Energy Ventures Analysis, Inc. (EVA), evaluated ERCOT’s Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan (STEP), including the Permian Basin Reliability Plan (PBRP), for the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), and found that the STEP does not meaningfully reduce the need for new generation. Electricity demand is rising in Texas, with much of the growth expected before the 765-kV […]
Pain in the Permian: Renewable Edition
Pain in the Permian: Renewable Edition On March 8th, global oil prices fell by the largest amount since the 1991 Gulf War as Saudi Arabia abruptly ended its agreement with Russia to regulate prices through coordinated production cuts. The move sparked fears of a price war and came amid price declines caused by the COVID-19 […]
ERCOT Price Reforms to Curtail Retirements and Incentivize Distributed Generation Investment
Executive Summary In an effort to increase resilience ahead of summer 2019 the Texas Public Utility Commission has approved reforms that will increase prices during high-demand periods in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) region. The reforms are expected to incentivize generators to defer retirement, while also sending price signals to customers to curtail […]