AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for several improvements to be made to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, five months after massive power outages during a historic winter storm plunged millions of Texas residents into the dark.
In a letter sent to the Public Utility Commission on Tuesday, Abbott ordered the PUC to take several immediate actions:
*Streamline incentives within the ERCOT market to foster the development and maintenance of adequate and reliable sources of power, like natural gas, coal, and nuclear power.
*Allocate reliability costs to generation resources that cannot guarantee their own availability, such as wind or solar power.
*Instruct ERCOT to establish a maintenance schedule for natural gas, coal, nuclear, and other non-renewable electricity generators to ensure that there is always an adequate supply of power on the grid to maintain reliable electric service for all Texans.
*Order ERCOT to accelerate the development of transmission projects that increase connectivity between existing or new dispatchable generation plants and areas of need.
“Through clear communication, transparency, and implementation of these critical changes," Abbott wrote, "the PUC and ERCOT can regain the public’s trust, restore ERCOT’s status as a leader in innovation and reliability, and ensure Texans have the reliable electric power they expect and deserve.”
According to a statement from Abbott's office, the directives build upon the reforms passed in the 87th Legislative Session to increase power generation capacity and ensure the reliability of the Texas power grid.