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Winter is Coming
Should Texas think about "connecting to the national grid?"
Greg Cox
October 23, 2023
Hey there — Greg here with the latest edition of Regulated Discourse. Thanks for reading.
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Quotable
“We can’t do anything until [Gov. Abbott] expands the call.”
Winter is Coming
The ERCOT island. Blessing or curse?
As if you couldn’t already tell by the 90 degree weather in late October, winter is coming.
On Friday, the Public Utilities Commission held a Winter Preparedness workshop. And earlier in the week, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) held a board meeting which spent a good chunk of time on the same issue.
By the way, ever wondered how all of these entities relate to one another?
The Legislature has oversight of the PUC.
The PUC may appoint an independent grid operator (ERCOT).
The Governor appoints Commissioners to the PUC.
The ERCOT Board is appointed by the ERCOT Board Selection Committee, which in turn is appointed by the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker.
The Legislature also may assert authority directly over ERCOT.
Simple enough?