Coal plant retirements and high summer electricity demand lower Texas reserve margin

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), grid operator for most of the state of Texas, estimates a reserve margin of 11% for this summer—lower than previous years and ERCOT’s 13.75% reference reserve margin—indicating a smaller cushion of resources to meet summer peak demand and an increased risk of grid stress conditions. The lower anticipated reserve margin is mainly a result of three large coal plants retiring in early 2018 and forecasts of record-breaking summer electricity demand. More »