Texas has been able to maintain grid reliability and low electricity prices while closing coal-fired power plants and adding renewable generation capacity, writes Energy Institute Assistant Director Fred Beach in a new op-ed published in the Dallas Morning News. In 2018, Texas, which already leads the nation in wind generation capacity, added more renewable generation (wind and solar) than any other state, while also closing one-third of all coal power plant retirements nationwide. In addition, the ERCOT power grid routinely has periods in the spring and fall when wind generation accounts for greater than 50% of the power flowing through the wires — and the lights stay on without even a flicker, Beach notes, while also enjoying some of the lowest-cost electricity in the nation. Read more.
