Articles

Tapping into the power of the sun offers commercial and industrial facilities more control over their utility bills and the ability to operate in a more sustainable fashion. Plummeting prices and improved technology make a host of options available for companies that want to go solar. But they’re left with a lot of information to parse and deliberations to make. We have created this three-part commercial and industrial solar series to shed light on the types of solar installations possible today...

A recent report by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) indicates a wider cushion between supply and demand than previously expected for this summer because of the effects of the new coronavirus. Meanwhile, the grid operator also finds an ongoing shift underway in the state’s power mix towards intermittent wind and solar and the possibility of record setting peak demand. All of these elements could affect power prices this summer. Supply buffer up ERCOT forecasts its cushion between...

The Texas wind farm fleet is continuing to grow, but its effect on power prices depends on where the wind farms are located. Generally, Texas wind farms have dampened wholesale power prices, but they’ve also increased price volatility and can have an outsized impact on summer-time prices. Texas wind fleet grows, and keeps growing The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid for most of the state, has about 23,865 MW of wind power, up from 100 MW two decades ago. The...

With summer on the horizon, it’s a good time to talk about scarcity pricing — a hot topic last year when real-time wholesale power prices in Texas hit a $9,000 per megawatt-hour (MWh) cap multiple times over a three-day stretch. Generally, wholesale power prices are driven by supply and demand. Prices go up when limited power supplies are used to meet growing demand. Picture a hot, humid day. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid and power markets in nearly a...