Rising summer temperatures and plummeting winter temperatures have come to bring with them the fear of potential power outages across the state.
However, recent testimony from the head of ERCOT has Texas leaders concerned about the power grid’s not-so-distant future and whether it will be able to provide sufficient power to support the state even without facing extreme conditions.
Texas Scorecard reports on how leaders are responding to news of the potential shortfall:
Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are raising urgent concerns about the future stability of Texas’ power grid.
A joint statement released today follows recent testimony from ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas, who warned that Texas might need 150,000 megawatts of power to support its grid by 2030—just six years away.
Texas typically has around 85,000 megawatts of power from wind, solar, coal, nuclear, and natural gas sources.
The potential shortfall has prompted Abbott and Patrick to call for an immediate review of all policies related to the grid. In their statement, they highlighted the pressing need for action.
“If the new estimate is correct, the updated numbers provided by Mr. Vegas call for an immediate review of all policies concerning the grid.”