AUSTIN, Texas — ERCOT says it's looking to increase its power capacity ahead of winter in Texas.
The agency, which manages the Texas power grid, said Monday that it issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to stakeholders in an effort to add up to 3,000 megawatts to its operating reserves.
ERCOT says it hopes to add the reserves ahead of its 2023-24 peak load season for winter, which runs from December 2023 to February 2024.
"Our request to procure capacity in advance of winter is part of our continued commitment to maintain grid reliability and resiliency," ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said in a statement. "ERCOT is not projected energy emergency conditions this winter season, but we want to be prepared and ensure all available tools are readily available if needed."
In September, ERCOT also said in a report that the Texas power grid would be ready for fall demand, but stated that rotating outages could be needed if there was a low renewable energy output. The most extreme situation would include high peak load, high unplanned thermal power outages, and extremely low wind output, which would lead to a high risk of outages.
According to ERCOT's analysis, if the region experiences a winter storm during this year's peak load season similar to the winter storm of December 2022, the risk of entering into an Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) would be almost 20%.
ERCOT says adding 3,000 MW to its reserves would reduce that probability below 10%, which is under its elevated-risk threshold.