Public Utilities Commission meets after last week’s energy emergency

AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) - The Public Utilities Commission of Texas met for the first time Thursday following the Sept. 7 energy emergency declared by ERCOT.

One of the central focuses of the meeting was the reliability of the power grid after high temperatures and high demand led to days of conservation requests. The level two energy emergency narrowly avoided controlled blackouts.

According to ERCOT, operating issues did not contribute to the emergency declaration. However, they will be conducting a forensic analysis to explore the root causes of the emergency.

“We always look at these types of operational incidents as learning opportunities, places to sharpen our tools and improve our procedures,” ERCOT Chief Operating Officer Woody Rickerson said.

It’s estimated that the report will take several weeks to generate, and will also cover the factors ERCOT uses to decide when to issue conservation notices.