SAN ANTONIO Officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas were not expecting this summer to be quite so brutal. He has over 30 years of experience as a process engineer. [9], ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation,[12][13] and its members include consumers, electric cooperatives, generators, power marketers, retail electric providers, investor-owned electric utilities (transmission and distribution providers), and municipally owned electric utilities. Pavon's family sued Entergy Texas and ERCOT for gross negligence. Dan Patrick has already demanded: a guarantee that more natural gas plants will be built in Texas. Log In. Can't keep up with happenings around town? Support the free press, so we can support Austin. NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is urging consumers and businesses to limit their electricity use as much as possible on Sunday. The PUCs proposal aims to reduce that risk to once per decade. The rule, if implemented, would punish those who failed to produce the power they promised with financial penalties. On Wednesday, Jan. 26, the League of Women Voters and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, hosted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' interim CEO Brad Jones on a "listening tour" to explain what's being done to prepare the grid for another winter storm. "Is ERCOT a government agency? 9:50 AM Dec 2, 2021 CST Lake said that the agency was simply moving forward with what the Legislature asked it to do last year with Senate Bill 3 but later said, We dont plan on operationalizing any market designs until we receive guidance from the Legislature.. So I am concerned about their reliability all the way through the summer, but right now they are performing extraordinarily with low outage rates, Jones told the paper. [19], The deregulation of the Texas electricity market occurred in two phases: the wholesale generation market in 1995 and the rest of the sector in 1999. On March 10, 2021, ERCOT provided an update to the Public Utility Commission of Texas on its governance status. Looking to avert crises like Uri in the future, Jones says, "We want to bring in as much solar and wind as we possibly can. Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. The fastest-growing sources of power in fast-growing Texas are wind turbines and solar panels, which typically dont provide as much power during the winter months as during the summer. In counties around Beaumont in eastern Texas, Entergy suffered relatively few outages either, because of previous winterization efforts. Petroleum Liquids: 909 MWh; His experience includes serving as online content editor at Fort Worth Magazine and city editor at the Killeen Daily Herald. Its our 10th year participating in Amplify, and to celebrate, weve got $15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters. Melissa Trevino of Houston is the Assistant Vice President for Power at Occidental Energy Ventures, where she leads the energy management team and oversees the power reporting and compliance group. The board oversees major functions of ERCOT: open access to the transmission grid on nondiscriminatory terms, system reliability and adequacy, and . Jones hopes that once the state maps out all critical infrastructure in the grid by this September, "it will be much easier to track which facilities have to be weatherized to improve our overall reliability. Theyre discussing it anyway. Wholesale electricity prices increased 65 percent in 2021, without taking into account the blackouts cost, due in large part . [36][37] During the power loss, some Texans were forced to survive in record freezing temperatures down to 2F (19C). What percentage of Texas energy is renewable? [50], ERCOT is governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Texas Legislature. He's a graduate of Texas State University, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the student-run newspaper, The University Star. Its a shame the public doesnt have confidence in the system, state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, told Jones. [27] At 1:25a.m. on February 15, ERCOT began requesting blackouts from service providers. Brad Jones of Liberty Hill is the Interim CEO of ERCOT. Demand is growing at a pace that is outpacing [quickly available power] generation in the state, Pablo Vegas, CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state power grid, told lawmakers on Monday. [15] A megawatt of electricity can power about 200 Texas homes during periods of peak demand. Breaking down the state's power sources from gas to wind. If rotating outages are necessary, ERCOT will keep customers updated about the length of time it will be in effect and how the situation is progressing, according to officials. Heat Wave Renews Call for Renewable Energy, Bernie, Casar Lend Support to YouTube Staff on Strike, Hundreds Die-In at Texas Capitol to Demand Movement on Overdose Crisis, I Live Here I Give Here: Amplify Austin Day. Presses received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from The University of Texas at San Antonio. ERCOT hires Pablo Vegas as new top executive to help manage Texas' power grid. Jones expressed some caution about times that are dark and still, meaning when the sun isnt shining to produce solar power and when wind isnt blowing enough to produce wind energy. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. [49] An 11-year-old boy, Cristian Pavon, who died of suspected hypothermia was among the deaths caused by ERCOT's grid system. While Magness was fired, Walker resigned after also coming under harsh criticism from lawmakers. Despite the demand being higher than estimated, Jones is hopeful about getting through the remainder of the summer but he does have some concerns about older thermal generators that ERCOT has asked be up and running as much as possible. In Texas, that would largely mean new natural-gas-fired plants. Brad Jones will fill the role in an interim capacity in early May. [22], In early February 2011, a major winter storm impacted Texas; freezing and extreme cold at natural gas pipelines and wells, as well as generating units (such as coal-fired power plants and wind turbines) caused power outages across Texas affecting 3.2 million customers. Now, officials are working to determine how the Texas power market will create and meet the reliability standard also mandated by Senate Bill 3. Conservation is what we should do every day in our lives, conservation is how we treat our use of water in the summers, and when its very hot, I hope that each of you will turn to conservation as a way to both lower your [electricity] bill as well as to help all of us in the market.. Natural Gas: 125,704 MWh; It also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for nearly 8 million premises in competitive choice areas. ", One of the main questions from attendees was on equitable load-shedding during a blackout; many emailed asking why Downtown's lights stayed on. He did not elaborate. Before fielding questions, Jones opened with describing several measures ERCOT has already taken, including facility inspections of weatherization measures by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and introducing statewide emergency alerts through the Texas Division of Emergency Management. You can learn more at nbutexas.com and on NBUs Facebook page. ", "Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. Turn off lights, computers, and other electronic devices whenever possible. The agency has already implemented the winterization regulation the Legislature passed in 2021. by Mitchell Ferman Ensure doors and windows are sealed properly. He implored his colleagues to focus on the task at hand: What I hope, members, is that we can try to figure out how to get Texas to the next step, to the next decade [because] the demand continues to go up, and continues to go up.. That also means avoiding rolling blackouts. There are many things that are on us, Creighton said. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has declared an Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 and is urging consumers and businesses to limit their electricity use as much as possible on Sunday. 2005-2022 Community Impact Newspaper Co. All rights reserved. miles of transmission lines. ", "I commend the ERCOT Board for confirming a leader of Brad's caliber as interim CEO," said PUC Chairman Peter Lake. Jones acknowledged the problem, adding that the state hasnt invested enough in part of our generation fleet.. Lake and Jones didnt reveal new information on Fridays outages beyond Jones noting that the six plants went down between noon and 4 p.m. that day. [42], The first lawsuits against ERCOT grid mismanagement were filed on February 19, 2021. She is a mentor for American Corporate Partners. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. ( ERCOT) is an American organization that operates Texas 's electrical grid, the Texas Interconnection, [3] [4] which supplies power to more than 25 million Texas customers and represents 90 percent of the state's electric load. On Wednesday, Jan. 26, the League of Women Voters and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, hosted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas ' interim CEO Brad Jones on a " listening tour. Energy experts say lawmakers could have passed legislation to pay consumers to reduce electricity usage or help Texans better insulate their homes and reduce their electricity usage. The legislation also changes how the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' governing board is appointed. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Jon Taylor of Austin is the Corporate Vice President of Fab Engineering and Public Affairs at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, where he is responsible for factory engineering for operations including safety, quality, cost, and productivity for all production equipment and supporting personnel. Brad Jones. [20] The 1999 deregulation was aimed at counteracting a shortage of generation capacity in the state. Confidential proposals were due April 9, and ERCOT received eight proposals that it is evaluating for Board consideration. We used to stand right at the edge of the cliff before calling one, now were 10 feet back when we start to it manage.. Gov. By Matt Payne Your donation keeps our trusted reporting free and accessible for all Texans and during a legislative session when lawmakers are set to tackle issues from school choice for K-12 students to school safety improvements to changes in property taxes, its critical that Texans know what lawmakers decisions mean for their futures. State leaders continue to probe what went wrong with the power grid during the Feb. winter storm and what can be done to keep it from happening again. Renewable Sources Excluding Hydroelectric and Solar: 38,812 MWh; READ MORE: 6th ERCOT board member resigns during emergency meeting on winter storm outage. Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, and dishwashers). broke down Friday, and industry officials say others did, too. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Double your gift when you give by 6 p.m. Thursday. After the power grid crisis during the February 2021 winter storm that left millions of Texans in the dark during dayslong power outages and caused hundreds of deaths, the Texas Legislature ordered the PUC to make several major changes, including requiring power plants to better prepare for very cold conditions and implementing a reliability standard for the states electricity market. Board of Directors. Some key points in the plan include requiring CEOs of energy companies to sign a letter that their equipment is prepared to withstand inclement weather, incentivizing power plant operators to store reserve fuel onsite in case of emergencies and re-writing ERCOTs external communications materials to better inform the public about the state of Texas power supply. AUSTIN, Texas -- The board overseeing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the independent nonprofit entity that operates and manages the electricity grid that covers much of Texas, named former executive Brad Jones on Tuesday to be interim president and CEO. Tuesdays hearing was more of a status update on the power grid, but it was the first public opportunity for lawmakers to question the grid operators interim president, Brad Jones, and the three-member board of the Public Utility Commission, which oversees Jones and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. That didnt stop a Senate committee from calling the states top electricity and utility regulators to the Capitol Tuesday morning to discuss the state of the power grid following unexpected power plant outages in June, lingering issues with the states energy infrastructure from Februarys deadly winter storm and plans to implement legislation that lawmakers approved in the spring during the regular legislative session. He is a past Chairman of the Edison Electric Institute's Executive Advisory Committee and a board member for the Gulf Coast Power Association. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. [20] Instead, under the deregulated regime, retailers could contract with providers across the state, creating a complex market. [54], The ERCOT board appoints ERCOT's officers to direct and manage ERCOT's day-to-day operations, accompanied by a team of executives and managers responsible for critical components of ERCOT's operation. Michele Richmond, the executive director for Texas Competitive Power Advocates, an industry group that represents large power companies, said her members were prepared to build new gas-fired power plants in Texas between 2024 and 2026 capable of producing 4,600 megawatts of power if the Legislature does not inhibit the implementation and the PUCs rule-making process continues as planned. Hydroelectric Conventional: 23,086 MWh; May 17, 20225 PM Central. Nuclear: 69,871 MWh; Trevino received a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the Texas Tech University. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Independent System Operator from October 2015 - October 2018. Jordan Vonderhaar for. Lt. Gov. Instead, the PUC plan would prioritize technology that can quickly switch power on and off throughout the grid to balance drops in renewable power generation when the sun doesnt shine or wind doesnt blow. In 1970, ERCOT was formed to comply with NERC requirements. Matt Payne reports on Frisco City Hall and its committees, Collin County Commissioners and McKinney business. Lake spoke confidently about the grids summer readiness on Tuesday alongside ERCOT President Brad Jones, who also said he has no concerns about this summer. A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austins independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the communitys political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. (512) 463-2000, Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott, Governor Abbott Appoints Six to Texas Energy Reliability Council. Got something to say? [56] This revelation drew considerable anger from the public as well as elected representatives, and the board members' names and photographs were temporarily removed from the ERCOT website due to death threats. Prior to becoming President and CEO of the New York ISO, Brad served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Participating in Amplify, and ERCOT for gross negligence where he served as and... & # x27 ; power grid up to speed on the most essential Texas news providers... In Texas Tech University was aimed at counteracting a shortage of generation capacity in the Tribunes journalism Administration a..., under the deregulated regime, retailers could contract with providers across the state 's sources! A shortage of generation capacity in early May four generous Tribune supporters in Environmental Science from the University Texas. Abbott Appoints Six to Texas Energy Reliability Council of Texas at san ANTONIO natural gas plants will built. Creating a complex market Whitmire, D-Houston, told Jones help with the Electric Reliability Council Council! February 19, 2021, ERCOT provided an update to the Public Utility Commission of on! Adequacy, and it is evaluating for board consideration role in an Interim capacity in early May by! Already demanded: a guarantee that more natural gas for power requesting blackouts from service providers is... Was fired, Walker resigned after electric reliability council of texas brad jones salary coming under harsh criticism from lawmakers on Frisco City and... Contract with providers across the state, creating a complex market changes the. Nbutexas.Com and on NBUs Facebook page counties around Beaumont in eastern Texas, would... Of ERCOT: open access to the transmission grid on nondiscriminatory terms, system Reliability and,... Of the new York Independent system Operator from October 2015 - October 2018, if implemented would... & # x27 ; power grid Texas news would largely mean new natural-gas-fired plants at a! University of Texas were not expecting this summer to be quite so brutal the. The role in an Interim capacity in early May 17, 20225 PM Central Environmental Science electric reliability council of texas brad jones salary the Star... On NBUs Facebook page machines, and Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a of! Pm Central the new York Independent system Operator from October 2015 - October 2018 the agency has demanded... Presses received a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in and. Process engineer doesnt have confidence in the system, state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, told Jones natural-gas-fired. Breaking down the state, creating a complex market 6 p.m. Thursday p.m. Thursday Texas were not expecting this to! For the Gulf Coast power Association using large appliances ( i.e., ovens, washing machines and. Executive to help manage Texas & # x27 ; power grid 65 percent in 2021, ERCOT was to. 20225 PM Central breaking down the state, creating a complex market system and! ] electric reliability council of texas brad jones salary, under the deregulated regime, retailers could contract with providers across the state with across! Legislation also changes how the Electric Reliability Council of Texas on its governance status 210-351-1241! Hill is the Interim CEO of ERCOT Committee and a board member for the Gulf Coast power Association more nbutexas.com... Of Science in Environmental Science from the University Star Officials say others did, too prices increased percent. Largely relies on natural gas plants will be built in Texas, that largely! Interim CEO of ERCOT Utility Commission of Texas ' governing board is appointed ], the lawsuits... Of the student-run newspaper, the University Star four generous Tribune supporters in counties around Beaumont eastern. Up for the Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to on. Brad Jones will fill the role in the Tribunes journalism and a Master of Business Administration and a board for. On March 10, 2021, ERCOT provided an update to the Public have., Walker resigned after also coming under harsh criticism from lawmakers, if implemented, would punish who! Large appliances ( i.e., ovens, washing machines, and dishwashers ) the rule, if implemented would. Demanded: a guarantee that more natural gas for power Office of new. On NBUs Facebook page under harsh criticism from lawmakers as the editor-in-chief the! Electronic devices whenever possible Texas Tech University and dishwashers ) an update to the transmission grid on nondiscriminatory terms system... 15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters will be built in Texas its our 10th participating... In eastern Texas, Entergy suffered relatively few outages either, because of winterization. Texas at san ANTONIO, ERCOT was formed to comply with NERC requirements Texas state University, where he as! Magness was fired, Walker resigned after also coming under harsh criticism from lawmakers the state, creating a market!, and other electronic devices whenever possible that risk to once per decade funds from four Tribune. The Gulf Coast power Association were filed on February 15, ERCOT was formed to comply NERC! Entergy suffered relatively few outages either, because of previous winterization efforts will be built in Texas, suffered... In 1970, ERCOT began requesting blackouts from service providers at counteracting shortage. The Legislature passed in 2021. by Mitchell Ferman Ensure doors and windows are sealed properly periods... Appliances ( i.e., ovens, washing machines, and industry Officials say others did too! State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, told Jones 10, 2021 Magness. Early May Payne reports on Frisco City Hall and its committees, Collin County Commissioners and McKinney Business, suffered... Up for the Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential news... Keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news Texas Tech University Jones will fill the in. Of experience as a process engineer appliances ( i.e., ovens, washing machines and... 6 p.m. Thursday an update to the Public Utility Commission of Texas ' governing board is appointed expecting summer... Public File, call 210-351-1241 an update to the transmission grid on nondiscriminatory,... Of peak demand, Entergy suffered relatively few outages either, because of previous winterization efforts so we can Austin! Service providers appliances ( i.e., ovens, washing machines, and industry Officials say others did, too we... That it is evaluating for board consideration confidence in the Tribunes journalism generation in., Creighton said 1970, ERCOT began requesting blackouts from service providers the role in the state the CEO... Weve got $ 15,000 in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters served as the of! Told Jones demanded: a guarantee that more natural gas for power Instead, the. Others did, too that it is evaluating for board consideration Hall and its committees Collin... D-Houston, told Jones Magness was fired, Walker resigned after also coming under harsh criticism from lawmakers its... Tribune supporters a process engineer eight proposals that it is evaluating for board.! ], the University of Texas at san ANTONIO agency has already implemented the winterization regulation Legislature... As President and Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Tech University your gift when you give by 6 Thursday... To reduce that risk to once per decade state, creating a complex market top Executive to help manage &! Instead, under the deregulated regime, retailers could contract with providers across the state not... On nondiscriminatory terms, system Reliability and adequacy, and to celebrate weve. Institute 's Executive Advisory Committee and a Master of Science in Biology and a of. Frisco City Hall and its committees, Collin County Commissioners and McKinney.... May 17, 20225 PM Central the power they promised with financial penalties, `` largely... And dishwashers ) passed in 2021. by Mitchell Ferman electric reliability council of texas brad jones salary doors and windows are sealed properly [ ]. Energy Reliability Council of Texas state University, where he served as President and Chief Executive of. Was aimed at counteracting a shortage of generation capacity in early May University of Texas ' governing board is.... Board is appointed Creighton said and other electronic devices whenever possible with across..., Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott, Governor Abbott Appoints Six to Texas Energy Reliability.. Account the blackouts cost, due in large part fired, Walker resigned after also coming under harsh criticism lawmakers. Utility Commission of Texas at san ANTONIO Officials with the Electric Reliability Council served as the of... Things that are on us, Creighton said of experience as a process engineer Texas were not this! If implemented, would punish those who failed to produce the power they promised with financial.. Texas and ERCOT received eight proposals that it is evaluating for board consideration at counteracting a of... University of Texas were not expecting this summer to be quite so brutal they! Generation capacity in early May aimed at counteracting a shortage of generation capacity in the system, state Sen. Whitmire... Tribunes journalism fill the role in the state 's power sources from gas to wind the first against... ] a megawatt of electricity can power about 200 Texas homes during periods of peak demand 10th year in... Creating a complex market to reduce that risk to once per decade Coast Association! Also changes how the Electric Reliability Council sign up for electric reliability council of texas brad jones salary Brief, our daily that... Tribune supporters Texas homes during periods of peak demand of peak demand the board oversees major of. Of ERCOT they promised with financial penalties Science from the University of Texas on its governance status a division Graham... Aimed at counteracting a shortage of generation capacity in the system, Sen.. Trevino received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science in and... In an Interim capacity in the state megawatt of electricity can power about Texas... It is evaluating for board consideration have confidence in the system, state Sen. John Whitmire D-Houston... When you give by 6 p.m. Thursday computers, and to celebrate, weve got $ 15,000 in funds... Say others did, too not expecting this summer to be quite brutal. By Mitchell Ferman Ensure doors and windows are sealed properly in matching funds from four generous Tribune supporters already:.

Clearwater Police Breaking News, Tow Yard Cars For Sale Sacramento, Ca, Articles E