E&E News: Texas may overhaul power market to handle data center boom
March 26 — The chair of the state Public Utility Commission told energy leaders at CERAWeek that regulators will examine grid costs.
https://www.eenews.net/articles/texas-may-overhaul-power-market-to-handle-data-center-boom/
Xcel Energy (Press Release): Xcel Energy to pass on fuel savings to customers
March 25 — Xcel Energy’s (NASDAQ: XEL) subsidiary, Southwestern Public Service Company, has filed an update with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) that would lower the fuel portion of electric bills for Texas customers. The updated fuel rate reflects both lower fuel costs and changes in how electricity is generated across the system.
https://newsroom.xcelenergy.https://www.ess-news.com/2026/03/25/1-billion-in-texas-project-financing-esvolta-and-doral-renewables-secure-funds-for-ercot-solar-storage/com/news/xcel-energy-to-pass-on-fuel-savings-to-customers
ESS News: $1 billion in Texas project financing: esVolta and Doral Renewables secure funds for ERCOT solar, storage
MARCH 25 — Everything’s bigger in Texas, including two major financing packages, with MUFG Bank backing esVolta’s 300 MWh Boxcar battery system and Doral Renewables’ 430 MW Cold Creek solar-plus-storage complex.
OK Energy Today: Should ERCOT be forced to join an electric grid?
March 25 — Another effort is underway in Congress to force Texas to join the nation’s major electric grids, targeting the state’s largely independent system operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).https://www.okenergytoday.com/2026/03/should-ercot-be-forced-to-join-an-electric-grid/
Texas Energy & Power Newsletter: Texas Growth Is Running Into Power Grid Limits with Katie Coleman
March 25 — As large new customers line up in ERCOT, Texas’s grid operator must decide how to plan transmission, serve load, and price risk without shifting burdens onto current ratepayers.
https://www.texasenergyandpower.com/p/texas-growth-is-running-into-power?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share
Platts: Platts to unbundle RECs from ERCOT short-term wind and solar PPA assessments; clarifies long-term solar to remain bundled
March 24 — Platts has reflected energy and RECs together – bundled – in these assessments since launch, but this decision will change that approach by reflecting only energy – unbundled – in the final assessment for short-term PPAs.
https://www.spglobal.com/energy/en/pricing-benchmarks/our-methodology/subscriber-notes/032426-platts-to-unbundle-recs-from-ercot-short-term-wind-and-solar-ppa-assessments-clarifies-long-term-solar-to-remain-bundled
Utility Dive: NextEra to develop 9.5 GW of gas in Texas, Pennsylvania
March 24 — The projects are part of a $550 billion deal with Japan that also includes 3 GW of nuclear in Tennessee and Alabama and 9.2 GW of gas generation in Ohio, federal officials say.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nextera-gas-generation-doe-softbank-texas-pennsylvania/815541/
Oncor Sponsored Content: Veteran Powering a Submarine Now Powers Texas
March 24 — Around his 21st birthday, Garon Yamashita knew he wanted to be part of something bigger than himself. A visit to his local recruiting office launched a 10-year military career defined by leadership, accountability, and integrity. What he didn’t know at the time was just how much this experience would translate to the work he now leads at Oncor.
Renewables Now: Energy Vault buys 175-MW/350-MWh McMurtre BESS project in Texas
March 24 — Greenfield renewables developer Belltown Power sold the project, known as the McMurtre battery energy storage system (BESS) and located near Dallas, for an undisclosed price. Energy Vault expects the development to reach notice to proceed in the fourth quarter of 2026 and commercial operation in December 2027.
https://renewablesnow.com/news/energy-vault-buys-175-mw350-mwh-mcmurtre-bess-project-in-texas-1291903/
Energy Storage News: ERCOT after RTC+B: How real-time optimisation is reshaping battery storage economics
March 24 — When ERCOT implemented Real-Time Co-Optimization plus Batteries (RTC+B), the industry’s immediate question was predictable: will battery revenues go up or down?
Aurora Energy Research: ERCOT LARGE LOAD INTERCONNECTION: SB6 AND BATCH STUDY PROGRESS
March 23 — Senate Bill 6 (SB6) establishes a new statutory framework to address reliability and cost risks driven by accelerating large‑load demand. The legislation requires earlier and stronger financial and project commitments from large load customers, improving system planning certainty across ERCOT.
https://auroraer.com/resources/aurora-insights/policy-notes/ercot-large-load-interconnection-sb6-and-batch-study-progress
Engineering News Record: TotalEnergies Agrees to Feds’ $928M Wind Project Buyout for Texas Gas Investment
March 23 — French energy developer TotalEnergies confirmed March 23 it will accept an offer by the Trump administration to scrap plans to build offshore wind energy projects in long contracted lease sites off New York and North Carolina in exchange for a $928-million payoff by the Trump administration to cover development costs.
https://www.enr.com/articles/62727-totalenergies-agrees-to-feds-928m-wind-project-buyout-for-texas-gas-investment
WSOC: French energy company to forfeit wind leases, invest in Texas gas facility
March 23 — The Trump administration announced a deal on Monday to reimburse a French energy company nearly $1 billion in exchange for scrapping two offshore wind projects in the Atlantic and reinvesting that money into natural gas.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/french-energy-company-forfeit-wind-205747127.html
Texas Energy and Power Newsletter: Texas-California Clean Power Race Heats Up
March 23 — Yale Climate Connections on the two states rapid growth; AI surge and data center pushback; challenges to the Permian Basin Reliability Plan; and how Texans may feel the Iran war.
https://www.texasenergyandpower.com/p/texas-california-clean-power-race
Argus Media: Texas grid rethinks rules as data centers surge
March 23 — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is replacing its old approach of studying each project that requests an interconnection with a new process, known as Batch Zero, that will lump requests that are 75MW or larger into groups for evaluation.
KLTV: President Trump approves $16 billion natural gas generator to be installed in Anderson County
March 20 — President Trump approves $16 billion natural gas generator to be installed in Anderson County
Pulse: Hanwha Energy: Texas Gas-Fired Power Plant Acquisition To Expand U.S. Energy Platform
March 20 — The proposed acquisition includes a 324-megawatt simple-cycle facility located in the West Zone of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The transaction is expected to close in mid-April, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.
https://pulse2.com/hanwha-energy-texas-gas-fired-power-plant-acquisition-to-expand-u-s-energy-platform/amp/
KWTX: Oncor outlines Bell County transmission upgrade at Belton open house
March 20 — The project would move an existing 138-kilovolt line — the Fryers Creek Switch to Salado Switch circuit — off the lattice towers it currently shares with a 345-kilovolt line and onto new steel monopole structures, according to information Oncor provided at the meeting.
https://www.kwtx.com/2026/03/20/oncor-outlines-bell-county-transmission-upgrade-belton-open-house/
KCEN: Bell County residents voice concerns over proposed Oncor transmission line
March 20 — The company held a public meeting on Thursday, March 19 to gather input on plans to move an existing 138-kilovolt transmission line onto new monopole structures. The project would replace older lattice towers and run about 11 miles, connecting the Fryers Creek, Hartrick and Salado switch areas.
https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/bell-county-residents-voice-concerns-proposed-oncor-transmission-line/500-3c6af68c-d0c6-4374-981a-1421aeaea0f9
Utility Dive: Electric sector gas use fell 3% in 2025, partly on solar, battery rise: EIA
March 19 — Consumption rose for all other sectors, however, making 2025 a record year for U.S. gas consumption.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/electric-power-sector-natural-gas-eia/815192/
Sierra Club: Texas Energy Policy Updates: ERCOT, PUCT, Data Centers, Transmission & Grid Reliability
March 19 — Texas energy policy is rapidly evolving as regulators respond to growing demand from data centers, transmission needs, and grid reliability challenges. This overview explains the latest ERCOT and PUCT actions, what they mean for consumers, and how the public can stay involved.
https://www.sierraclub.org/texas/blog/2026/03/texas-energy-policy-updates-ercot-puct-data-centers-transmission-grid
Construction Review: Avantus Completes Its Latest ERCOT Entry As The 159 MW Norton Solar Project Reaches Commercial Operations With Toyota Group Backing
March 19 — The Norton Solar Project occupies land in Runnels County, situated in the rolling plains of central Texas roughly 200 kilometres southwest of Fort Worth and within the deregulated ERCOT electricity market.
https://constructionreviewonline.com/avantus-completes-its-latest-ercot-entry-as-the-159-mw-norton-solar-project-reaches-commercial-operations-with-toyota-group-backing/
Straight Arrow News: Why California and Texas actually agree on powering their future with batteries
March 19 — In the wake of growth in renewables, batteries are emerging as a way to store and then discharge excess power generated from the sun and wind. Batteries have gone from a minimal footprint only five years ago to providing a significant share of California and Texas’ electricity during peak demand periods. Their growth has changed how grid operators keep the system stable, and some energy experts believe continued decline in costs of solar and batteries will displace conventional power plant generation.
https://san.com/cc/why-california-and-texas-actually-agree-on-powering-their-future-with-batteries/
KCEN TV: New transmission line project in Bell County
March 18 — ONCOR says the line will be built on their existing right-of-way between Salado and Temple
https://www.kcentv.com/video/news/local/salado-temple-belton-transmission-line/500-d9dda07e-2fca-4a75-8001-09be64cd90bf
Utility Dive: As data centers go off-grid, utilities face new cost and planning risks
March 17 — Industry disclosures suggest that by the end of the decade, a meaningful share of new data center capacity could be partially or fully self-supplied, write Brandon Owens and Morgan Bazilian.
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/as-data-centers-go-off-grid-utilities-face-new-cost-and-planning-risks/811944/
BIC Magazine: exas grid sees 233 GW in data center requests: How much is real?
March 4 — Grid planners are drowning in connection requests. More than 233 GW of large-load interconnection applications now sit in ERCOT’s queue, with over 70% coming from data centers.
https://www.bicmagazine.com/industry/powergen/texas-grid-sees-233-gw-data-center-requests-much-real/
Texas Energy and Power Newsletter: The Data Behind Texas Reliability
March 4 — Behind the scenes, every few minutes, the ERCOT system generates tens of thousands of price signals, outage updates, and operational reports that demonstrate and drive the cost and availability of electricity.
https://www.texasenergyandpower.com/p/the-data-behind-texas-reliability
Inside Climate News: Why Electricity Bills Are So High—and How the Blowback Could Hit Trump
March 2 — As Democrats and climate activists seize on energy costs as a political issue, new data shows electricity rates rose 5 percent nationwide in 2025. The figures were much higher in some states.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02032026/whats-driving-higher-electricity-rates/
Energy Storage News (Commentary): What a history of Winter Storms teaches us about the future of energy storage in Texas
March 2 — It’s a great time to take note of how battery energy storage has helped improve ERCOT’s grid resilience since 2021, when the devastation and power outages caused by Winter Storm Uri shocked the nation. Energy storage demonstrated its ability to meet critical peak power demands during Winter Storm Fern in late January this year, and underscored that the discussion around energy storage in Texas is steadily shifting to ensuring continued resource adequacy in the face of booming electricity demand.
https://www.energy-storage.news/what-a-history-of-winter-storms-teaches-us-about-the-future-of-energy-storage-in-texas/
KFOX: El Paso Electric customers to see bill credits in March, April and May, company says
Feb. 27 — EP Electric said the refund, which in total was a little over $40 million, comes after the utility said it had “access to lower cost fuel” used to generate electricity and sold the excess power to other utilities.
https://kfoxtv.com/newsletter-daily/el-paso-electric-customers-to-see-bill-credits-in-march-april-and-may-company-says-texas-tx-ep-epepublic-utility-commission-puct
Private Equity Stakeholder Project: Houston Chronicle examines risks of Blackstone’s proposed TXNM takeover
Feb. 27 — To complete the proposed acquisition, Blackstone and TXNM must obtain approvals from a variety of state and federal regulatory agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, and the Public Utility Commission of Texas. For state utility regulators to approve this deal, it must be deemed to be in the public interest. The joint application outlines proposed benefits such as capital investments, temporary customer rate credits, and the retention of local management, but digging into the details of these proposed benefits shows they only scratch the surface of what may be needed to provide true ratepayer protections against the proposed risks of the acquisition.
https://pestakeholder.org/media_coverage/houston-chronicle-examines-risks-of-blackstones-proposed-txnm-takeover/
Taylor Press: City to get new electric station
Feb. 27 — he City Council held four public hearings Thursday regarding new developments, along with ideas to make an Oncor Electric Delivery switch station easier on the eyes.
https://www.taylorpress.net/article/11384,city-to-get-new-electric-station
KLTV: ERCOT workshops how to support power requests from data centers
Feb. 26 — Texas is rapidly becoming one of the nation’s top destinations for AI data centers, bitcoin mining operations, and other power-hungry facilities. But there’s a critical problem: the state’s power grid may not be able to keep up with the explosive growth.
https://www.kltv.com/2026/02/27/ercot-workshops-how-support-power-requests-data-centers/
KCEN: Oncor changes High-Voltage transmission line timeline to review Community feedback
Feb. 26 — A proposed high-voltage transmission line project through Central Texas is drawing continued concern from residents as developers prepare to file with state regulators after months of public feedback.
https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/bell-county/texas-high-voltage-transmission-line-filing-delayed/500-4bdb6bf1-882b-43a4-8ecd-1e1d71922561
Lapses Dispatch Record: Lometa couple sound alarm over battery storage plant
Feb. 26 — The 200 MW Thomas Cameron BESS facility on County Road 2275 is expected to be in operation by May 2027. According to available information from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, three additional BESS facilities are planned for Lampasas County.
https://www.lampasasdispatchrecord.com/news/lometa-couple-sound-alarm-over-battery-storage-plant