Texas’ Load Growth Challenges – And Opportunities, with Arushi Sharma Frank

In brief

Data centers, factories and electrified oil and gas operations are expected to send demand on the ERCOT grid soaring. Get forecasting and planning wrong and Texas risks higher costs, more outages and a weaker grid; get it right and it can build a more resilient, affordable and flexible system. Doug Lewin and Arushi discuss how Texas and other states can meet the moment, and she lays out four pillars of large load flexibility.

Key points

1. 01Defensive flexibility: large loads that ramp up and down smoothly without destabilizing the grid.
2. 02Planning and interconnection flexibility: partial firm interconnections, so utilities can overbook capacity as they already do with generation.
3. 03Emergency flexibility: loads operators can call on in emergencies, through programs like Controllable Load Resources.
4. 04Self-limiting interconnection rights: a contractual cap on grid draw, with on-site generation or storage filling the gap.