"Henry Hub Natural Gas Spot Price (Dollars per Million Btu)", "The Price Spike Report issued July 23, 2003", "Extreme winter weather is disrupting energy supply and demand, particularly in Texas", "What went wrong with the Texas power grid? VP - Commercial Operations | Electric Reliability Council of Texas. He is a 2017 graduate of the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas in Denton. [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. [6] ERCOT works with the Texas Reliability Entity (TRE),[7] one of eight regional entities within the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) that coordinate to improve reliability of the bulk power grid. | He is a past Chairman of the Edison Electric Institute's Executive Advisory Committee and a board member for the Gulf Coast Power Association. Seems to me we asked you to do something, and youre doing it, he said. Matt Payne reports on Frisco City Hall and its committees, Collin County Commissioners and McKinney business. ", To attempt to corral gas providers, Jones recommended a gas desk at ERCOT to "advise all operators of any gas limitations, maintenance, forced outages, or supply inadequacy." 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.". [8], As the ISO for the region, ERCOT dispatches power on an electric grid that connects more than 46,500 miles of transmission lines and more than 610 generation units.[9]. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. [49] An 11-year-old boy, Cristian Pavon, who died of suspected hypothermia was among the deaths caused by ERCOT's grid system. over the last decade to implement meaningful grid-related improvements. 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. Energy experts say lawmakers could have passed legislation to pay consumers to reduce electricity usage or help Texans better insulate their homes and reduce their electricity usage. . The ERCOT Board of Directors today (April 27) announced the selection of Brad Jones to serve as the interim President and CEO for the Texas grid operator serving 90 percent of the state, effective May 4, 2021. July 13, 20214 PM Central. The scene in North Austin on Feb. 16, 2021, following the devastating winter storm. [19], The deregulation of the Texas electricity market occurred in two phases: the wholesale generation market in 1995 and the rest of the sector in 1999. . AUSTIN, Texas -- The board overseeing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the independent nonprofit entity that operates and manages the electricity grid that covers much of. Jones acknowledged the problem, adding that the state hasnt invested enough in part of our generation fleet.. power. Were seeing those problems show themselves today, Jones said. Based on our data team's research, Brad Jones is the Electric Reliability Council of Texas's CEO. [20] Instead, under the deregulated regime, retailers could contract with providers across the state, creating a complex market. 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. 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. Other: 1,160 MWh. 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. During PUC Chair Peter Lakes testimony before the House State Affairs Committee on Monday, lawmakers questioned whether the proposal would actually achieve what many Republican members appeared to most want, and what Lt. Gov. Amplify your impact and donate now. Greg Abbott's now-infamous guarantee that last year's Winter Storm Uri catastrophe won't be repeated, Jones said, "We've done everything possible to make sure that the lights do stay on." [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. ", "Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. [14], Power demand in the ERCOT region is typically highest in summer, primarily due to air conditioning use in homes and businesses. He pointed out that even with the winterization requirements, ERCOTs own analysis still points out that there are some extreme weather scenarios that would lead to the grid not having enough power to avoid rolling blackouts. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. ERCOT hires Pablo Vegas as new top executive to help manage Texas' power grid. [20] The 1999 deregulation also dropped limits on rate increases. Conservation is a good thing, Jones said. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. With BESS, he says, if Austin were to endure the opposite of Uri a heat dome such as Portland experienced last summer, leading to scores of deaths solar would get us through. The document is filed in PUC Project No. [47] A comprehensive review of news reports, death certificates, and lawsuit filings from every county in Texas led a team of journalists in Houston to set the death toll at 194,[48] while a later review of excess deaths by journalists at BuzzFeed estimated the full indirect mortalities to be between 426 and 978. Magness will soon depart ERCOT following a 60-day termination notice handed to him by ERCOT's board of directors in March. Find a complete list of them here. What ERCOT did by making the announcement on Friday was a greater level of transparency that did not exist before [Winter Storm] Uri, Abbott said. Lawmakers also didn't provide direct aid to people harmed by the February crisis. "He is an experienced leader and. 148 talking about this. The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved Vegas' selection Tuesday and he will begin his new position Oct. 1. Other Gas: 972 MWh; Gov. [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. With the states rapid population growth, this situation is getting more difficult and more challenging every year, he said. All four regulators replaced officials ousted after the winter storm that crippled the grid for days during subfreezing weather. Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, happening in downtown Austin on Sept. 22-24. READ MORE: 6th ERCOT board member resigns during emergency meeting on winter storm outage. 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. She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. The best way to say it is that before, operators had gotten comfortable standing at the edge of the cliff and looking down, and now we stand 10 feet back. The key though, is to make sure we have other resources to balance them." When lawmakers reconvene for another special session in the fall, some are hoping grid-related issues will be on the agenda. 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. Lake and Jones said they didnt have concerns about natural gas-fired power plants the largest source of electricity generation on the power grid despite having to ask Texans to reduce their power consumption on Friday after six power plants unexpectedly broke down. It should be included in the next special session, said Tom Smith, longtime former director of Public Citizens Texas office. If rotating outages are necessary, ERCOT will keep customers updated about the length of time it will be in effect and how the situation is progressing, according to officials. Ensure doors and windows are sealed properly. "The Board looks forward to working with Brad during this time as ERCOT prepares for summer operations," said ERCOT Board Director and HR&G Committee Chair Mark Carpenter. During a press conference last week, Vegas and Lake both emphasized that the proposed changes would be technologically agnostic and would not prioritize one source of power generation over another. Nate Murphy of San Antonio is Senior Counsel for Valero. ERCOT is the independent system operator (ISO) for the region. ERCOT said Texans can reduce electricity use during the summer by reducing electricity use during the late afternoon hours, when demand typically peaks. 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. Recommendations made afterward went unenforced. He's a graduate of Texas State University, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper, The University Star. Jones responded that Downtown's grid is a sort of mesh structure, which makes it more reliable for those businesses but also precludes Austin Energy from turning off any one feeder. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 46,500 miles of transmission lines and 710+ generation units. When we call for it, I want Texans understand: Thats not because were going into rolling outages. The agency has already implemented the winterization regulation the Legislature passed in 2021. The United States Energy Information Administration Electric Power Monthly published the following detailed report regarding Texas's Net Generation by Energy Source: Total (All Sectors), 2010-December 2020, (Thousand Megawatthours), Table 1.1, for the Month of December 2020:[10] Texas Public Utility Commission Chair Peter Lake and ERCOT President Brad Jones said the power grid is prepared for record-breaking summer electricity demand. Edward Stones of Houston is the Global Business Director for Energy & Climate Change for Dow, Inc. Theyre discussing it anyway. READ ALSO: ERCOT hearings continue in Austin. Supply and Demand. 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. The Texas Energy Reliability Council was established to ensure that the energy and electric industries in this state meet high priority human needs and address critical infrastructure concerns, and enhance coordination and communication in the energy and electric industries in this state. Brad Jones will fill the role in an interim capacity in early May. ERCOT and its regulator, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, failed to adopt a mandatory standard for preparing electricity infrastructure for such occurrences (winterization), despite recommendations from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). Instead of waiting until the grid is already experiencing emergency conditions, ERCOT now releases conservation notices in advance of emergency conditions in an effort to avoid the scenario altogether. Energy experts have raised concerns about the states aging energy infrastructure following the February storm, and state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, questioned the grid officials about those concerns. Greg Abbott and many state lawmakers quickly criticized the Electric Reliability Council of Texas because several members of its large . To remove industry jargon, to speak to you in ways that all of us can understand.. Dan Patrick has already demanded: a guarantee that more natural gas plants will be built in Texas. [17] The board delivered a 60-day termination notice to Magness, who had been president and CEO since 2016. Jones, who worked for Texas energy companies and in senior roles at ERCOT before leading New York state's power grid operator as president, takes ERCOT's top job from Bill Magness, who was fired as president and CEO in early March after a winter storm in February left millions of people in the dark for days amid freezing temperature and claimed more than 100 lives. (512) 463-2000, Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott, Governor Abbott Appoints Six to Texas Energy Reliability Council. In 1970, ERCOT was formed to comply with NERC requirements. Senate Bills 2 and 3 included a few key changes to the grid that experts said will begin to address some issues, such as requiring power companies to upgrade plants to withstand more extreme weather and creating a statewide emergency alert system. You can learn more at nbutexas.com and on NBUs Facebook page. Murphy received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the United States Air Force Academy, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law, and a Master of Public Administration from The University of Texas at San Antonio. AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) On July 13 the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) delivered what it calls a "roadmap to improving grid reliability" to . Brad Jones, and the three-member board of the Public Utility Commission, which oversees Jones and the Electric . [51][12], The PUC has primary jurisdiction over activities conducted by ERCOT. Austin Texas 78711 Brad Johnson January 20, 2023. . Did Texas energy regulators fail to mandate winter protections? Jones expressed some caution about times that are dark and still, meaning when the sun isnt shining to produce solar power and when wind isnt blowing enough to produce wind energy. Demand is growing at a pace that is outpacing [quickly available power] generation in the state, Pablo Vegas, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state power grid, told lawmakers on Monday. The most recent conservation appeal from ERCOT to Texans and Texas businesses was sent Wednesday. Jordan Vonderhaar for. Gov. There, he oversaw Commercial Operations and Grid Planning and Operations. Breaking down the state's power sources from gas to wind. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. The terms of Mr. Jones' engagement with ERCOT will be established with the ERCOT Human Resources and Governance Committee, subject to Board approval. 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 that on the hottest day of summer, the grid demand could reach a max of 77,300 megawatts. The rule, if implemented, would punish those who failed to produce the power they promised with financial penalties. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. 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.. 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 [20] The 1999 deregulation was aimed at counteracting a shortage of generation capacity in the state. 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