Texas wind generation creates power-market turmoil

[Mugu]

HOUSTON, April 1 (Reuters) - Being the national leader in wind generation has created recent turmoil in the Texas deregulated power market.

Booming electric production from wind has created new headaches for power-market participants and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the independent agency that oversees the power market.

For instance, the unexpected loss of wind production amid changing weather conditions has been blamed, in part, for curtailment of electric service to industrial customers in late February and for real-time power prices hitting a market cap of $2,250 per megawatt-hour in early March, according to ERCOT.

In recent weeks, strong spring wind capacity has been trapped in West Texas as major transmission lines undergo maintenance to prepare for summer when power demand soars to run air conditioners.


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