Approximately six months after many questioned whether it was prepared for scorching summer temperatures, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is under scrutiny again, this time for its ability to soldier through another potentially dangerous blast of cold weather.
Austin NBC affiliate KXAN reported that new ERCOT head Pablo Vegas assured energy customers throughout the state that there won’t be a repeat of early 2021’s Winter Storm Uri.
“There’s a low probability scenario where there’s very high peak load and extreme outages of generation units and extremely low wind, that shows that there could be a shortfall,” Vegas told the grid operator’s board of directors on Tuesday, KXAN reported. “This is a very low probability scenario.”
According to the station, ERCOT is confident that the arctic front that’s forecasted to arrive in the Lone Star State on Thursday and send temperatures plummeting toward the teens isn’t anything like the unprecedented winter event that rendered millions of Texans without electricity and water for almost a week.
Citing Chris Coleman, the energy provider’s chief meteorologist, KXAN reported that temperatures during Christmas weekend will be on the milder side compared to the figures registered during Uri.
The station reported that Coleman said the incoming front won’t have any accompanying precipitation.
Austin FOX affiliate KTBC reported that Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders touched base on the precautions being taken before the mercury decreases on Thursday.
Public Utilities Commission (PUC) chair Peter Lake said the grid “is ready and reliable.”
“We expect to have sufficient generation to meet demand throughout this entire winter weather event,” Lake said during a Facebook Live hosted by the Office of the Texas Governor.
Per KTBC, ERCOT believes peak demand will occur on Friday morning when temperatures are at their lowest of the weather event.
The grid operator has completed more than 200 weatherization inspections of generating facilities as of Wednesday, with experts urging the public to prepare their residences for the cold snap.