As parts of North Texas are subject to a winter storm warning, ERCOT has released a file Notice Saying it expects “aggravating network conditions” through Friday.
Wednesday at 7:30 pm The graph provided on the ERCOT website The current demand is shown at 61.736 MW and the supply is 65,569 MW, with a difference of only 3,833 MW.
The graph also shows a “quick start” capacity of 67,869 MW, which means additional generating units can come online within 10 minutes of receiving an ERCOT notice.
These “quick start” modules can provide an additional 2,300 MW, if ERCOT orders these modules to connect to the internet.
As the graph progresses through the night, at 10pm, only 1,365 megawatts are expected to remain between supply and demand, with no “quick start” units.
The notice from ERCOT stated that “to ensure that all possible generation is available to service the system’s demand, ERCOT has requested that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) exercise its discretionary power to enforce with respect to generator violations of the TCEQ air permit restrictions.”
While the notice is in place, power providers are more likely to gain tolerance regarding environmental issues.
At this time, ERCOT has not issued any alerts asking people to keep them. But the winds faded significantly, leaving the state with less wind power on the grid as of Thursday morning.
A source in the energy industry briefed on the situation told NBC5 that the tightest point is expected to be around 8 a.m. when people are using more energy while they are awake and the wind is not expected to return until later in the morning. But for now, ERCOT still expects to have plenty of spare power to call in if needed.
An ERCOT spokesperson released a statement to NBC DFW saying “Our forecast shows that there is enough generation to meet projected demand and we continue to inform the market and others of developing weather conditions. Out of great caution, ERCOT requested discretion earlier today so that generating units are no longer available due to environmental constraints We will continue our bold approach to meeting energy needs in Texas State “.
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