at making sure power providers and electricity generators have enough power on hand in case of increased demand. But it’s not clear how it would hold up in unexpected weather, an expert said.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has closed its criminal inquiry into power outages related last year’s deadly winter storm without filing any charges, BCSO officials confirmed Monday.
The governor shared the favorable forecast — which is normal for the fall months — ahead of a competitive race in which the grid’s performance during last year’s fatal winter storm may factor into Texans’ decisions at the polls.
With energy consumption high this summer and the cost of fuel used to create electricity also up, Texans are seeing higher utility bills. An energy fellow at the University of Houston explains why those bills are going up.
Power outages are a possibility during any severe weather event. But a local power outage is different from a larger power grid problem.
In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Mitchell and Patrick about the power grid, the race for governor and the extra money the Texas Legislature will have on hand to spend next year.
In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, ERCOT Interim president and CEO Brad Jones said forecasters for the organization did not anticipate the extreme heat and projected on the hottest day of summer that the grid demand would reach 77,300 megawatts.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is urging Texans to conserve energy on Wednesday as triple-digit temperatures are once again in the forecast.
Flames at a CPS Energy substation intensified Monday’s weather conditions in San Antonio, cutting off power to thousands on the South Side for hours.
CPS Energy customers are frustrated with their recent energy bills, saying this is the last thing they need on top of high gas prices and inflation.
ERCOT predicts the statewide energy demand will be record-breaking this Friday, with demand expected to hit 77 Gigawatts. CPS Energy officials say they’re ready to meet growing demand.
The recent heatwave has many people concerned about whether the Texas power grid can keep up with the demand and usage as we head into the summer.
ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas who operates the power grid for the state, is expected to talk to the media this afternoon about its summer assessment on power usage.
After six power facilities went offline Friday, the state’s main power grid operator is asking residents across the state to conserve power this weekend amid sweltering temperatures.
Texas is about to get very hot with the weather forecasted to hit triple digits this weekend in many areas across the state, including San Antonio.
After 2021’s winter storm electric blackouts, Texas lawmakers worked to shore up the state’s electric grid. But they’re not finished, despite what you might hear from campaigning politicians.
While testifying in a bankruptcy trial for a Texas electric co-op, the state’s former grid manager said Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive led them to keep power price points high during last year’s winter storm, according to a Houston Chronicle report.
The first really cold weather of the year came and went without straining the state’s electric grid — a welcome relief for voters and for politicians, who didn’t want a repeat of 2021's winter blackouts.
In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Mitchell and James about how Texas held up during the wintry weather, plus the struggles of the National Guard during their border deployment.
Gov. Greg Abbott will hold a news conference following his briefing with statewide officials about the response to the second day of the winter storm.
In the wake of last year's freeze, CPS Energy says it has spent $2 million on preparing its power plants -- built to operate in Texas summers -- to hold up and keep operating in the freezing cold, too.
While February’s deadly winter storm not only left hundreds of thousands of San Antonio residents without power in subfreezing temperatures, some for days on end, it also exposed a large number of organizational issues within CPS Energy, the largest public power company in the nation.
In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Mitchell, James and Karen about the status of the power grid and the pandemic heading into winter.
Gov. Greg Abbott says he can "guarantee" there won't be blackouts this winter in Texas after one that knocked out power for some people for four days last February. That's the kind of pre-election prediction that can make a weather forecaster more useful than a political poll.
The most severe scenario considered by ERCOT for this winter — very high demand for power, extensive fossil fuel outages, and low renewable power production — does not capture the amount of power lost during February.
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It’s been six months since the deadly February winter storm left millions across the state without power for days, and many questions about what went wrong remain unanswered. The KSAT Explains team and the Defenders have been closely following the fallout of the storm. We take a look at four things we've learned so far.
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The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) released a new plan Tuesday to address improvements and outline reforms to the Texas Power Grid, according to a news release.
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The Committee on Emergency Preparedness presented its analysis of what went wrong during the extended freezing temperatures and how the city and its utilities could prepare better next time.
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The Public Utility Commission said the state's main power grid operator will have three days — instead of 60 — to release some information about power plant outages. But that may not include why the electricity generators were offline.
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