HOUSTON – ERCOT, the agency that runs Texas’ power grid, is issuing special messaging ahead of the arctic weather event.
ERCOT is now issuing an advisory for the upcoming weather.
It issued the advisory earlier today.
This messaging is part of ERCOT’s standard operating procedures put in place since the deadly winter of 2021. One criterion for ERCOT to issue an advisory is that Severe Weather is expected within three days.
On Monday, ERCOT only issued a “Notice.” A notice is issued five days out of severe weather.
The agency issued the OCN as “the first of four levels of communication issued in anticipation of a possible Emergency Condition,” or “an operating condition in which the safety or reliability of the ERCOT System is compromised or threatened.”
KPRC 2 News is watching the power grid closely and will provide updates on any other ERCOT issues or notices.
Winter Preparedness and Grid improvements since 2021
Since 2021, ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and the Texas Legislature have worked to strengthen the reliability and resiliency of the ERCOT grid.
- Weatherization and Inspections. ERCOT is entering the third season of winter weatherization inspections with enhanced requirements for generation and transmission facilities, compared to last winter season.
- Firm Fuel Supply Service (FFSS) Phase 2. An additional source of onsite fuel for generators benefits the grid by providing a redundant, or additional, fuel source should there be a natural gas scarcity. FFSS Phase 1 created the FFSS service (deployed for the first time during Winter Storm Elliott and then again for Winter Storm Mara). Phase 2 expanded Resources that can qualify. If a Resource’s fuel service is firm and isn’t under a lower curtailment priority if there’s a curtailment event, they can now qualify.
- Scheduled Maintenance Period. ERCOT has worked with generators and transmission operators to schedule their maintenance to prepare their equipment for winter after running hard this past summer.
- Forecasting Improvements. ERCOT has been working on reducing weather forecast error by procuring additional weather forecasts and developing load forecast models that are tuned for extreme cold weather. ERCOT has also improved the forecasting software testing process related to holidays and other outlier scenarios.
- ERCOT Contingency Reserve Service (ECRS). Added in June 2023, ECRS takes advantage of Resources that can start within 10 minutes to address unexpected or rapid changes in supply or demand.
- Fast Frequency Response Service. Added in 2022, this addition to our Ancillary Services takes advantage of the capability of faster-responding Resources to respond to events.
- Improved, Transparent Communications. The Texas Advisory and Notification System (TXANS) was launched May 2023. TXANS is a communications tool to keep Texans updated on grid conditions.
- Critical Supply Chain and Critical Infrastructure Map. This map was created in 2022 to share the locations and connectivity of all the critical parts of the Texas power infrastructure.
- Improved Inter-Agency Communications. Agencies are seeing improved, ongoing communications through both the Texas Department of Emergency Management and Texas Energy Reliability Council.