Potential impact of April 8 eclipse on Texas power grid

ERCOT managers have developed an 11-day plan to prepare the state for the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8. The Texas power grid is expected to be impacted by the eclipse, particularly affecting solar farms in the path of totality. During the eclipse, between 12:10 p.m. and 3:10 p.m., these solar farms will experience a significant drop in production.

ERCOT is taking proactive measures by sending notices to its marketplace of suppliers and monitoring weather events that could lead to an increase in demand on the state power grid. According to Dr. Daniel Cohan, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Rice University, there are plenty of other power sources, such as natural gas power plants, that can be utilized to account for the decrease in solar energy production.

The U.S. Department of Energy Information Administration reports that there are nearly a dozen solar farms within the anticipated path of totality, including those in the Houston area. Texas has seen a substantial increase in solar production over the past seven years, now ranking as the second-largest solar producer in the U.S. after California.

ERCOT’s 11-day plan aims to ensure that the marketplace of power suppliers is prepared for the eclipse. While solar eclipses are rare events, the state is taking necessary precautions to mitigate any potential impacts on the power grid.