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There’s a Long Way to Go

There’s no question that demand for electricity, in Texas and nationwide, is increasing. However, there is a big question about how we are going to go about keeping the lights on.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) has come under scrutiny from those who believe that the gas, a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, contributes to global climate change. In Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, a movement is afoot to discourage the use of CO2-producing fuels and transition toward “greener” forms of renewable energy production.

But there’s a long way to go.

Recently, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the non-profit corporation that oversees the electricity grid serving 85 percent of the state’s power consumers, reported that during the January cold snap that plunged much of Texas into a deep freeze, demand for electricity hit a record seasonal peak. According to preliminary figures, consumers in the ERCOT system used more than 55,000 megawatts (MW) of power at one time on the morning of January 8, a winter record. This means that if that amount of electricity generation were not available, some Texans who depend on electric heat would have been left shivering.

This past summer saw the unofficial, all-time record peak, 63,400 MW. According to ERCOT, one megawatt is roughly enough electricity to supply the needs of 500 average homes under normal conditions in Texas, or about 200 homes during hot weather when air conditioners are running for longer periods of time.

A typical large fossil fuel-burning power plant produces around 600 MW. That means it would have taken more than 100 huge power plants operating at full capacity to fulfill the demand that summer day. Of course, actual generation comes from a variety of sources, not just large power plants.

Wind power, touted as one of the best current solutions to the CO2 emissions problem, currently doesn’t even come close to filling those needs. There are a nation-leading 8,275 MW worth of wind generation installed in the state. ERCOT estimates that at times of peak load, it can count on only about 8.7 percent (about 700 MW) of that capacity to be available because of wind conditions, lack of available transmission and other factors.

Even at the pace at which wind power is being constructed (almost 1,000 additional MW are slated to be added to ERCOT’s system by year’s end), it could take decades before it is ready to shoulder a significant amount of the state’s energy needs. As of 2008, about 80 percent of the electricity generated in the ERCOT region came from burning fossil fuels. To replace that generation with “green” power will take considerably more time and expense.

The amount of federal funds going into researching alternative energy and making the grid more efficient is heartening, but scientists
have a long way to go.

Until then, we can hope that the decision-makers in Washington will make wise choices and not saddle customers with exorbitant electric rates in an attempt to force conservation through the checkbook, as some strategists recommend.

Please contact your elected representatives and make your voices heard. To make that easier, co-ops nationwide are participating in the “Our Energy, Our Future” campaign. Go to www.ourenergy.coop for more information.

We need your help to keep the lights on at a price you can afford.