Texas
ERCOT Abandons Congestion Plan, Pinpoints Key Texas Grid Weaknesses
HOUSTON, TEXAS – DECEMBER 14: Pablo Vegas, president and CEO of ERCOT, speaks during press … [+]
ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas told his Board during a planning session this week that his agency will abandon a plan to relieve congestion on a key transmission line due to lack of customer response. Vegas said Tuesday that a planned conservation program has failed to attract significant commitments from big power consumers.
“The contract for capacity that was issued to support summer conditions resulted in a very low submission,” he told the ERCOT board. “It’s clear … we need to modify the approach for developing the next set of demand response capabilities in the ERCOT market.”
The issue at hand high-capacity transmission line designed to carry electricity generated by South Texas wind installations hundreds of miles north to the Dallas/Fort Worth market. During mid-day periods of high demand last summer, the line became congested with too much input, causing ERCOT to have to issue conservation warnings on as many as 11 days in August. The agency’s plan to address that issue was to solicit applications for voluntary conservation by major power users near the congestion point in South Texas for 500 MW of consumption, but the solicitation for bids attracted only three applications, all of which were for less than 10 MW.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – JUNE 15: Transmission towers are shown on June 15, 2021 in Houston, Texas. The … [+]
Two Critical Grid Weak Spots
The failure of the plan – and the need to devise it to begin with – highlights a pair of key weaknesses in the Texas grid as currently constructed:
- The fact that the construction of new thermal generation capacity in high-demand regions like the DFW market has failed to keep pace with demand growth; and
- The heavy reliance on costly transmission lines to move power generated by wind or solar industrial sites hundreds of miles to those demand centers.
Where wind is concerned, the problem in the state is that the only regions truly fit to host the big industrial sites are in the West Texas/Panhandle region and in deep South Texas, where populations are sparse. Over the first decade of this century, Texas spent $7 billion to build high-capacity transmission lines called the CREZ lines to carry wind-generated power from West Texas to the Houston and DFW markets. That final tab was 700% bigger than initial estimates provided by wind developers. Additional transmission has had to be added along with the more recent build-out of wind generation in South Texas.
The obsession by the state’s policymakers and regulators to pack the grid with intermittent and often unpredictable wind and solar at the expense of encouraging the installation of additional thermal or nuclear capacity has resulted in an increasingly unstable grid that requires ERCOT to often invoke novel plans like this one. It didn’t get a lot of news coverage, but this past winter, ERCOT even resorted to the extreme measure of trying to convince owners of mothballed coal-fired generation plants to reopen them as part of a plan to avoid blackouts during a major winter storm event.
Help Is On The Way
San Antonio-based CPS is currently in the process of upgrading the transmission line that caused the near-crisis situations last summer, but the anticipated completion date of that project is still three years away. As I reported here last week, help in the arena of new thermal capacity is also on the way after the new Texas Energy Fund to incentivize development of more natural gas generation attracted an overwhelming response from generation companies. But those projects will also take years to plan and build.
Looking out farther into the future, help could also be on the way in the form of modular nuclear power, after Dallas-based Natura Resources received the good news from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that a construction permit for its planned molten salt reactor to be sited on the campus of Abilene Christian University (ACU) will be approved in September.
Texas Senator John Cornyn speaks at an event unveiling the housing for a molten salt modular nuclear … [+]
In a recent interview, Natura CEO Doug Robison told me the project, which is a demonstration project developed in conjunction with ACU, the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, has an anticipated startup date in 2027. The eventual success of that project could spur development of an array of such modular reactors – Robison says the reactor itself is roughly the size of a home refrigerator – that have the advantage of being installed in the middle of major demand centers rather than hundreds of miles distant.
The Bottom Line
Unfortunately, while this set of prospects for a more stable grid to come remain years away from reality, Mr. Vegas and his grid managers and planners at ERCOT will continue to have to devise novel ways to keep power flowing to a rapidly growing array of big demand centers. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it.
The Fort Worth skyline reflects off the Trinity River. It is a city that loves its roots and embraces its evolution.
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If you’ve been one of the 10.8 million annual visitors to Forth Worth, Texas, you already know it’s worth a multi-day stay. But sometimes, you don’t have that luxury, and the best you can swing is an overnighter. I’m here to tell you, that’s not a bad thing. Fort Worth, a pleasantly compact city in comparison to its sprawling neighbor, Dallas, turns an overnight stay into an opportunity to immerse yourself in Texan culture while luxuriating in the finer things in life.
Start with a semi-private flight via JSX, which operates out of its own terminal outside of Dallas-Love airport. This streamlined service provides private-flying ease and comfort at a fraction of the cost (a typical flight from Houston to Dallas costs about $500 round trip and gets you there in about an hour). After an extremely comfortable flight, you’ll touch down in Dallas, and it is a matter of minutes to deplane, collect your bag, and hail a ride. Opt for a rental car from JSX onsite provider Go Rentals or just use a ride app for the day.
The lobby of the Crescent Hotel Fort Worth features eye-catching chandeliers and comfortable seating with views of the outdoor courtyard and fireplace.
Crescent Hotel Fort Worth
The heart of Fort Worth is 40 minutes away – you’ll leave the hustle and bustle of the big city behind and find tree-lined (and impeccably clean) streets. You’ll also find the new Crescent Hotel Fort Worth, which Conde Nast Traveler recently dubbed the #1 Hotel in Texas. Service is on point – when I arrived feeling a little queasy, the staff managed to rustle up a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwich, and that was with the dining room temporarily reserved for a television crew shooting on the premises.
Which apparently is a thing in Fort Worth. It’s becoming an increasingly popular destination for movie and TV filming, and it’s clear why. The landscape is quite pretty, made all the prettier in the Cultural District, where Crescent Hotel is located. It features lovely museum buildings and wide streets that will beckon you outside to explore, and that exploration should include the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the oldest botanic garden in Texas. It boasts 23 specialty gardens, such as the Japanese Garden ideal for a serene stroll, along with sculptures, ponds, waterfalls, and a don’t miss greenhouse.
If you prefer the indoors, just across the street from the Crescent Hotel is the Kimbell Art Museum, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and features works by creative legends like Rembrandt, Picasso, and Cezanne. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth is a stone’s throw away, as is the Amon Carter Museum, currently featuring an exhibit entitled “Cowboy.”
The Fort Worth Stockyards are home to the twice-daily cattle drives that pay homage to the culture and history of his area.
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And speaking of cowboys, you must set aside time to witness an authentic and historically accurate cattle drive, which takes place twice daily at 11:30 am and 4:00 pm on Exchange Street in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. Watch as wranglers outfitted in boots, chaps, and hats reminiscent of the early American days drive cattle through the town. You can learn more about Fort Worth’s cowboy culture at The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Cattle Raisers Museum.
If you haven’t noticed by now, Fort Worth is a bit of a dichotomy with its attention to ranch life every bit as important as its evolution to modern city. That’s why a day here is a study in contrasts, and one of the best ways to see – and taste – that is through the food. Start with lunch on the hacienda-style patio at Joe T. Garcia’s, a popular Tex-Mex restaurant serving up margaritas and family recipes like bean chalupas since 1935.
Mouthwatering scallops are cooked to precision at Waters, a fine dining restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas
Rebecca Deurlein
For dinner, dive into Waters Restaurant for a fine dining experience helmed by Chef Jon Bonnell. Appetizers like crab cakes and tomatoes topped with fried goat cheese are about as close to perfect as you can get. And foods that depend on being cooked just right, like scallops and filet, are indeed just right. Waters is located in Sundance Square, a walkable entertainment and business district that is especially lovely at night and offers live theater, shopping, an historic Chisholm Trail mural, water features, and over 30 restaurants, in case you decide to stay.
That’s the only problem with Fort Worth – one day and night will give you a taste that will have you hustling to get back. So maybe not such a problem after all.
Texas
City of Houston defends keeping firefighter on payroll amid nude video controversy and lawsuit
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The City of Houston says its hands are tied when it comes to a firefighter who showed a nude video of a female firefighter to their colleagues.
John Barrientes was found liable in a civil trial last year and was ordered to pay former firefighter Melinda Abbt $250,000. City Council is considering approving an $850,000 payment to Abbt to settle a separate federal lawsuit related to the matter.
Yet some council members question why Barrientes has been allowed to keep his job.
The city points to an obscure Texas law governing police and fire departments.
“If you’re looking to terminate someone’s employment because of a past act, the statutory scheme in Texas requires that that occurs within six months of the act,” City Attorney Michel Arturo said.
But that’s not how other attorneys see it.
“I’m not aware of any law that says you have to fire someone within 180 days of the misconduct,” employment attorney Michael Lombardino said.
Arturo sent Eyewitness News a copy of the Texas Local Government Code. Under a heading titled ‘Indefinite Suspensions,’ it reads:
“In the original written statement and charges and in any hearing conducted under this chapter, the department head may not complain of an act that did not occur within the six-month period preceding the date on which the department head suspends the firefighter or police officer.”
Lombardino said that should only apply to indefinite suspensions, which he said are different than terminations.
“Sometimes you need to be able to conduct an investigation, so putting a time limit on when you would be able to terminate an employee doesn’t really make sense,” he said.
Arturo told council members that firing Barrientes could give him grounds for a wrongful termination suit. Some worry about the lawsuits the city could face by keeping him.
“If we have another incident that comes up, aren’t we in more legal jeopardy because we are aware of this behavior?” Councilman Fred Flickinger asked.
Council won’t vote on whether to approve the settlement with Abbt for at least another week.
For news updates, follow Luke Jones on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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Texas football senior and offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. was nabbed as one of the four finalists for the Lombardi Award, a trophy that celebrates the best offensive or defensive lineman in college football.
Among Banks Jr. in the other finalists spots are LSU’s offensive tackle Will Campbell, Penn State’s defensive end Abdul Carter and South Carolina’s EDGE defender Kyle Kennard.
This is just another award for the offensive tackle. After the Mississippi State win, Banks Jr. was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week and repeated that award against Oklahoma. In addition, Banks Jr. also was named the Outland Trophy’s National Player of the Week for his performance against the Sooners.
Before the season, Banks Jr. was called First Team All-America by the Associated Press, CBS Sports, ESPN, Sporting News, and The Athletic as well as the preseason First Team All-SEC team by both media and coaches.
The Texas offense has been successful partially because of Banks Jr., he is ranked as the highest Texas player on the PFF Big Board at 11.
According to the official Texas Longhorns website, the Longhorns rank ninth nationally in team passing efficiency (162.81), 12th in passing offense (288.6), 13th in completion percentage (67.9) and scoring offense (37 ppg), and 18th in total offense (450.2 ypg).
These stats have also helped propel the Longhorns offensive line to be a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award earlier this month.
If Banks Jr. wins, this would be the fourth time a Longhorn has won the Lombardi Award. The other three to win are Kenneth Sims (1981), Tony Degrate (1984), and Brian Orakpo (2008).
This year’s award dinner will take place on Dec. 11th after the regular season concludes.
In the meantime, Banks Jr. and the Longhorns face the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday for their next opponent.
The game in Austin will kickoff at 2:30 on ABC.
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