The Electric Reliability Council of Texas announced the launch of ERCOT PowerCast, a monthly podcast built to walk listeners through the topics, decisions and people shaping the state’s electric grid. The grid operator announced the show in a Sept. 9 news release.
The podcast gives ERCOT a direct channel to the public at a moment when the Texas grid is drawing sustained attention from policymakers, industry and consumers. Episodes will be released in both audio and video formats beginning Sept. 23 and will be available on ercot.com and on podcast platforms including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music, according to the release.
“The launch of ERCOT PowerCast demonstrates our commitment to transparency and to using all available communication resources to inform our stakeholders about topics impacting the Texas grid,” ERCOT President and CEO Pablo Vegas said in the release. “ERCOT PowerCast will give the public direct access to the people and decisions shaping the future of our industry.”
Gordon Drake, ERCOT’s director of market design and analysis, will host the show, which will feature ERCOT subject-matter experts and industry guests discussing a range of topics affecting grid reliability and growth, the release said. Drake brings more than two decades of experience in the electricity industry across North America, with a focus on system operations, market design and public policy, according to ERCOT. At the grid operator he oversees the development and improvement of the wholesale electricity market and leads the team responsible for strategies to attract new generation resources.
“Texas is synonymous with energy and is leading the nation in grid innovation and transformation,” Drake said in the release. “Whether you’re an industry stakeholder, a policymaker, or just someone who wants to understand what’s happening with the grid, this show is for you.”
ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to more than 27 million Texas customers, representing about 90 percent of the state’s electric load, the release said. As the independent system operator for the region, it schedules power on a grid that connects more than 55,000 miles of transmission lines and more than 1,460 generation units, and it performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for more than 8 million premises in competitive choice areas.
ERCOT is a membership-based nonprofit corporation governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature, according to the release. The first episode of ERCOT PowerCast is scheduled for Sept. 23.