Texas' energy grid is becoming more reliable now — three years after millions of Texans lost power during a deadly winter storm. But energy experts say the grid still faces challenges as providers transition to clean energy sources.
Industry experts came together at The University of Texas at Arlington on Friday for GridNEXT DFW, a discussion forum focused on the future of energy solutions in the state.
"I think the grid that you see in five years is going to be very different than the one we have today," said Woody Rickerson, Chief Operating Officer for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). "Even though we've seen a lot of changes in recent years, that change is going to continue."
Rickerson gave a keynote speech during the forum. He spoke about the growing availability of energy resources, including solar, wind, natural gas and battery storage.
“I think there are more wind and more solar units than we've ever seen before, so there's more access to that type of energy, but we also have to deal with the variability that comes with those,” Rickerson said.
Rickerson added that battery storage will also play a huge role in keeping up with the growing demand for power.
Ken Donohoo, a consultant at Owl Electric Reliability, said energy providers must over-prepare for more extreme weather events.
“We're getting hail storms damaging solar farms. We've got tornadoes damaging solar farms. It's all those different things, and that's what we've got to think about in our daily lives,” Donohoo said.
Donohoo added that energy providers are finding new ways to produce and store energy at all hours of the day.
"It's not your grandfather's power system anymore, and it's changing so much quicker than it did just five years ago," Donohoo said.
Pablo Arauz Peña is KERA’s growth and infrastructure reporter. Got a tip? Email Pablo at parauzpena@kera.org. You can follow him on X @pabloaarauz.
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