{"id":10891,"date":"2015-08-26T09:50:48","date_gmt":"2015-08-26T14:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/?p=10891"},"modified":"2015-08-26T13:33:46","modified_gmt":"2015-08-26T18:33:46","slug":"texas-grid-survives-heat-but-could-use-more-energy-efficiency-and-demand-response","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/energyexchange\/2015\/08\/26\/texas-grid-survives-heat-but-could-use-more-energy-efficiency-and-demand-response\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Grid Survives Heat, but Could Use More Energy Efficiency and Demand Response"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: John Hall<\/a>, Texas State Director, Clean Energy, and Sarah Ryan, Clean Energy Consultant<\/em><\/p>\n

\"hot<\/a>This month Texans have been at the mercy of some extreme, shoe-melting<\/a> heat. Yet, despite the heat wave and resulting high demand in electricity, the state\u2019s main grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), has barely broken a sweat<\/a>. Demand even passed the previous record-high mark twice in one afternoon, but ERCOT has not called for a single system emergency.<\/p>\n

How is ERCOT able to handle this massive stress on the grid, even as Texas\u2019 population continues to rise<\/a> at an impressive rate? Although some new generation has come online to meet increased electricity needs in the state, two key resources are working \u201cbehind the grid\u201d to lower demand. Energy efficiency and demand response<\/a>, a way to incentivize people to conserve energy when the electric grid is stressed, are both essential tools in preventing blackouts during the hottest months of the year, while maintaining Texas\u2019 commitment to a clean energy future.<\/p>\n

The good news is, Texas has significant potential to grow these resources, and two utilities are already showing how the state can better harness both energy efficiency and demand response.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cheapest energy is the kind we don\u2019t use in the first place<\/strong><\/p>\n

To put it plainly: Saving energy is more affordable than building additional power plants.<\/p>\n

For example, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory concluded<\/a> the average cost of energy saved by energy efficiency measures is 4.4 cents per kilowatt hour (KWh), compared to the 9.5 cents per KWh for the cost of electricity generated by coal. The total cost of saved energy is not only less than half that of dirty coal, but it eliminates the need for cooling water, which is required to cool the steam produced by power plants. This is an additional cost that is not often factored in.<\/p>\n

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Texas grid survives heat, but could use more #energyefficiency and demand response<\/a><\/div>\n

CLICK TO TWEET<\/a><\/p>\n

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Similarly, the National Academy of Sciences found<\/a> the average cost of conserved electricity in residential and commercial buildings is 2.7 cents per KWh. This finding is particularly relevant in Texas, as residential and commercial air conditioning comprises a significant proportion of peak summer load.<\/p>\n

In 2012, Texas\u2019 own Austin Energy launched various energy efficiency efforts and, in 2014, the Brattle Group reviewed the resulting programs, finding<\/a>:<\/p>\n