Governor Abbott Says Texas Power Grid Will be Inspected to Ensure Winter Reliability
Here’s to hoping we don’t have a repeat of the winter storm we Texans had to endure last winter. But Governor Greg Abbott says there is a plan in place in case it does happen again.
In a tweet sent out yesterday (December 5), the governor said grid operator ERCOT is going to inspect over 300 natural gas, nuclear, coal, wind and solar generation plants by the end of the year.
A new rule approved by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) requires all Texas energy providers to winterize their facilities in accordance with recommendation made in 2011 and 2012 following the severe winter weather that state experienced back in 2011, according to KIII-TV.
A memorandum from the PUC says the rule is the first phase toward improving the reliability of the power grid in the event of severe winter weather:
This project represents the first of two phases in the commission's development of robust weather emergency preparedness reliability standards and will help ensure that the electric industry is prepared to provide continuous reliable electric service throughout this upcoming winter weather season.
While that’s certainly good news, an analysis of ERCOT conducted in November concluded that while Texas power plants are better prepared heading into this winter, the system could still be vulnerable to blackouts.
Hopefully, the improvements will be enough to get us through the winter without experiencing any blackouts. Only time will tell.