EIA: Power plants in Texas are able to handle recent winter cold snap
Power plants and electric generators within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) maintained fuel supplies and avoided widespread power outages during a recent cold snap in Texas, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
ERCOT, the grid operator for most of the state, increased output to meet elevated demand during the storm. The performance was in stark contrast to February 2021, when extreme cold disrupted the supply of electricity in Texas and left millions without power.
During the recent cold snap, the actual demand for electricity in ERCOT peaked at 68,862 megawatt hours (MWh), which was slightly below the peak actual demand of 69,215 MWh during the February 2021 storm. This year’s weather did not cause major declines in natural gas production in Texas, and natural gas-fired power plants in Texas maintained their fuel supply during the cold weather.
Also, renewable sources, primarily wind, maintained a high level of output during the coldest periods this winter when demand surged. Further, coal-fired and nuclear units did not experience outages.
With ample supply, ERCOT prices for wholesale electricity in the real-time market were below $100 per MWh during the recent storm. During the February 2021 storm, prices were as high as $9,000 per MWh – which was the price cap for wholesale electricity in ERCOT at the time.
ERCOT forecasts electricity demand to ensure it has sufficient generation resources to meet expected demand. Actual demand refers to the amount of electricity that customers consume.
