New Energy
Texas Power Grid May Need ‘Breath of God’ to Keep Cool in Summer
- Wind and solar power are helping to meet growing demand
- Small nuclear reactors have tremendous promise, regulator says
Houston, Texas.
Photographer: Aaron M. Sprecher/Bloomberg
This article is for subscribers only.
The Texas electric grid’s ability to provide enough summertime energy may hinge on whether renewable sources can meet growing demand that’s already sapped fossil fuel and nuclear power supplies.
That’s the view of Texas’s top power regulator, an official appointed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who contends that the state’s grid is becoming too dependent on intermittent wind and solar sources. Peter Lake, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, maintains that more natural gas is needed to keep the grid reliable. Some grid analysts as well as solar and wind advocates disagree.