General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTexplainer: Why Does Texas Have Its Own Power Grid?
Texas' secessionist inclinations have at least one modern outlet: the electric grid. There are three grids in the Lower 48 states: the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection and Texas.
The Texas grid is called ERCOT, and it is run by an agency of the same name the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. ERCOT does not actually cover all of Texas. El Paso is on another grid, as is the upper Panhandle and a chunk of East Texas. This presumably has to do with the history of various utilities' service territories and the remoteness of the non-ERCOT locations (for example the Panhandle is closer to Kansas than to Dallas, notes Kenneth Starcher of the Alternative Energy Institute in Canyon), but Texplainer is still figuring out the particulars on this.
The separation of the Texas grid from the rest of the country has its origins in the evolution of electric utilities early last century. In the decades after Thomas Edison turned on the country's first power plant in Manhattan in 1882, small generating plants sprouted across Texas, bringing electric light to cities. Later, particularly during the first world war, utilities began to link themselves together. These ties, and the accompanying transmission network, grew further during the second world war, when several Texas utilities joined together to form the Texas Interconnected System, which allowed them to link to the big dams along Texas rivers and also send extra electricity to support the ramped-up factories aiding the war effort.
(Snip)
The Texas Interconnected System which for a long time was actually operated by two discrete entities, one for northern Texas and one for southern Texas had another priority: staying out of the reach of federal regulators. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Federal Power Act, which charged the Federal Power Commission with overseeing interstate electricity sales. By not crossing state lines, Texas utilities avoided being subjected to federal rules. "Freedom from federal regulation was a cherished goal more so because Texas had no regulation until the 1970s," writes Richard D. Cudahy in a 1995 article, "The Second Battle of the Alamo: The Midnight Connection." (Self-reliance was also made easier in Texas, especially in the early days, because the state has substantial coal, natural gas and oil resources of its own to fuel power plants.)
https://www.texastribune.org/2011/02/08/texplainer-why-does-texas-have-its-own-power-grid/?utm_campaign=trib-social&utm_content=1613504716&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
SWBTATTReg
(22,124 posts)regulations (federal) that could have perhaps opened up the grid in TX for possibly more power when needed. Also, they let Texas industries and politicians set the tone on regulations (very favorable to Industry of course).
Hmm. They certainly had the links in place to sell the power out state, but bringing it in (the power) from out state, a NO NO.
roamer65
(36,745 posts)They should stay segregated until the system is properly weatherized and other related issues are addressed.
judeling
(1,086 posts)We haven't been able to zero in on all the root causes yet, but nat gas looks to be a major one.
Residential demand peaked first, that meant that the initial diversion was in the Natural gas market. That limited the amount of gas available for electric generation and so the normal exports to surrounding states was curtailed. In that case the interconnection would have helped as that part of the system would not have been as stressed and rolling blackouts could have minimized the damage.
roamer65
(36,745 posts)I have read the problem with many of their natural gas generating plants is a lack of adequate winterization.
judeling
(1,086 posts)winterization problems. But more to do with the spot price. As the heating demand rose so did the gas price. Winter is normally the low demand time overall so most contracts are designed to even out the costs over the year so much like department stores the real profits are realized seasonally. But as gas for heating demand rose so much the Spot gas prices skyrocketed, this left the power companies losing gobs of money.
dlk
(11,566 posts)Especially in Texas.
pecosbob
(7,538 posts)jimfields33
(15,801 posts)Why was this not questioned before this? If it was and was not given a solid answer, why no pushback?????? Kinda late to be wondering now.