ERCOT Says Texas Power Grid is 'More Reliable Than Ever'

The head of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) assured Texans that the “lights will stay on” this winter.

During a meeting between the PUC and the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), PUC chairman Peter Lake said the power grid is "stronger and more reliable than ever," according to KIII-TV.

Following the crippling winter storm that hit the state last February, Texas is requiring all of the state’s power plants to be winterized for the first time ever. Power companies were supposed to confirm they had been prepared for winter by December 1.

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97% of companies have submitted readiness reports as of this posting, with eight companies being fined by the PUC for not filing reports on time. The eight companies account for less that 1% of the total power generated in the state.

The next step is for ERCOT to start inspecting the plants to ensure winterization is up to their standards. The inspections are expected to be completed by December 29.

Lake says both the PUC and ERCOT are working at “lightning speed” to make sure plants are ready for winter:

At both ERCOT and PUC, we are operating at lightning speed to improve operations and to enhance our grid and ensure reliability for this winter. For the first time ever, we have gotten improved checks and balances to ensure a higher level of reliability than we've ever had.

Hopefully the system of checks and balances will prove to be effective and we won’t have to endure power outages the next time we get hit with severe winter weather.

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