
Course Catalog
Access ERCOT course offerings, review curriculum and register online. Most Instructor-Led Training (ILT) courses on system operations are NERC certified for continuing education credits. In general, Web-Based Training (WBT) courses are not NERC certified for continuing education credits.
Please see individual course listings for details. ERCOT's Course Recommendations can also be of assistance in determining the best training for the different Market Participant types.
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ERCOT is pleased to offer the following new courses:
Instructor-Led Courses
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Congestion Revenue Rights
Congestion Revenue Rights, an eight-hour one-day course, introduces the attendee to terminology used in the auctioning and scheduling of congestion revenue rights (CRRs) in the ERCOT markets.
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Credit Management
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the financial credit management process for companies participating in the ERCOT Nodal Market. While the topic of market credit is included in other ERCOT courses, it is generally limited to credit consumption in market processes. The Credit Management course focuses on establishing and maintaining creditworthiness for companies who are registered as QSEs and CRR Account Holders.
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Intermittent Renewable Resources
Intermittent Renewable Resources, or IRRs, have unique operational characteristics that set them apart from all other types of Resources. This course highlights these unique characteristics and examines the special provisions built into the ERCOT market design to accommodate IRRs.
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Load Serving Entities 201
This course provides an overview of the ERCOT Nodal Market from the perspective of Load Serving Entities (LSEs), including Retail Electric Providers, Municipally-Owned Utilities and Electric Cooperatives. LSE 201 focuses on the tools available to LSEs to manage their cost exposure in the ERCOT Nodal Market.
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MarkeTrak and Inadvertent Gain
This class, provided by the Retail Market Training Task Force, provides a closer look at the more common MarkeTrak subtypes with a special emphasis on Inadvertent Gains/Losses. MarkeTrak is the web-based database application used to track and manage ERCOT Retail Market data discrepancies.
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Resources and Day-Ahead Operations
Resources and Day-Ahead Operations – this class explores in greater detail the operation of Resources in the Day-Ahead Market. This course covers the Day-Ahead topics that were were previously covered in the Resources 301 course.
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Resources and Real-Time Operations
Resources and Real-Time Operations – this class explores in greater detail the operation of Resources in the Real-Time Market. This course covers the Real-Time topics that were were previously covered in the Resources 301 course.
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Retail 101
Market Participants involved in ERCOT's Competitive Retail Market should possess a broad knowledge of the environment in which they operate and the daily processes involved. As new Market Participants enter ERCOT and personnel move to new roles within Market Participant companies, thorough training on the Retail Market is critical to the continued success of the Market. This course, available on a regular basis, provides a high level overview of ERCOT's Competitive Retail Market.
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Settlement: Energy and PTP Obligations
This course provides a comprehensive overview of financial settlements related to Energy transactions and Day-Ahead Market Point-to-Point Obligation transactions.
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Settlement: Ancillary Services
This course provides a comprehensive overview of financial settlements related to Ancillary Services transactions.
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Settlement: Congestion Revenue Rights
This course provides a comprehensive overview of financial settlements related to Congestion Revenue Right transactions.
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Texas SET (Standard Electronic Transactions)
This class, provided by the Retail Market Training Task Force, is designed to provide a basic understanding of TxSET and the retail market processes driving the standard electronic transactions.
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Wholesale Market Operations: Day-Ahead
This course explores the operational and financial requirements of the Day-Ahead Market and Reliability Unit Commitment processes. This course covers the Day-Ahead Operation sections that were previously covered in Wholesale Markets 201.
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Wholesale Market Operations: Real-Time
This course explores the operational and financial requirements of the Real-Time Market processes. This course covers the Real-Time Operations sections that were previously covered in Wholesale Markets 201.
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Wholesale Markets 101
Wholesale Markets 101 is an introduction to the ERCOT market. The course explores the primary market components of the Day-Ahead Market, Real-time Operations, and Congestion Revenue Rights (CRRs). This course is recommended as a prerequisite before taking more advanced courses offered by ERCOT market training.
Before arriving for this course, please ensure you have completed the pre-requisites, ERCOT Foundations, Market Participant Relationships, and Locational Marginal Pricing.
Web-based Training Courses
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Congestion Revenue Rights - WBT
This course is the web-based version of the instructor-lead Congestion Revenue Rights course. It introduces the market concepts for Congestion Revenue Rights in the ERCOT Nodal Market and the allocation, auctioning, and settlement of congestion revenue rights (CRRs).
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Credit Management - WBT
This course is the web-based version of the instructor-led Credit management course. It provides a comprehensive overview of the financial credit management process for companies participating in the ERCOT Nodal Market. The Credit Management course focuses on establishing and maintaining creditworthiness for companies who are registered as QSE's and CRR Account Holders.
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CRR Market User Interface - WBT
This is the Congestion Revenue Rights Market User Inferface (CRR MUI) application training module.
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Day-Ahead Market eFactors - WBT
ERCOT uses eFactors to calculate a company’s credit exposure for bids and offers in the Day-Ahead Market. This course provides an in-depth review of how eFactors are calculated and how they impact Day-Ahead Market Credit exposures.
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Emergency Operations & Communications - WBT
This web-based training course addresses the steps ERCOT takes before and during emergency operations. First, the course introduces Physical Responsive Capability (PRC) and demonstrates how it triggers various actions from ERCOT. The course also defines the four types of emergency communications used by ERCOT, including Operating Condition Notices, Advisories, Watches and Emergency Notices. Finally, the course introduces the Energy Emergency Alert, which is ERCOT’s procedure for operating under short supply conditions.
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ERCOT Foundations - WBT
ERCOT Foundations is a web-based course for anyone new to the field of interconnected utilities and Independent System Operators. This course briefly covers the fundamentals of electricity, the history of electric utilities and the progression of Texas to a competitive electric market. The driving legislation and the governance of ERCOT is discussed as well as the basic makeup and functioning of ERCOT and the electric market.
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Intermittent Renewable Resources - WBT
Intermittent Renewable Resources, or IRRs, have unique operational characteristics that set them apart from all other types of Resources. This course highlights these unique characteristics and examines the special provisions built into the ERCOT market design to accommodate IRRs.
The overall goal is to inform the market of what is expected of IRR owners/operators, and how these Resources impact ERCOT’s Market and System Operations.
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Introduction to ERCOT Data Extracts - WBT
This course explores the fundamentals of ERCOT data extracts, which are used by market participants for operational analysis.
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Load Serving Entities (LSE) 201 - WBT
This web-based course provides an overview of the ERCOT Nodal Market from the perspective of Load Serving Entities (LSEs), including Retail Electric Providers, Municipally Owned Utilities and Electric Cooperatives. LSE 201 focuses on the tools available to LSEs to manage their cost exposure in the ERCOT Nodal Market.
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Locational Marginal Pricing - WBT
This web-based only course provides an entry-level understanding of the concept of Locational Marginal Prices that are at the core of ERCOT price formation. This course is a pre-requisite for several follow-on courses.
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Market Manager - WBT
This online training for the Market Manager blends a combination of written, audio, and interactive material, organized to assist you in understanding, learning, and reviewing the concepts and tasks regarding the use of the Market Manager user interface.
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Market Participant Relationships - WBT
This web-based only course is for anyone seeking information about the participants in the ERCOT market. This short course briefly describes all of the participants in the market and their basic responsibilities, providing the learner an essential understanding of roles of each of the Market Participants. This course is a pre-requisite for several follow-on courses.
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MarkeTrak System Application - WBT
MarkeTrak is a web based application used to track, manage and store data utilized by ERCOT and Market Participants. It is the tool used to track issue management and data discrepancies in the ERCOT retail market.
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Mass Transitions - WBT
This web-based course is designed for participants in the ERCOT Competitive Retail Market seeking information on the Mass Transition process that occurs when a Competitive Retailer defaults or exits the market abruptly. This course is primarily of interest to Competitive Retailers and Transmission and Distribution Service Providers.
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Operating Reserve Demand Curve - WBT
On March 1, 2019 and March 1, 2020, ERCOT updated the Operating Reserve Demand Curve (ORDC). This creates a Real-time Price Adder to reflect the value of the available reserves in real time. It reflects the Value of Lost Load (VOLL) based on the probability that load would have to be shed.
This 30 minute web based training examines how ORDC impacts ERCOT market participants.
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Outage Scheduler for QSEs & TDSPs - WBT
This course is a web-based training introduction for QSE and TDSP users to the Outage Scheduler interface. The course is designed for Market Participants involved in owning and operating transmission equipment and Resources.
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Resource 301 - WBT
Resource 301 expands upon Wholesale Markets 201 by exploring in greater detail the operation of Generation and Load Resources in the ERCOT Markets.
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Resource Indicator Start-Up Shut-Down - WBT
Since the implementation of NPRR348 (Generation Resource Start-Up and Shut-Down Processes) there has been some confusion about how the new STARTUP and SHUTDOWN status indicators should be used. This course is intended to alleviate the confusion about the expected use of these two status indicators for operating Generation Resources in ERCOT.
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Resource Responsibilities in ERCOT - WBT
This course provides an overview of the responsibilities for operating Resources in ERCOT.
Topics include:
- Resource Entity Responsibilities
- QSE Responsibilities
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Resources in ERCOT - WBT
This course provides an overview of Resource facilities that may be registered with ERCOT.
Topics include:
- Definitions of Resource facilities
- Other facilities that are similar to Resources
- Services that may be provided by each type of facility
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Retail 101 - WBT
This course is the web-based version of the Retail 101 instructor-led course. The course is designed for Market Participants involved in the ERCOT Competitive Retail Market whether new to the market or new roles within Competitive Retailers, Transmission and Distribution Service Providers and PUCT staff.
The course covers the following topics:
Market History
Roles and Responsibilities
Market Rules
Retail Transactions
Impact of Smart Meter Technology
Data Transparency and Availability -
Wholesale Markets 101 - WBT
Wholesale Markets 101 is a web-based course introducing the ERCOT wholesale market. The course explores the primary market components of the Day-Ahead Market, Real-time Operations, and Congestion Revenue Rights (CRRs).
This course is recommended as a prerequisite before taking more advanced courses offered by ERCOT market training.
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Wholesale Markets 201 - WBT
Wholesale Markets 201 is a comprehensive study of ERCOT Wholesale Market Operations. This web based training explores the operational and financial requirements of the Day-Ahead Market, Reliability Unit Commitment and Real-Time Market processes. Numerous scenarios and examples will help the learner to visualize the relationship between market operations and system operations in the ERCOT market design.
Please note: Wholesale Markets 201 is a refocused version of a course previously known as the Basic Training Program.
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Wholesale Markets Overview - WBT
This brief Web-based Training provides an introduction to Wholesale Market Operations in ERCOT. This course is intended as a pre-requisite for the following Instructor-led courses:
- Wholesale Market Operations: Real-Time
- Wholesale Market Operations: Day-Ahead
It is strongly recommended that you complete this Web-based Training before shortly before attending either one of these Instructor-led courses.
Seminars and Workshops
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2019 ERCOT Operator Training Seminar
The 2019 ERCOT Operator Training Seminar is a presentation-based 16-hour training course focused on providing training for TOPs and Generation Operators/QSEs focused on working together to ensure reliability. Upon completion of the Seminar, the participants will be able to understand the objectives presented and pass the online exam.
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2020 ERCOT Black Start Training
The course focuses on ERCOT’s system restoration strategy, basic system restoration principles, and generator & transmission dynamics.
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EPS Meter Inspector
This course is designed to provide an overview of ERCOT-polled settlement (EPS) meter inspector responsibilities.
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