ERCOT warns it may delay CPS Energy from closing gas-fueled power units

The operator of Texas' power grid — you know, the one GOP politicians keep assuring us is completely reliable — is warning that CPS Energy's plan to shut down some of its older, gas-fired power units could have a "material impact" on the grid's ability to deliver electricity.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) raised the concern in Monday filing made in response to CPS Energy's plans. In the document, ERCOT officials said the San Antonio's city-owned utility would cut 859 megawatts of power output by closing the three oldest units at its Braunig Power Station, potentially threatening the grid's reliability.

CPS officials want to close the units on March 31, 2025, as part of an ongoing effort to transition away from fossil-fuels, the Express-News reported last month. The older units are pricy to run, and the utility also doesn't want to keep dumping cash into upgrades needed to cut their emissions.

In its filing, ERCOT said will seek other alternatives to cover the pending power deficit. However, ERCOT also could require CPS Energy to keep the units running if other power sources don't materialize.

In a statement supplied to the Express-News, CPS officials said they expect ERCOT to green light the Braunig unit closures on the expected time table, assuming the grid operator can rustle up new capacity.

ERCOT's concern over the plan comes as experts warn Texas and the U.S. to prepare for another long, hot summer. You know, the kind like last summer, when ERCOT repeatedly asked consumers and businesses to throttle back their power use for fear of destabilizing its famously reliable grid.

Stay tuned.

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