The following statement was issued by the Advanced Energy Management Alliance (AEMA) in response to the report released Tuesday by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) that analyzed the impact of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations (including the Clean Power Plan) on Texas.
The report can be found on ERCOT’s website: http://ercot.com/content/news/presentations/2014/Impacts%20of%20Environmental%20Regulations%20in%20the%20ERCOT%20Region.pdf
AEMA Chairman Frank Lacey, vice president, regulatory and market strategy, Comverge, Inc., made the following statement:
“As ERCOT plans to meet Texas’ future power needs while adhering to federal environmental regulations, demand response must be part of any comprehensive plan. ERCOT can increase the amount of demand response available to meet its grid reliability needs cost effectively and in relatively short order. Faced with the prospect of minimal notices for plant retirements, demand response may be the only resource ERCOT can call on to meet its reliability objectives.
“However, today state market rules and energy regulations fail to fully recognize the value of demand response. Demand response is an important tool that empowers customers to be more competitive in the ERCOT electricity market, enhances the efficiency of the Texas electric market, improves system reliability and reduces the environmental impacts of electricity production.
“In the coming months, the Advanced Energy Management Alliance will be advocating that the Texas Legislature pass legislation that promotes the widespread deployment of demand response in Texas and eliminates constraints that impede its growth.”