ERCOT OKs 306-MW gas plant for power market; 1.1 GW of renewables nearly online

摘要

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has approved a 306-MW natural gas-fired generator for commercial operation, and another 1.1 GW of solar, wind and battery capacity entered the final stages before commercial operation, a new report shows, but additions for this summer may be light. In an April 5 email, Giuliano Bordignon, a power analyst at S&P Global Platts Analytics, said most of ERCOT's new capacity normally comes online in the summer, but "the additions this summer are likely to be minor (we expect just 10 MW in August), with the bulk of this year's new gas capacity being online before then." As a result of the extreme pricing that occurred during the brutal winter storm of Feb. 14 and thereafter, the Public Utility Commission of Texas has changed the systemwide offer cap from $9,000/MWh to the higher of $2,000/MWh or 50 times the fuel index price, which is a spot price at the Katy Hub.