The updated 10-year Capacity, Demand and Reserves (CDR) report released today by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) shows a continuing rise in planning reserve margins in coming years, due primarily to the anticipated addition of more than 5,000 megawatts (MW) of new generation capacity by the summer of 2017 and another 4,300 MW the following year.
"We are seeing significant growth in planned resources to help meet growing electricity needs in the coming years," said Director of System Planning Warren Lasher. "While we currently are seeing planning reserve margins top 20 percent in the next several years, some of this growth could be offset by unit retirements as changing environmental rules begin to take effect." The next CDR update is scheduled for release in May 2016.