Texas Power Grid Suffers Emergency Amidst Summer Heat
The Texas power grid, managed by ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), came dangerously close to implementing rolling outages on Wednesday, September 6. This marked the first time since the deadly winter storm in February 2021 that the grid entered level two emergency operations. If the grid instability had persisted for another 15 minutes, ERCOT would have been forced to resort to rolling outages in order to preserve the grid’s integrity. This unnerving event represents the 11th time this summer that Texans have been asked to conserve energy and highlights the state’s closest encounter with an electricity shortfall in two years.
The spike in demand was primarily driven by scorching triple-digit temperatures across the state, prompting residents to heavily rely on their air conditioners. At its peak, Texans demanded approximately 83 gigawatts of electricity, slightly below the record of 85 gigawatts set in August. However, the supply of electricity dwindled on Wednesday, with wind turbines generating only about one-third of their average daily output over the past month. Additionally, several coal and natural gas plants were offline, although the outages were not considered extreme by ERCOT.
The grid conditions on Wednesday were reminiscent of other summer days that did not require emergency operations. However, the balance of supply and demand began to destabilize as grid frequency, a live indicator of this balance, faltered after ERCOT issued a “transmission watch” for a crucial power line. The line responsible for transmitting electricity from coastal Texas generators to consumers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area became excessively hot due to the increased energy flow. According to Josh Rhodes, an energy researcher at the University of Texas, the hotter the power lines, the less energy they can safely carry. Overloaded lines can even result in fires and damage to critical transmission infrastructure.
To mitigate severe damage, ERCOT compensates electricity generators for reducing their production, even during periods of high demand. This measure aims to alleviate transmission congestion which restricts the flow of generation from South Texas to other parts of the grid. However, this approach poses a significant challenge when wind energy should ideally increase as solar energy declines, ensuring a continuous supply. On Wednesday, southern Texas generators curtailed over one gigawatt of coastal electricity production at the same time solar power went offline, exacerbating the strain on the grid. The urgent need to upgrade Texas’ transmission infrastructure and establish new lines to connect renewable energy sources to urban centers has long been advocated by researchers like Josh Rhodes. Despite the persisting issue, Wednesday’s situation was the first to be exacerbated into an emergency by transmission congestion.
Fortunately, Texas managed to avert outages through the effectiveness of its backup systems. Record amounts of stored electricity from batteries were supplied to the grid on that day. Moreover, Texas secured additional electricity from federally-regulated grids through minor interconnections along its borders. Although residential consumers likely did not actively participate in conservation efforts, some major power consumers voluntarily reduced their usage or shut down operations entirely. In times of need, bitcoin miners, supercomputer operators, industrial manufacturers, and data centers are financially incentivized by the state to conserve energy. As evidence of the financial benefits, one bitcoin mining company received nearly $32 million to abstain from operations in August.
However, such conservation programs remain exclusive to large-scale consumers, raising concerns about fairness and equity. Most Texans are unable to benefit from these lucrative arrangements, as they are not offered any financial incentives to reduce their electricity consumption during peak hours. Ed Hirs, an energy fellow at the University of Houston, criticized the current system, stating that ordinary consumers should receive the same financial benefits as industrial customers. In response to this criticism, ERCOT has expressed a newfound interest in including residential customers in demand response programs. They have partnered with Texas A&M University to evaluate the potential impact and cost of such an inclusion, with the aim of enhancing grid reliability.
In conclusion, the Texas power grid came perilously close to implementing rolling outages as it entered level two emergency operations for the first time since the winter storm in February. The surge in demand, fueled by scorching temperatures, coupled with insufficient supply, placed immense pressure on the grid. Transmission congestion further complicated the situation, reinforcing the need for Texas to upgrade its transmission infrastructure and build new lines to support renewable energy sources. Thankfully, Texas averted outages through effective backup systems, the use of batteries, and procuring electricity from alternate grids. However, the current conservation programs disproportionately benefit large consumers, prompting calls for residential inclusion. ERCOT’s expressed interest in evaluating demand response programs for residential customers signifies a potential shift towards a more equitable energy landscape in Texas.
