As Texans adapted to COVID lockdowns, extreme winter weather, and soaring summer temperatures, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) underwent its own evolution with its ever-changing resource mix. One of four frequency-independent power grids in North America, ERCOT is one of a kind in that the balancing authority, the interconnection, and the regional transmission organization all exist under the same entity and physical system. This unique structure, of course, comes with its own set of unique challenges and opportunities.
Join us on July 27th as Warren Lasher, the Senior Director of System Planning at ERCOT, sits down with Solar Austin to discuss what’s happening behind the scenes in Texas energy. In a featured interview on KUT, Lasher likened ERCOT’s role as a reliability coordinator and balancing authority to John Bohnham’s role in Led Zeppelin. Just as a drummer might need to maintain a tempo of 60 beats per minute, ERCOT needs to maintain the heartbeat of the grid at 60 cycles per second. Lasher has been helping keep the beat steady by first planning for the future.
We will be chatting about ERCOT’s recent resource adequacy reports and Loss-of-Load studies, and get a sneak peek at the technologies in the interconnection queue and implications for the future. Hint: you can expect a lot more solar coming down the pipeline! With Lasher’s near horizon view of the ERCOT production market, this happy hour offers an opportunity for deep inquiry you won’t want to miss!
Tuesday, July 27th, 2021
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM (CDT)
RSVP here to get the Zoom link!
About the Speaker:
As Senior Director of System Planning for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT), Warren Lasher is responsible for transmission planning, load forecasting, and resource adequacy analyses for the ERCOT interconnection. Lasher has been at ERCOT for 15+ years. Previously, Lasher worked at the Southern Company in Birmingham, Alabama in the company’s Engineering and Planning organizations. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and graduate degrees in Environmental Management and Computer Science.
How to Attend:
Once you RSVP on Eventbrite, you will receive the Zoom information in your Eventbrite confirmation email and in a reminder email that Solar Austin will send you the day before. On the day of the event, all you’ll have to do is find a comfy spot on the couch with a steady internet connection and kick start Zoom for free! If you have any issues, please contact juan.afanador@solaraustin.org.
Support the Cause:
We hope you’ll consider donating to Solar Austin so we can continue our work ensuring that the benefits of solar are equitably accessible to everyone. For regular updates on Solar Austin’s happy hours and advocacy work, like us on Facebook, find us on LinkedIn, join our Meetup group, and follow us on Twitter.