Key Takeaways:
- ERCOT shows wind power generates more power than goal in the first half of 2019
- Texas mirrors nationwide trend as renewable sources produced more energy than coal in April
- Trend should continue as of the 109GW of capacity to soon to be installed in Texas, 94GW are wind & solar
Texas wind generation edged out coal by a nose during the first half of this year, marking the first time emissions-free resources won out in the Lone Star State, and the this may be a race that renewables will be winning from here on out.
According to the new Demand and Energy Report issued by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (“ERCOT”), wind power produced 21.78% of the state’s energy versus coal’s 21.37% through June, while gas-fired plants generated the lion’s share at more than 40% and nuclear power contributed 10%. While wind edging out coal was a first for Texas, it mirrored similar trends happening nationwide according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Comparatively, wind power was nearly non-existent on the Texas grid as early as 2003 (as shown in the above graph) – a sign of wind’s rapid development in the state; moreover, wind’s share will only increase. According to ERCOT’s monthly Generator Interconnection Status Report, out of 109 total Gigawatts scheduled to come online in the near-term, more than 94 GW are slated for wind and solar (with gas representing 10GW).
When one takes the economic case for wind and solar and adds in aggressive renewable policies being adopted by many large Texas cities, one sees the way in which the Lone Star State is advancing boldly on a path to 100% renewables.
What We’re Reading: “ERCOT: Wind outpaced coal on Texas grid for the first time,” as published on UtilityDive.com