PUC Investigating Failure to Report Wind Shortage

The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) has started an investigation into last week's sudden drop in wind power the Startlegram reported over the weekend. Specifically, the PUC is asking why the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) failed to follow its own rules and make appeals through the news media for conservation during the emergency.

Last Tuesday (02/26) a sudden drop in West Texas wind power combined with an increase in electric use led to a sudden loss of stability on the electric grid. This caused ERCOT Engineers to implement the second step of an emergency blackout prevention plan and cut power to some large industrial customers.

So far, so good, but after a more serious situation in 2006 ERCOT established rules that require it to make appeals through the news media for conservation during such emergencies. No appeals were made. ERCOT officials say that by the time they could have contacted the media, the crisis was over. I suppose ERCOT doesn't have internet access?

Call me cynical but I can't help but wonder if the reason no conservation appeal was issued is that ERCOT doesn't want the public to know how unreliable wind power is. Texas leads the nation in production of wind power and plans are to greatly increase production. However, such increased production will entail massive new wind farms and hundreds of miles of ugly transmission lines. Perhaps some are worried that the public will balk at such a high environmental cost if they realize how unreliable so-called renewable energy is?