Lubbock Power and Light completed its integration into the state-operated power grid system over the weekend, marking the largest single transfer of customers in ERCOT’s history.
While the move was labeled a single transfer, this happened in two distinctly separate stages.
The first occurred during Memorial Day Weekend in 2021, when 70% of LP&L’s customers were added to the ERCOT system, and the second took place when the remaining portion of customers were added just this past weekend.
To understand the reasoning for the delay, we have to go back to 2010 when the City of Lubbock purchased distribution assets from South Plains Services and became the city’s only energy provider.
In the wake of the purchase, a new problem appeared: LP&L was faced with serving customers who relied on two separate power grids.
Combining their customers has long been a goal of LP&L, considered necessary for Lubbock to transition to Texas’ competitive electric market, and it’s one they’ve now achieved through the migration to the ERCOT grid.
As most of their customers were transferred in 2021, the 30% who weren't had to wait until the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the migration plan, after reviewing the agreement between SPS Electric and LP&L.
Now with the migration fully completed, LP&L will open a shopping window for its customers to explore their menu of energy providers in early January.
Specifically, this window will be open from January 5 to February 15. The City of Lubbock will host periodical shopping fairs at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center during this span to inform residents about their options.
The dates of these fairs are as follows:
● Friday, January 5, 2024
● Saturday, January 6, 2024
● Monday, January 22, 2024
● Tuesday, January 23, 2024
● Saturday, February 10, 2024
Those who fail to elect a new provider will be assigned to one of the three Default Retail Electric Providers: Reliant Energy, TXU Energy, or Octopus Energy.