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PRESS RELEASE
January 18, 2007
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UPDATE: The unofficial peak listed below has been adjusted. Following completion of the financial settlement process, the preliminary peak of 51,444 MW was adjusted to 50,404 MW. This record was surpassed with 50,408 MW on Feb. 16, 2007.
ERCOT blew through its previous winter record twice this week, setting a new unofficial winter peak of 51,444 megawatts (MW) on Tuesday, Jan. 16, during the hour ending 7 pm, exceeding the old record by 3,380 MW. Energy usage also peaked on Monday evening, Jan. 15, during the 7 pm hour with 50,722 MW. Before this week, the all-time winter peak was 48,064 MW, recorded on Dec. 8, 2005 in the 8 pm hour.
"ERCOT system operations experienced no major operational issues during this severe winter storm," said Vice President of System Operations Kent Saathoff. Many system operators and supporting engineering staff spent several nights in nearby hotels between their shifts to ensure that they would be able to get to work despite the icy conditions.
The new record is based on initial calculations and considered unofficial until meter data is collected. The number will likely be adjusted during the market's financial settlement process which is not completed until six months after the operating day.
Although ERCOT's offices were closed to non-essential employees Tuesday due to hazardous road conditions, the ERCOT Board of Directors held an abbreviated meeting at the Austin facility with a conference call-in number.
The board approved ERCOT staff's proposal for the nodal program budget of $248.9 million with a cost-recovery fee of $0.127 per megawatt-hour, effective June 1, 2007 through 2012. ERCOT is required to file the nodal implementation cost information with the Public Utility Commission by Jan. 30 (PUCT Docket No. 32686).
The board also:
Presentations are posted with the Jan. 17 board meeting documents on the ERCOT Web site.
Bill Bojorquez and Kent Saathoff have been chosen to fill two new vice president positions, CEO Sam Jones recently announced. Bojorquez is vice president of system planning, and Kent Saathoff is vice president of system operations.
Bojorquez joined ERCOT as director of market services in February 2000. In September 2002 he became director of system planning responsible for transmission and generation adequacy and planning, oversight of transmission system additions, and the development of transmission service policies enabling a competitive market in the region.
Saathoff joined ERCOT in 1988 as principal engineer and in 1996 became transmission market operations manager. In 2000, he became director of technical operations in preparation for retail electric competition in Texas, and was promoted in 2002 to director of system operations, responsible for overseeing real-time system and wholesale market operations in ERCOT.
In accordance with ERCOT bylaws, the board of directors ratified the 2007 officers at the Tuesday meeting. Other officers include Steve Byone, VP and Chief Financial Officer; Nancy Capezzuti, Vice President of Human Resources; Ray Giuliani, VP and Chief of Market Operations; Ron Hinsley, VP and Chief Information Officer; and James Thorne, VP, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary.
The 80th Texas Legislature began its regular session Jan. 9, and already several bills related to the electric industry have been filed. Six of the bills could significantly impact ERCOT:
Bill texts and status can be viewed at Texas Legislature Online by entering the bill number in the "Search Legislation" search block. The session ends on May 28.
| Contact | |
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| Dottie Roark | 512-225-7024 |