Programs
ERCOT's mission is to maintain the reliability of the electricity grid of Texas and help market participants fulfill customers' electric service needs by maintaining a balance between load and generation. ERCOT administers various programs to assist market participants meet balanced-schedule requirements and Texas legislative goals for developing alternative energy sources.
Load participation programs, in which businesses and institutions curtail electricity use, can act as a means to maintain reliability. Among those programs are the Balancing Up Load (BUL) program, in which demand-side resources contract with qualified scheduling entities (QSEs) to work with ERCOT to reduce power use, and the Loads Acting as a Resource (LaaR) program, in which customers qualify to provide operating reserves.
The load research sampling (LRS) program is developing statistically reliable load profiles for the ERCOT market. Competitive retailers may participate in and gain information from this research program.
The Transmission Congestion Rights (TCR) program allows entities to create a financial hedge against interzonal congestion costs. A TCR gives its holder the right to receive payment at the current shadow price of energy for a commercially significant constraint at the time of the constraint.
QSEs may register with ERCOT's program to provide referrals for QSE services at short notice. QSEs specify whether they are qualified to represent load, generation resources and/or LaaRs, and what ancillary services they are qualified to provide.
The Renewable Energy Credit (REC) trading program, also administered by ERCOT, helps promote new renewable energy capacity to be built in Texas. Facilities powered by solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, wave/tidal, biomass and biomass-based waste products may be eligible to earn RECs.
These programs are designed to support the ERCOT market in meeting its current and future electricity needs.