West Tracker: Weaker gas prices, more solar generation pull down power prices

Author: Kassia Micek

Houston — Weaker gas prices and a jump in solar generation pulled down wholesale power prices across the West in May, while California relied on significantly more imported power due to lower hydro conditions across the state as summer heat began to hit the region.

Imports became the top source of power supply in May at 26% of the total mix, a jump of nearly 5 percentage points, according to ISO data. Imports averaged 144,532 MWh/d, climbing 35% month on month and up 26% year on year.

Total ISO generation averaged 557,804 MWh/d, up nearly …

ERCOT summer assessment cuts peakload forecast by 1.5 GW, boosts reserve margin to 12.6%

Author Mark Watson

Houston — Although the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has cut its projected load forecast by 1,496 MW and raised its expected summer reserve margin to 12.6% because of the coronavirus pandemic, the grid operator Wednesday said it still expects to set a peakload record, drawing conflicting responses from industry analysts.

ERCOT released its final Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy for summer 2020, June through September, projecting a peakload forecast of 75,200 MW, which would exceed the …