Averting crisis: Path to weatherize Texas power plants and some gas wells set under compromise bill

By Morgan O’Hanlon and Robert T. Garrett

AUSTIN — Texas would require weatherization of electrical generating plants and some natural gas wells and related pipelines and compressors under a compromise bill that House leaders unveiled Tuesday.

But in a concession to the oil and gas industry, a revised omnibus electricity measure would reduce how many natural gas facilities must be upgraded.

A newly created interagency “supply chain security and mapping committee” would identify which chunks of the natural gas industry actually feed power generators – and only those would …

ERCOT’s reserve margin increased by supply not yet in commercial operation

Author: Mark Watson

Houston — Increases in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ most recent reserve margin estimates partly resulted from including synchronized generation in addition to generation that is installed or has relevant commercial operation dates, stakeholders have learned.

The reserve margin for the summer of 2021, announced on May 6 as 15.7%, is up from this past December’s estimate of …