The Heat Is Coming and ERCOT Says It's Ready

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It's been a pretty mild summer so far for much of Texas. Sure, there were some days in June where it was hot, but the month of July was actually pretty pleasant. At least as pleasant as a summer day can be in Texas.

The mild temperatures have probably been good for ERCOT as well, as the grid hasn't been stressed and there haven't been many "conservation of energy days." On Thursday, ERCOT said they were ready for warmer temperatures which should happen next week. Much of the state is expected to see temperatures in the upper 90s and even the triple digits.

According to the Dallas Morning News, ERCOT claims they're ready to handle possible record-breaking usage while at the same time looking ahead to the future of ERCOT:

The PUC will continue to host a series of workshops to discuss and gather ideas for revamping the market. Lake said customers will not be asked to bear the cost of changes that result.
“The lights are going to stay on and your bill should not change,” [Public Utility Commission Chairman Peter] Lake said. “Our goal is to re-allocate the payments that are currently being made to the most reliable source of power.”
ERCOT is focused on increasing energy reserves and investing in dispatchable power like natural gas and batteries. ERCOT called 38% more reserve power in July than it did in the same month last year, and it’s already procured 56% more reserves for August than a year prior, Lake said.

ERCOT officials did warn that calls to conserve energy could happen more often as they take a more aggressive approach to operating the grid. ERCOT officials stressed that not all conservation alerts means an emergency is next.

If ERCOT can get through the summer without any major issues, it will go a long way in bringing back public trust.

LP&L in Lubbock, Texas joined the ERCOT grid in late May.