The Texas A&M system helps us stabilize Texas’ power grid

The Texas A&M University System has taken the first steps toward creating a peaking power grid on land it owns across the state to help stabilize Texas’ power grid during periods of peak demand.

Peaking power plants, also called simply “peaker”, are power plants typically used to provide electricity during periods of peak demand. They are an essential element of modern power grids, providing a reliable source of energy during periods of high demand.

On May 21, A&M System asked private developers to submit proposals to build peaks on A&M System property with financing from the newly established $5 billion Texas Energy Fund.

“This will help ensure that our campuses and their local communities are never again plunged into darkness, while also adding power to help ensure the protection of all of Texas,” said John Sharp, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System.

Sharp said hundreds of millions of dollars worth of research was lost during Winter Storm Uri in 2021, when power outages knocked out power to laboratories and refrigerators across Texas.

Peaking power plants are designed to prevent blackouts by operating only during periods of high electricity demand, such as on hot summer days when air conditioning is at peak use, or during major events requiring significant energy consumption. They are not intended to run continuously, but must be activated quickly when needed to stabilize the network. They only run a few days a year.

Peak load plants also play a key role in integrating renewable energy sources into the grid. Because renewable sources such as wind and solar operate erratically, peaker plants can provide backup power when these sources are not producing electricity.

The Texas Energy Fund was created after power outages during the winter storm. Uri made it clear to everyone that the Texas power grid did not have enough generating capacity. It was created by Senate Bill 2627 in 2023 through legislation sponsored by Senators Charles Schwertner, Carol Alvarado, Paul Bettencourt, and Representative Todd Hunter. In November, voters approved a constitutional amendment creating the Texas Energy Fund.