That allows certain gas transmission assets to be designated as essential so they are prioritized by electric utilities during a load shed event. This map will reflect current and future operational needs related to the gas supply chain. In regard to the gas system, an additional reform relates to a new critical infrastructure map being created by the PUC and the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the oil and gas industry. As important as generation weatherization is, a reliable grid can only be achieved when the gas system is also weatherized. More than 4,000 access points on key utility infrastructure have been inspected since September, and enhanced weatherization measures have been implemented to support increased resiliency during extreme weather.Īccording to ERCOT, on-site inspections have been completed at 302 generation facilities and 22 transmission facilities, and 321 of those sites now meet winterization requirements imposed by the legislature and the PUC. Harvey: The susceptibility of certain infrastructure to freezing was central to changes in both legislation and Texas Public Utility regulations. What have you learned in the past year, and what tangible steps have been taken to reduce the chances of such extreme disruptions from happening again? Because so much generation was unavailable and demand was so high, ERCOT, which manages the statewide grid, had to invoke load shedding operational rules to help stabilize the system. The loss of fuel access for electric generation became a multiple-day event.
#Texas freeze 2021 full
When some aspects of the natural gas transmission system were affected by sustained freezing temperatures, multiple electric generation resources were not able to operate at full capacity because their fuel supply was constrained. There was some interplay between natural gas assets and the electric utility system that we had not seen to this extent before. The widespread outages last year have been largely attributed to failures in the state’s natural gas infrastructure, is that right? She recently discussed steps that have been taken over the past year to shore up the energy grid and what still needs to be done. Julia Harvey is vice president of government relations and regulatory affairs at Texas Electric Cooperatives, the statewide association that represents 76 co-ops serving more than 4 million members.
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When another cold snap hit the state early this February, those measures were tested in real-time. (Photo By: RoschetzkyIstockPhoto/Getty Images)Ī year after a prolonged severe winter storm caused the near-collapse of the Texas power grid and left more than 4 million households without electricity, state lawmakers, regulators and power providers have worked to assess the causes of the outages and harden critical infrastructure.
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Austin, Texas, suburbs are covered in snow after Winter Storm Uri in February 2021.