“The picture is looking rosy if we have a “normal” summer, but the season is shaping up to be hot and dry, which doesn’t bode well. ~ Wayne Muncaster, VP for North America at GridBeyond
Tight power supplies are possible during late evenings in Texas this summer, as grid operators cautioned the state won’t have enough on-demand power generation to meet the need during peak hours.
Published on May 3, the latest seasonal assessment covering the upcoming summer season (June -September) ERCOT said while it anticipates under normal summer conditions there should be enough electricity to meet demand, after sunset, and before winds pick up in the western parts of the state, supply could be tight.
The peak forecast is expected to be 82,739MW, while over 97,000 MW of summer-rated resource capacity is expected to be available. This includes 688MW of planned thermal resources and 372MW of planned solar resources forecasted to be available by July 2023. The total resource amount also includes 3,544MW of installed battery storage capacity, with 447MW of the installed total assumed to be available for dispatch prior to the highest summer net load hours.
“On the hottest days of summer there is no longer enough on demand, dispatchable power generation to meet demand in our system […] said Peter Lake, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. “The Texas grid faces a new reality […] Data shows for the first time that the peak demand for electricity this summer will exceed the amount we can generate from on demand dispatchable power, so we will be relying on renewables to keep the lights on”, he added.
Wayne Muncaster, VP for North America at GridBeyond, commented:
“The picture is looking rosy if we have a “normal” summer, but the season is shaping up to be hot and dry, which doesn’t bode well. To ensure businesses are prepared for the coming season energy price forecasting and automated dispatch allows to see an energy shortage hours in advance and/or react in real-time”.
About GridBeyond
The transition to a Net Zero economy is driving significant change in the energy sector. From the rise of renewables generation to the ever-increasing need for grid balancing services. The result is a significant requirement for scalable and real-time solutions to manage the energy system of tomorrow.
At GridBeyond our vision is to build a shared energy economy that delivers sustainability, resilience, affordability and adaptability through collaboration and innovation. By bridging the gap between distributed energy resources and electricity markets, our technology means every connected asset, whether its utility-scale renewables generation, battery storage or industrial load, can be utilised to help balance the grid.
By intelligently dispatching flexibility into the right market, at the right time, asset owners and energy consumers unlock new revenues & savings, resilience, manage price volatility, while supporting the transition to a Net Zero future.
Using artificial intelligence and data science, GridBeyond’s technology balances and orchestrates energy generation, storage and industrial load in a coordinated system. GridBeyond’s intelligent energy optimiser, lies at the core of our services. By connecting load, generation, and storage assets with the opportunities of the energy markets our technology bridges the gap between distributed energy resources and the requirements of the power grid.
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