On Sunday, the Texas electric grid operator, ERCOT, requested that consumers conserve energy on Monday for fear that the electric grid would not be able to meet the demand during an extremely hot day. In doing so, ERCOT downplayed the fact that “dispatchable” coal and gas were offline and suggested that wind energy “not showing up” was part of the problem. Perpetuating myths about renewables and reliability is a dangerous game when what we actually need to do is double down on more flexible renewable energy to ensure grid reliability.
Doubling Down on Fossil Fuels Is a Costly Mistake
The major heat wave in Texas this week, which is contributing to record-setting demand for electricity in the state, is just the latest extreme weather event to strain the Texas grid. Just last year, Texas suffered a catastrophic power grid failure, leading to widespread, long-lasting customer…
The Solution to Grid Reliability? Go Bigger & Bolder on Renewables & Energy Storage
