As Texans are asked to cut energy use amidst a heat wave, solar and batteries step up – pv magazine USA

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the controlling body of the Lone Star state’s grid, is having an increasingly difficult time living up to the “reliability” part of its name. Long, powerful heat waves have stretched across the state for a good portion of the summer, leading to spikes in energy demand to cool homes.ERCOT is facing energy supply shortages as a result of the increased demand. It narrowly avoided widespread rolling blackouts this summer, warning of low reserves “with no market solution available.” Reserve energy, largely natural gas plants, dipped as low as 3,600 MW this month, enough to power only 750,000 homes in a territory that serves 26 million people. Rolling blackouts were avoided partly because of a change in resources powering the grid, and partly due to Texans being willing to reduce their energy consumption at critical times. One…

Read more…