{"id":378317,"date":"2025-05-14T16:32:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=378317"},"modified":"2025-05-14T16:32:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T14:32:22","slug":"new-texas-law-to-force-renewables-to-be-dispatchable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=378317","title":{"rendered":"New Texas Law To Force Renewables To Be\u00a0Dispatchable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Paul Homewood<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sounds like Texas is getting fed up with its electricity system being increasingly put at risk by wind and solar power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After years of papering over the cracks with half hearted proposals, it appears that the State Legislature will formally pass a law requiring all generators, not just new ones, to be fully dispatchable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ed Ireland has the story:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2021, Winter Storm Uri pushed Texas\u2019s electricity grid to the brink, with just 4 minutes and 37 seconds from total collapse. Snow, ice, and freezing temperatures covered all 254 counties in the State for five days, starting February 13. Wind turbines froze, overcast skies incapacitated solar panels, some natural gas wells experienced freeze-offs, and even coal plants struggled with frozen equipment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As power generators failed and electricity demand skyrocketed, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) ordered rolling blackouts across Texas. Some local utilities unknowingly cut power to areas with electric natural gas compressors, which stopped gas flows to generating stations, causing more outages. (The Railroad Commission of Texas created a new division, <\/em>Critical Infrastructure<\/em><\/a>, so this problem would never happen again.) The grid\u2019s frequency dropped dangerously below 60 hertz, nearly crashing, but a slight drop in demand and the recovery of some generation saved the grid from total collapse, which could have required weeks to recover from a \u201cblack\u201d start of the grid.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, ERCOT, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT), and lawmakers have repeatedly vowed to prevent another near-disaster. They have proposed ideas such as:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n