electric reliability council of texas brad jones salary
over the last decade to implement meaningful grid-related improvements. It puts a lot of wear and tear on some of these older machines. Brad Jones, interim CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, expressed confidence in the state's grid heading into summer. The same is true for critical infrastructure like hospitals, he said: utilities are trying to centralize those lines "so the power goes to the hospital, but those other 100 customers that are on that same line can now help in reducing their load.". A long-time leader among ERCOT stakeholders, Brad chaired ERCOT's Technical Advisory Committee, a Jobs Amplify your impact and donate now. SAN ANTONIO Officials with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas were not expecting this summer to be quite so brutal. This caused lawsuits about whether federal regulation then applied, however the judgement was that this was not sufficient. What ERCOT did by making the announcement on Friday was a greater level of transparency that did not exist before [Winter Storm] Uri, Abbott said. "The Board looks forward to working with Brad during this time as ERCOT prepares for summer operations," said ERCOT Board Director and HR&G Committee Chair Mark Carpenter. Power-generating companies across the state must comply with weatherization standards or face steep fines, according to the new head of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Lake said that the agency was simply moving forward with what the Legislature asked it to do last year with Senate Bill 3 but later said, We dont plan on operationalizing any market designs until we receive guidance from the Legislature.. From left: Peter Lake, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and Brad Jones, then-interim president and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, speak at a May 17 press conference about the state power grid. Hydroelectric Conventional: 23,086 MWh; Hunter and Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, repeatedly questioned Lake about whether the PUCs vote on the market redesign which is expected in January after the public has an opportunity to comment on the plan would be binding and whether the Legislature would have the opportunity to make changes to it. But the gas companies that fuel them, despite being the biggest contributors to the blackout (and to Abbott's reelection campaign), didn't have to. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has named its new leader more than a year after the previous CEO was terminated. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. ( ERCOT) is an American organization that operates Texas 's electrical grid, the Texas Interconnection, [3] [4] which supplies power to more than 25 million Texas customers and represents 90 percent of the state's electric load. Support the free press, so we can support Austin. Gov. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) command center in Taylor. Now, officials are working to determine how the Texas power market will create and meet the reliability standard also mandated by Senate Bill 3. What percentage of Texas energy is renewable? "Is ERCOT a government agency? . Were losing megawatts, but we have more people, more businesses.. Updated Jordan Vonderhaar for. After the power grid crisis during the February 2021 winter storm that left millions of Texans in the dark during dayslong power outages and caused hundreds of deaths, the Texas Legislature ordered the PUC to make several major changes, including requiring power plants to better prepare for very cold conditions and implementing a reliability standard for the states electricity market. On March 10, 2021, ERCOT provided an update to the Public Utility Commission of Texas on its governance status. [56] This revelation drew considerable anger from the public as well as elected representatives, and the board members' names and photographs were temporarily removed from the ERCOT website due to death threats. Matt Payne reports on Frisco City Hall and its committees, Collin County Commissioners and McKinney business. Jakob Rodriguez is a digital journalist at KSAT 12. Set thermostats to 68 degrees while at home, or as low as comfortably tolerable. This represents 85 percent of the state's electric load and 75 percent of the Texas land area. Brad Jones became ERCOT's vice president of Commercial Operations in April 2013. Lake said that right now, according to an analysts report commissioned by the PUC, the Texas grid can be expected to experience rolling blackouts at least one day per year on average. The rule, if implemented, would punish those who failed to produce the power they promised with financial penalties. | Before fielding questions, Jones opened with describing several measures ERCOT has already taken, including facility inspections of weatherization measures by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and introducing statewide emergency alerts through the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Regulators say it would. We used to stand right at the edge of the cliff before calling one, now were 10 feet back when we start to it manage.. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Got something to say? Abbott, at a separate event on Tuesday in north Texas, was asked about the grid and saluted ERCOT for how it handled last weeks problems. [57][58] The board was also criticized for its meeting days before the storm: though the meeting lasted more than two hours, the members spent less than a minute discussing storm preparations and readiness. Jones says the ideal backup is "micro-grids": Companies like H-E-B and Walmart can use generators to "separate from the grid until ERCOT is safe enough for them to return." Supply and Demand. Lawmakers also didn't provide direct aid to people harmed by the February crisis. Other: 1,160 MWh. Energy Texas Electricity Prices Up After Post-Blackout Directives, State Increasing Capacity and Caution. Breaking down the state's power sources from gas to wind. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Independent System Operator from October 2015 - October 2018. Pablo Vegaswill take over the president and CEO role for the. However, the Texas grid is not subject to regulation under the Federal Power Act, being an intrastate grid for the purposes of that law. Were seeing those problems show themselves today, Jones said. [34][35], Approximately 4 million customers in Texas were without electricity for various times during the multi-day storm. 51878. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers -- representing about 90 percent of the state's electric load. [19], The deregulation of the Texas electricity market occurred in two phases: the wholesale generation market in 1995 and the rest of the sector in 1999. Solar: 5,381 MWh; [9], ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation,[12][13] and its members include consumers, electric cooperatives, generators, power marketers, retail electric providers, investor-owned electric utilities (transmission and distribution providers), and municipally owned electric utilities. From left: Peter Lake, chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and Brad Jones, then-interim president and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, speak at a May 17 press . Houston city council tables vote on Hobby Airport restaurant contract, Georgia star Jalen Carter charged with racing in fatal wreck, Contractor dies after electric shock at Texas City Marathon refinery. The legislation abolished the former system, in which power was both generated and consumed locally. Presses received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Leaders of the Texas power grid tried to assure the public Tuesday that the states grid is ready for summer, when they forecast record-breaking demand for electricity during the hottest stretches. Ensure doors and windows are sealed properly. In counties around El Paso in western Texas, El Paso Electric reported that, as a result of it having investing millions in cold weather upgrades after the 2011 cold snap, 3,000 customers lost power for less than five minutes. Seems to me we asked you to do something, and youre doing it, he said. His experience includes serving as online content editor at Fort Worth Magazine and city editor at the Killeen Daily Herald. Many are no longer cost competitive. ", "I commend the ERCOT Board for confirming a leader of Brad's caliber as interim CEO," said PUC Chairman Peter Lake. In a Monday committee hearing, lawmakers questioned whether a Public Utility Commission proposal to redesign Texas electricity market would lead to the building of more natural-gas-fired power plants. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas ensures a reliable electric grid and efficient electricity markets. State leaders continue to probe what went wrong with the power grid during the Feb. winter storm and what can be done to keep it from happening again. [23], During a major cold-weather event in mid-February 2021, ERCOT declared a statewide emergency, due to a 34,000 MW shortfall in generation that caused widespread blackouts. According to an ERCOT report, the major sources of generating capacity in Texas are natural gas (51%), wind (24.8%), coal (13.4%), nuclear (4.9%), solar (3.8%), and hydroelectric or biomass-fired units (1.9%). Did Texas energy regulators fail to mandate winter protections? An ISO schedules power on an electric grid and ensures the grid can . The threat is real, and its happening, he said. AUSTIN, Texas -- During February's deadly winter storm, Gov. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. [51][12], The PUC has primary jurisdiction over activities conducted by ERCOT. Jones received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Arlington. Melissa Trevino of Houston is the Assistant Vice President for Power at Occidental Energy Ventures, where she leads the energy management team and oversees the power reporting and compliance group. [22], In early February 2011, a major winter storm impacted Texas; freezing and extreme cold at natural gas pipelines and wells, as well as generating units (such as coal-fired power plants and wind turbines) caused power outages across Texas affecting 3.2 million customers. This spring, ERCOT forecasters predicted just a 5% chance that this summer's peak load demand would reach the levels it has. 148 talking about this. Trevino received a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the Texas Tech University. If the agency completes its rule-making as scheduled, Lake said during the hearing, he expects that the plan would be fully implemented by 2026. Community See All. September 28, 2021 | Austin, Texas [47] A comprehensive review of news reports, death certificates, and lawsuit filings from every county in Texas led a team of journalists in Houston to set the death toll at 194,[48] while a later review of excess deaths by journalists at BuzzFeed estimated the full indirect mortalities to be between 426 and 978. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, ERCOT Interim president and CEO Brad Jones said forecasters for the organization did not anticipate the extreme heat and projected that on the hottest day of summer, the grid demand could reach a max of 77,300 megawatts. Public Utility Commission of Texas Chairman Peter Lake and Electric Reliability Council of Texas CEO Brad Jones will hold a press conference to discuss the readiness of the Texas power grid for the 2022 summer Yes, sir, Lake responded. Brad Jones, Interim CEO, Electric Reliability Council of Texas WHAT: Summer 2022 Texas grid readiness and CDR/SARA overview WHERE: . There, he oversaw Commercial Operations and Grid Planning and Operations. Heres how you can help reduce electricity use, according to ERCOT: According to officials, at this time, ERCOT has additional resources that are only available during tight conditions, so rotating outages are not likely.. She has reported on several high-profile stories during her career at KSAT and specializes in trending news and things to do around Texas and San Antonio. You can get the very latest forecast anytime by bookmarking our weather page and downloading the KSAT Weather Authority App - available for both Apple and Android devices. (Matt Payne/Community Impact Newspaper). Jon Taylor of Austin is the Corporate Vice President of Fab Engineering and Public Affairs at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, where he is responsible for factory engineering for operations including safety, quality, cost, and productivity for all production equipment and supporting personnel. It should be included in the next special session, said Tom Smith, longtime former director of Public Citizens Texas office. [21] Since deregulation, retail providers and power generators were unregulated, although regulations on transmitters continued to control the placement of electrical lines. Senate Bills 2 and 3 included a few key changes to the grid that experts said will begin to address some issues, such as requiring power companies to upgrade plants to withstand more extreme weather and creating a statewide emergency alert system. Jones said after ERCOT released an energy conservation notice on Monday, the demand was 2,500 megawatts lower than officials projected. 31,546 people follow this. July 13, 20214 PM Central. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) board has selected a new CEO and president. ERCOT underestimated the maximum amount of power that would be demanded by homes, businesses and industry during a severe winter storm in its fall projections, and it overestimated the amount of power generation that would be available to the grid during such a storm. By Matt Payne But it would add financial rewards for power plants that can quickly produce electricity when the grid is at its most stressed, such as during very hot or very cold days. See more of Electric Reliability Council of Texas on Facebook. It also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for nearly 8 million premises in competitive choice areas. During a press conference last week, Vegas and Lake both emphasized that the proposed changes would be technologically agnostic and would not prioritize one source of power generation over another. [28], Texans outside the ERCOT-controlled grid had a different power experience. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to 22 million Texas customers. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. AUSTIN, Texas -- The board overseeing the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the independent nonprofit entity that operates and manages the electricity grid that covers much of. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Greg Abbott's now-infamous guarantee that last year's Winter Storm Uri catastrophe won't be repeated, Jones said, "We've done everything possible to make sure that the lights do stay on." He is a corporate member representative for the Texas Oil & Gas Association, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers, Louisiana Energy Users Group, Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers, Texas Energy Coalition, and the Association of Oil Pipe Lines. On Tuesday, Jones released a 60-point plan aimed at building lawmakers and the publics confidence in the power grids reliability. Magness will soon depart ERCOT following a 60-day termination notice handed to him by ERCOT's board of directors in March. You can do this by setting your thermostat to 78 degrees (or a level that is safe for you); turning off lights and pool pumps; avoiding use of large appliances such as ovens, washing machines and dryers; and turning off or unplugging unused electric appliances. While Magness was fired, Walker resigned after also coming under harsh criticism from lawmakers. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) is an American organization that operates Texas's electrical grid, the Texas Interconnection,[3][4] which supplies power to more than 25 million Texas customers and represents 90 percent of the state's electric load. ERCOT hires Pablo Vegas as new top executive to help manage Texas' power grid. The board said he would serve in those roles for the next two months. The selection of Pablo Vegas to head the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, comes about a year and half after a devastating February's 2021 winter storm left dozens dead,. He is a past Chairman of the Edison Electric Institute's Executive Advisory Committee and a board member for the Gulf Coast Power Association. Electric Reliability Council of Texas has 125 employees, of which 19 are in a leadership position. Hydroelectric Pumped Storage: -368; [36][37] During the power loss, some Texans were forced to survive in record freezing temperatures down to 2F (19C). Petroleum Liquids: 909 MWh; Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved. A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austins independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the communitys political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. That's the difference.". Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Creighton added that it may take the PUC and ERCOT months or years to implement some of the changes lawmakers approved in the spring, such as requiring power plants to protect critical infrastructure from extreme weather. On Tuesday, Abbott amended his statement in regards to this week's ice storm: "No one can guarantee there won't be a load shed event. Brad Jones, interim CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, expressed confidence in the states grid heading into summer at a Tuesday press conference. He implored his colleagues to focus on the task at hand: What I hope, members, is that we can try to figure out how to get Texas to the next step, to the next decade [because] the demand continues to go up, and continues to go up.. The key though, is to make sure we have other resources to balance them." Murphy received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the United States Air Force Academy, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law, and a Master of Public Administration from The University of Texas at San Antonio. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has declared an Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 and is urging consumers and businesses to limit their electricity use as much as possible on Sunday. Greg Abbott and many state lawmakers quickly criticized the Electric Reliability Council of Texas because several members of its large . In 1970, ERCOT was formed to comply with NERC requirements. READ MORE: 6th ERCOT board member resigns during emergency meeting on winter storm outage. All four regulators replaced officials ousted after the winter storm that crippled the grid for days during subfreezing weather. ", "Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved Vegas' selection Tuesday and he will begin his new position Oct. 1. Theyre discussing it anyway. Edward Stones of Houston is the Global Business Director for Energy & Climate Change for Dow, Inc. Log In. Brad Jones, interim CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas . Box 12428 of Texas. Gov. The legislation also changes how the Electric Reliability Council of Texas' governing board is appointed. [17] The board delivered a 60-day termination notice to Magness, who had been president and CEO since 2016. ERCOT's interim president appeared before a Senate committee on Tuesday to discuss efforts to improve the state's electrical grid. Wholesale electricity prices increased 65 percent in 2021, without taking into account the blackouts cost, due in large part . [55], During the February 2021 storm, it emerged that a third of ERCOT's board of directors live outside of Texas; this includes the chair Sally A. Talberg, who lives in Michigan, and the vice chair Peter Cramton. Brad Jones, interim president and CEO of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, shared new accountability plans and fielded several questions in a town hall coordinated by state Reps Matt . generation units 52,700+. Dan Patrick had called for Magness and DeAnn Walker, then the head of the PUC, to resign. The ERCOT region's all-time record peak hour occurred on July 20, 2022, when consumer demand hit 79,828 MW. Mr. Jones has more than 25 years of electric industry . Ercot released an energy conservation notice on Monday, the PUC, to resign the publics in! To make sure we have more people, more businesses occurred on 20! 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electric reliability council of texas brad jones salary