Texas grid operator fears electricity shortage

• 13 years ago (2011-07-20)
• David Flin

Africa 323 Asia 897 Australasia 57 Biomass 8 Climate change 21 Coal 299 Cogeneration 1 Concentrating solar 5 Cyber security 8 Decarbonisation 1 Decentralised energy 6 Demand side management 3 Demand side response 2 Digitalisation 10 Distributed energy 10 Distribution 125 Electric vehicles EVs 4 Emissions 65 Energy management 2 Equipment 2 Europe 1094 Gas 395 Gas engine plant 66 Gas fuel 2 Horizon 2 Hydroelectric 17 Hydrogen 63 Hydropower 134 Latin America 81 Maintenance 3 Marine 1 Metering 2 microgrid 5 Middle East 328 North America 1026 Nuclear 665 Offshore wind 121 Oil 19 Operations 4 Policy 9 Regulations 3 Renewables 780 smart grid 2 Solar 277 Storage 45 substation 8 Tepco 2 Tidal 2 Toshiba 4 Transmission 195 US Senate Washington 4 Wind 261

---

H B Doggett, President and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), has said that Texas could face a shortage of electrical generation within a few years if the federal government moves forward with a new rule to reduce power plant smokestack emissions.

The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule will force Texas utilities to cut emissions that contribute to smog and soot, putting older coal plants under pressure. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas air quality suffers from power plant emissions from as far away as South Carolina, while Texas plants affect air quality in states as far away as Michigan.

The EPA said that the ERCOT claim is “overblown”. Gina McCarthy, an assistant administrator for the EPA, said: “Texas power plants will be able to cut their pollution without jeopardising reliable electricity service for Texans.” She said half the SO2 emissions covered by the rule are produced by just three plants. She said: “The balance of Texas power generation is already relatively clean and will not face a heavy compliance burden under this rule.”

Doggett said the rule is “unreasonable because it does not allow enough time to implement operational responses to ensure reliability.”