Brad Jones, interim CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, expressed confidence in the states grid heading into summer at a Tuesday press conference. In 1970, ERCOT was formed to comply with NERC requirements. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) Board of Directors (board) selects ERCOT's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), sets overall goals, and guides our direction. She has worked for Occidental since 2003. This spring, ERCOT forecasters predicted just a 5% chance that this summer's peak load demand would reach the levels it has. [63][64][65], It has a headquarters in Austin and an additional complex in Taylor.[66]. (Matt Payne/Community Impact Newspaper). 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. He is a past Chairman of the Edison Electric Institute's Executive Advisory Committee and a board member for the Gulf Coast Power Association. The operator of the state's main electricity grid has hired a new CEO, ending a 16-month period in the aftermath of . He's a graduate of Texas State University, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper, The University Star. 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 Wholesale electricity prices increased 65 percent in 2021, without taking into account the blackouts cost, due in large part . Winter storm blackouts plagued Texas in 2011, too. (Jordan Vonderhaar For The Texas Tribune, Jordan Vonderhaar For The Texas Tribune). If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. So I am concerned about their reliability all the way through the summer, but right now they are performing extraordinarily with low outage rates, Jones told the paper. Power-generating companies across the state must comply with weatherization standards or face steep fines, according to the new head of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Rep. Richard Pea Raymond, D-Laredo, said he doesnt understand why lawmakers in the Senate asked the PUC to hit the brakes on its proposal. "He is an experienced leader and. Breaking down the state's power sources from gas to wind. [54], The ERCOT board appoints ERCOT's officers to direct and manage ERCOT's day-to-day operations, accompanied by a team of executives and managers responsible for critical components of ERCOT's operation. Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, and dishwashers). After the power grid crisis during the February 2021 winter storm that left millions of Texans in the dark during dayslong power outages and caused hundreds of deaths, the Texas Legislature ordered the PUC to make several major changes, including requiring power plants to better prepare for very cold conditions and implementing a reliability standard for the states electricity market. In response to Gov. 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. Recommendations made afterward went unenforced. Find a complete list of them here. Lawmakers cannot pass laws to improve Texas power grid during the special legislative session. Lake and Jones said asking Texans to conserve electricity is a tool they use to ensure reliability of the power supply and should not be viewed as a sign that the grid is unstable. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is a nonprofit organization that ensures reliable electric service for 90 percent of the state of Texas. Many are no longer cost competitive. The winter storm that has moved across our region has caused temperatures to drop well below average for this time of year. 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. Coal: 78,700 MWh; [57][58] The board was also criticized for its meeting days before the storm: though the meeting lasted more than two hours, the members spent less than a minute discussing storm preparations and readiness. You can do this by setting your thermostat to 78 degrees (or a level that is safe for you); turning off lights and pool pumps; avoiding use of large appliances such as ovens, washing machines and dryers; and turning off or unplugging unused electric appliances. Jones acknowledged the problem, adding that the state hasnt invested enough in part of our generation fleet.. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. [51][12], The PUC has primary jurisdiction over activities conducted by ERCOT. Taylor received a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire. He is a member of the Texas State University Engineering Advisory Board and the American Heart Association Executive Committee. 90%. 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. Abbott, at a separate event on Tuesday in north Texas, was asked about the grid and saluted ERCOT for how it handled last weeks problems. That also means avoiding rolling blackouts. Renewable Sources Excluding Hydroelectric and Solar: 38,812 MWh; Confidential proposals were due April 9, and ERCOT received eight proposals that it is evaluating for Board consideration. "Is ERCOT a government agency? A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austins independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the communitys political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. [50], ERCOT is governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Texas Legislature. 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. The selection of Pablo Vegas to head the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, comes about a year and half after a devastating February's 2021 winter storm left dozens dead,. Mr. Jones was elected by the Board to serve as interim President and CEO until the permanent position has been filled, up to a term of one year (pursuant to ERCOT Bylaws). [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. Jones said after ERCOT released an energy conservation notice on Monday, the demand was 2,500 megawatts lower than officials projected. Despite the demand being higher than estimated, Jones is hopeful about getting through the remainder of the summer but he does have some concerns about older thermal generators that ERCOT has asked be up and running as much as possible. Got something to say? The most recent conservation appeal from ERCOT to Texans and Texas businesses was sent Wednesday. He is a 2017 graduate of the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas in Denton. The threat is real, and its happening, he said. My guarantee to you is that we intend to communicate more clearly than weve done in the past, Jones told lawmakers. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. Set ceiling fans to the winter setting by running them clockwise, to pull the warm air down. Community See All. Your donation keeps our trusted reporting free and accessible for all Texans and during a legislative session when lawmakers are set to tackle issues from school choice for K-12 students to school safety improvements to changes in property taxes, its critical that Texans know what lawmakers decisions mean for their futures. Were seeing those problems show themselves today, Jones said. P.O. [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. Amplify your impact and donate now. Log In. 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. Brad Johnson June 22, 2022. Hydroelectric Pumped Storage: -368; But the gas companies that fuel them, despite being the biggest contributors to the blackout (and to Abbott's reelection campaign), didn't have to. Brad Jones of Liberty Hill is the Interim CEO of ERCOT. The Chronicle welcomes opinion pieces on any topic from the community. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. San Antonio area in for two rounds of winter weather this weekend, These San Antonio-area schools have announced changes for Monday due to expected wintry weather, These San Antonio-area businesses have announced closures, delays on Monday due to inclement weather, Mondays vaccination appointments at Alamodome, WellMed clinics rescheduled due to expected wintry weather in San Antonio, Now is the time to prepare your vehicle, gather emergency supplies before wintry weather hits. July 13, 2021 / 8:50 AM / CBS Texas. In a letter last week and in a committee meeting Monday, Texas lawmakers from both the House and Senate have asked the Public Utility Commission, which regulates the states electricity market, to hold off on its planned electricity market redesign until the Legislature can evaluate it. [20] The 1999 deregulation was aimed at counteracting a shortage of generation capacity in the state. [20] The 1999 deregulation also dropped limits on rate increases. 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. Heres how you can help reduce electricity use, according to ERCOT: According to officials, at this time, ERCOT has additional resources that are only available during tight conditions, so rotating outages are not likely.. [45], On February 16, 2021, it was reported that at least 10 deaths were linked to the 2021 ERCOT grid power outages. "The Board looks forward to working with Brad during this time as ERCOT prepares for summer operations," ERCOT Director Mark Carpenter said in a Tuesday release. State leaders continue to probe what went wrong with the power grid during the Feb. winter storm and what can be done to keep it from happening again. Prior to deregulation, residential electricity rates were significantly below the national average; after deregulation, residential electricity rates increased, rising 64% between 1999 and 2007. Your donation keeps our trusted reporting free and accessible for all Texans and during a legislative session when lawmakers are set to tackle issues from school choice for K-12 students to school safety improvements to changes in property taxes, its critical that Texans know what lawmakers decisions mean for their futures. He has over 30 years of experience as a process engineer. Updated 51878. Lt. Gov. [9], ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation,[12][13] and its members include consumers, electric cooperatives, generators, power marketers, retail electric providers, investor-owned electric utilities (transmission and distribution providers), and municipally owned electric utilities. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has declared an Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 and is urging consumers and businesses to limit their electricity use as much as possible on Sunday. Mr. Jones has more than 25 years of electric industry . Texas is likely to see a hotter and drier summer than normal this year, according to an April climate outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and 2021 is likely to rank among the 10 warmest years on record globally. 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. It also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for nearly 8 million premises in competitive choice areas. Conservation is a good thing, Jones said. [53], The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) makes policy recommendations to the ERCOT Board of Directors. Eric Goodman's Austin FC column, other soccer news. Petroleum Coke: 742 MWh; Jon Taylor of Austin is the Corporate Vice President of Fab Engineering and Public Affairs at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, where he is responsible for factory engineering for operations including safety, quality, cost, and productivity for all production equipment and supporting personnel. Additionally, he is a member of the California State Bar and an inactive member of the Colorado State Bar. ERCOT, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Winter Storm Uri, Gina Hinojosa, Brad Jones, Greg Abbott, Austin Energy, blackouts, League of Women Voters, Texas Railroad Commission, Information is power. ", Power plants had until Dec. 1 to file weatherization reports, and all did except eight, who received fines totaling $7.5 million. Support the free press, so we can support Austin. Any light through the door indicates a penetration of cold air coming into the home. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has named its new leader more than a year after the previous CEO was terminated. ", One of the main questions from attendees was on equitable load-shedding during a blackout; many emailed asking why Downtown's lights stayed on. He implored his colleagues to focus on the task at hand: What I hope, members, is that we can try to figure out how to get Texas to the next step, to the next decade [because] the demand continues to go up, and continues to go up..
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