ELECTRIC and ERCOT NEWS
Texas Energy and Power Newsletter: he New Rules Behind ERCOT Prices
Feb. 18 — ERCOT just flipped a major switch on how it buys reliability; the ripple effects hit prices, batteries, and investment signals that Texas depends on.
https://www.texasenergyandpower.com/p/the-secret-rules-behind-ercot-prices
Texas Energy & Power News: Texas Grid Roundup
Feb. 17 — ERCOT Board meetings provide a wealth of information about the state of the grid; last week’s meeting is no exception.
https://www.texasenergyandpower.com/p/ercot-grid-snapshots-texas-grid-roundup
Texas Tribune: Momentum is building to meet electricity demand in Texas with small nuclear reactors
Feb. 17 — The first small modular nuclear reactor could be powering an industrial plant in Texas early in the next decade. And the state is pushing to become the leading site for testing and building the technology.
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/17/texas-small-modular-nuclear-reactors-grid-energy/
Inside Climate News: Retired EV Batteries Scored a New Gig: Bolstering Texas’ Grid
Feb. 17 — After reaching the end of their automotive careers, the batteries have been repurposed and are online in Texas.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/17022026/retired-ev-batteries-bolster-texas-grid/
National Law Review: Powering Growth- Utility Challenges Facing Data Centers
Feb. 17 — Jared Berg and Bryan Clark talk with Ted Duver about the regulatory forces driving data centers to develop on-site, behind-the-meter generation. They examine how long interconnection timelines, grid infrastructure constraints and evolving regulatory frameworks — particularly in PJM and ERCOT — are pushing developers toward greater control over power supply in pursuit of “speed to power.”
https://natlawreview.com/article/powering-growth-utility-challenges-facing-data-centers
KTSM: City says electric customers will get ‘near-term’ savings under latest PUC ruling
Feb. 16 — The City of El Paso said that they have secured some “near-term” savings for City customers on their electric bills.
https://www.ktsm.com/news/city-says-electric-customers-will-get-near-term-savings-under-latest-puc-ruling/
KVIA: City of El Paso secures estimated $10.4 million electric bill savings for residents
Feb. 16 — The El Paso City Council announced Monday that the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) rejected a request from El Paso Electric that could have increased costs for customers. El Paso Electric had requested the PUC to approve the Distribution Cost Recovery Factor (DCRF) adjustment.
https://kvia.com/news/2026/02/16/city-of-el-paso-secures-estimated-10-4-million-electric-bill-savings-for-residents/
CBS Austin: Five Years After the Freeze: Are We Ready for Tomorrow?
Feb. 15 — Texas’ power grid came within minutes of total collapse during the deadly February 2021 winter storm. ERCOT officials later said the system was just four minutes and 37 seconds away from a statewide blackout — in the middle of freezing temperatures.
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/five-years-after-the-freeze-are-we-ready-for-tomorrow
Inside Climate News: Texas to Study ‘Batch Zero’ of Data Centers by Late Summer
Feb. 15 — As ERCOT plans to reform how it evaluates data centers seeking grid connection, unknowns remain.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15022026/texas-batch-zero-study-data-centers/
Forbes: Would Less Competition Really Lead To Lower Electricity Prices?
Feb. 15 — Will America’s regional power grids have adequate generation capacity to avoid major spikes in electricity prices seen in recent winter storms during the depth of the coming summer? As the United States moves past what has hopefully been the worst of the winter, this question of resource adequacy and how it will be derived during the summer is becoming top of mind and raising new arguments in an age-old competition between public utilities and independent power providers (IPPs).
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidblackmon/2026/02/15/would-less-competition-really-lead-to-lower-electricity-prices/
NPR: It’s been five years since catastrophic Texas blackouts. How much has changed?
Feb. 13 — Five years after that winter storm which led to at least 246 deaths statewide and hundreds of billions of dollars in damages, Texans such as Hogue still get worried and still scramble to prepare whenever frigid weather is approaching.
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/13/nx-s1-5699421/texas-ice-storm-outages-power-electricity
Taylor Press: Council, residents take dim view of power lines
Feb. 13 — A plan by Oncor Electric to add more transmission lines in Taylor didn’t spark a positive reaction among residents and even some local leaders at Thursday’s City Council meeting.
https://www.taylorpress.net/article/11319,council-residents-take-dim-view-of-power-lines
Utility Dive: AEP contracted large load pipeline doubles to 56 GW
Feb. 13 — Data centers and other large loads with service agreements are driving up demand expectations across the service territories of American Electric Power utilities, especially in Texas, company officials said Thursday during a fourth-quarter earnings call. That in turn is helping drive the company’s capital expenditure plans, they said.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/aep-large-load-data-center-earnings/812181/
Community Impact: Does the Texas Railroad Commission have anything to do with railroads?
Feb. 12 — The railroad commission regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, according to its website, while the state’s railroads are under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government.
https://communityimpact.com/austin/south-central-austin/election/2026/02/12/does-the-texas-railroad-commission-have-anything-to-do-with-railroads-heres-what-state-agencies-on-the-march-ballot-do/
Houston Public Media: For many Texans, memories of deadly winter blackouts still linger
Feb. 16 — The storm left millions of Texans without power or heat for days and led to at least 246 deaths statewide.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/infrastructure/2026/02/16/543369/for-many-texans-memories-of-deadly-winter-blackouts-still-linger/?amp=1
Houston Business Journal: CenterPoint launches new online tool to track resiliency upgrades across Greater Houston
Feb. 12 — The Community Progress Tracker allows customers to search their address and see storm-related grid improvements completed since 2024.
https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2026/02/12/centerpoint-upgrades-community-progress-tracker.html
Latitude Media: PJM and ERCOT are navigating a capacity rollercoaster
Feb. 12 — Last year, the PJM capacity crunch became a focal point for an entire industry struggling to navigate the explosive growth of data centers. Yet even in the first two months of 2026, capacity prices have continued to skyrocket, and the economics of energy generation have only become more tenuous.
https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/catalyst-pjm-and-ercot-are-navigating-a-capacity-rollercoaster/
KHOU: CenterPoint launches new online tool to track resiliency upgrades across Greater Houston
Feb. 11 — The Community Progress Tracker allows customers to search their address and see storm-related grid improvements completed since 2024.
https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/centerpoint-progress-tracker-resiliency-upgrades/285-c73bcf84-73d5-4a3e-9d75-574f8cf89261
Houston Public Media: ERCOT to update planning process for connecting data centers, other large loads to Texas power grid
Feb. 10 — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, is changing the way it evaluates its transmission capacity to connect data centers, cryptocurrency miners and other “large loads” to the grid.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2026/02/10/543043/ercot-to-update-planning-process-for-connecting-data-centers-other-large-loads-to-texas-power-grid/
Fort Worth Report: TXU North Main plant off market. TCC won’t oppose historic protection
Feb. 9 — Tarrant County College officials confirmed Monday they pulled the historic TXU North Main Power Plant and 8-acre site off the market after receiving just one bid, which was lower than the property’s $9.4 million appraised value.
https://fortworthreport.org/2026/02/09/txu-north-main-plant-off-market-tcc-wont-oppose-historic-protection/
PV Magazine: ERCOT BESS interconnection applications drop 50% in H2 2025 as faults in the boom emerge
Feb. 9 — New data out of Modo Energy suggests only about 85% of large batteries with signed interconnection agreements are likely to be built, as queue timelines stretch beyond four years.
https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/02/09/ercot-bess-interconnection-applications-drop-50-in-h2-2025-as-faults-in-the-boom-emerge/
Brownwood News: Commissioners Oppose Proposed New Electrical Line
Feb. 8 — The new line, proposed by Oncor, is called the Dinosaur-Longshore Transmission Line. It would send 765kV of electrical power from Oncor’s “Dinosaur Switch,” three miles north of Glen Rose in Somervall County, approximately 250 miles west to the Longshore Switch, about four miles west of Forsan in Howard County.
https://www.brownwoodnews.com/2026/02/09/commissioners-oppose-proposed-new-electrical-line/
Reporting Texas: How the Texas Grid Withstood This Year’s Winter Storm and Why It Felt Different
Feb. 7 — This year, the state’s power grid remained intact with no systemwide blackouts, unlike in Winter Storm Uri which left 4.5 million homes without power and resulted in over 200 deaths across the state.
https://www.reportingtexas.com/feat-or-fortune-how-the-texas-grid-withstood-this-years-winter-storm-and-why-it-felt-different/
Energy News Beat: Texas Sues Wind Turbine Recycler Over 3,000 Blades Dumped In Sweetwater
Feb. 7 — As the U.S. wind fleet swells to tens of thousands of installations, the challenges of recycling, decommissioning, and land reclamation are coming home to roost—often quite literally, in landfills and abandoned fields.
https://energynewsbeat.co/texas-sues-wind-turbine-recycler-over-3000-blades-dumped-in-sweetwater/
Morningstar: Texas Commission Approves TXNM Energy Acquisition by Blackstone Infrastructure
Feb. 6 — The approval confirms that the acquisition is in the public interest. Terms of the settlement include $45 million in rate credits to customers, strong governance and local oversight, dividend restrictions, financial protections and ring-fencing, local control and workforce protections, customer and regulatory protections, a commitment to fund the company’s 5-year capital expenditure plans, and commitments to Texas communities.
https://www.morningstar.com/news/pr-newswire/20260206la82735/texas-commission-approves-txnm-energy-acquisition-by-blackstone-infrastructure
Climate Power: Texas Just Hit a Major Clean Energy Mileston
Feb. 5 — For the first time, the state’s main power grid produced more electricity from solar energy than from coal over the course of a year. Data from ERCOT shows solar generated 2.64 million megawatt-hours from January through November, surpassing coal’s 2.44 million megawatt-hours, with December data expected to lock in solar’s lead.
https://climatepower.us/news/icymi-texas-just-hit-a-major-clean-energy-milestone/
KETK: Lufkin council denies special permit for Oncor replacement substation
Feb. 4 — Lufkin residents spoke out at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, successfully blocking a proposed replacement electric substation from being built near their neighborhoods.
https://www.ketk.com/news/local-news/lufkin-council-denies-special-permit-for-oncor-replacement-substation/
Fox7: ERCOT ranked D- for Texas power grid planning, among nation’s worst according to report
Feb. 4 — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages power for about 90% of the state’s electric load, received a D- grade in 2025, according to a Feb. 2025 transmission planning report by Grid Strategies and the nonprofit advocacy group Americans for a Clean Energy Grid.
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/ercot-receives-d-texas-power-grid-planning-among-nations-worst-according-report
Bloomberg News: Texas Considers Revisiting Some Data Center Grid Approvals
Feb. 3 — Texas has so many massive AI-related data centers in development that its grid operator is now considering reevaluating some projects that were previously approved.
https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/texas-considers-revisiting-some-data-center-grid-approvals
Lexology: Why Texas? Data Center Market Trends and Incentives
Feb. 2 — The episode opens with an overview of the Texas interconnection queue, where large-load projects now face timelines extending to 2029 or 2030. Jared frames the conversation by explaining why understanding the oil and gas industry’s electrification history is essential to understanding today’s data center challenges.
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=3e1ee6f1-8ba9-493a-920c-84d8ce1a8975
Houston Press: Was CenterPoint Prepared or Did They Just Get Lucky?
Feb. 5 — Harris County escaped two recent arctic blasts with a relatively low number of power outages, due in part to extensive preparation from CenterPoint Energy and also because the storm just wasn’t that bad, a utility company official said Wednesday.
https://www.houstonpress.com/news/was-centerpoint-prepared-or-did-they-just-get-lucky/
Fox7: ERCOT ranked D- for Texas power grid planning, among nation’s worst according to report
Feb. 4 — he Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages power for about 90% of the state’s electric load, received a D- grade in 2025, according to a Feb. 2025 transmission planning report by Grid Strategies and the nonprofit advocacy group Americans for a Clean Energy Grid.
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/ercot-receives-d-texas-power-grid-planning-among-nations-worst-according-report
Axios Houston: Texas grid gets low grades
Feb. 4 — “Planned transmission is not always constructed,” the report says. “So, the inclusion of high-capacity lines in planning does not guarantee that the projects will get built or the anticipated future need will be met.”
https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/02/04/texas-grid-gets-low-grades
KLTV: Lufkin City Council denies substation expansion, Oncor to appeal
Feb. 3 — The substation in question is nearly 60 years old and currently serves over 7,000 residents in Lufkin. Many Crown Colony residents spoke out against the expansion during the meeting. “Placing a high impact electrical facility from front door will reduce the value of her home, limit the pool of potential buyers, and significantly increase the time it sits on the market,” one Crown Colony resident said.
https://www.kltv.com/video/2026/02/03/lufkin-city-council-denies-substation-expansion-oncor-appeal/
CBS News: Hundreds rally in Glen Rose against proposed 200‑mile power line project
Feb. 3 — The standing-room-only gathering comes amid months of discussion and debate over Oncor’s Dinosaur–Longshore Project, which would build 765-kilovolt transmission lines stretching more than 200 miles across Texas, from Somervell County west to Howard County. Oncor says the project is designed to meet the state’s growing demand for reliable electricity.
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/texas-power-line-project-dinosaur-valley-concerns/
NPR: All these data centers are gonna fry my electric bill … right?
Feb. 3 — Data centers are getting a lot of heat right now. There are protests against them, cities voting to keep them out. You even have both Bernie Sanders and Ron DeSantis speaking out against data centers, two men, I’m pretty sure wouldn’t even agree that, you know, water is wet.
https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5696566
Business Journals: San Antonio’s public utility is facing demand created by data centers head on
Feb. 2 — CPS Energy’s leader warns that failing to adapt could leave the municipally owned utility behind as data center companies explore alternatives, but he’s confident the organization has what it takes to stay competitive.
https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2026/02/02/data-center-cover-story-energy-demand-public-state.html
Public Citizen: Public Citizen Comments to the PUC Regarding the Backup Power Program
Jan. 29 — Cost-sharing would help ensure that awardees make a full effort to obtain competitive vendor prices. However, nonprofit and governmental entities may not have access to funds to enable a cost share. Therefore, we recommend that for-profit awardees be required to contribute 10% of the total project cost. Non-profit and government entities should not need to cost-share, since profit is not motivating their application and requiring cost-sharing in these sectors may unfairly limit access to back-up power.
https://www.citizen.org/article/public-citizen-comments-to-the-public-utility-commission-of-texas-regarding-the-texas-backup-power-program/
Energy News: Largest Power Project In US Approved For West Texas Amid Gas Plant And Data Center Buildout
Jan. 31 — In a landmark development for the U.S. energy sector, Pacifico Energy has secured approval for its GW Ranch project in Pecos County, West Texas. This 7.65 gigawatt (GW) gas-fired power campus, combined with 1.8 GW of battery storage and 750 MW of solar capacity, has been hailed as the largest permitted power project in the nation.
https://energynewsbeat.co/largest-power-project-in-us-approved-for-west-texas-amid-gas-plant-and-data-center-buildout/
Lubbock Lights: Oncor – biggest power delivery company in Texas – suing Lubbock and LP&L to stop ‘West Loop’ power connection
Jan. 30 — Oncor sued the City of Lubbock and Lubbock Power & Light on January 12 for a court order to stop part of a fourth connection between Lubbock and ERCOT in West Lubbock – nicknamed the “West Loop” in public records.
https://lubbocklights.com/oncor-biggest-power-delivery-company-in-texas-suing-lubbock-and-lpl-to-stop-west-loop-power-connection/
Utility Dive: NERC forecasts peak demand to rise 24% on new data center loads
Jan. 30 — “The system is changing faster than the infrastructure needed to support it,” said John Moura, NERC’s director of reliability assessments and performance analysis.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nerc-10-year-peak-demand-forecast-jumps-24-on-new-data-center-loads/810955/
KXAN: Austin’s power line upgrades on hold following ERCOT decision
Jan. 29 — The projects involve transmission lines, the high‑voltage paths that move power into Austin. Some of these projects were for expansion, while others were for maintenance. Austin Energy says these projects are meant to decrease local dependence on power.
https://www.kxan.com/news/austins-power-line-upgrades-on-hold-following-ercot-decision/
Bloomberg Law: Texas Data Centers, Crypto Miners Reduced Power During Storm
Jan. 29 — Electric Reliability Council of Texas Chairman Bill Flores said Thursday that some data centers and cryptocurrency miners voluntarily curtailed power use during the recent winter storm that strained the state’s grid and others across the country.