Texas grid operator OKs 416.3 MW of power generation for commercial operation; 252.7 MW canceled

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas approved 416.3 MW of new generation capacity for commercial operation in August, led by wind, battery storage and natural gas-fired projects, and another 617.7 MW neared commercial operation, but more than 2 GW was either deemed inactive or canceled.

ERCOT's latest Generation Interconnection Status Report, released late Sept. 1, categorizes 1.8 GW of generation projects as inactive in August, because they failed to meet certain milestones toward completion. Wind projects made up almost half of this group, but the largest single such project was the 524-MW Frontera Energy Center in Hidalgo County, on the Mexican border near the Gulf of Mexico.

The report also included three battery storage projects totaling 252.7 MW that were canceled in August.

The largest single project to enter commercial operation was the 209.4-MW Reloj Del Sol Wind project in Zapata County on the Mexican border south of Laredo.

Battery storage had the second-largest category, with the 101-MW Swoose II project in Ward County in the West Texas Permian Basin north of Fort Stockton.

The largest gas-fired project was the 44-MW Wolf Hollow 2 repower in Hood County, about 45 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Cumulative totals

With these additions, ERCOT has the following totals for installed capacity:

• Gas-fired: 57.2 GW, up from 56.9 GW at the end of 2021
• Wind: 30.4 GW, up from 28.4 GW at the end of 2021
• Battery storage: 1.8 GW, up from 0.8 GW at the end of 2021

Although no solar capacity was approved for commercial operation in August, ERCOT had 8.7 GW installed as of the end of August, up from 8.3 GW at the end of 2021.

The report listed 556.2 MW of generation in the synchronization status, meaning these resources can supply power to the grid but do not participate in markets. This is the last step before commercial operation.

Solar capacity led this group, with the largest single project, 327.4-MW Radian Solar, located in Brown County, about 140 miles northwest of Austin. ERCOT had 3.7 GW of solar capacity in the synchronization stage as of the end of July.

The last phase before synchronization is energization, of which 61.5 MW was approved, all battery storage, led by the 51.5-MW Endurance Park Storage project in Scurry County, about 85 miles southeast of Lubbock.