Texas Scorecard by Daniel Greer October 9, 2024
The federal government has authorized funds for a plan to hook into Texas’ grid.The U.S. Department of Energy approved $360 million for powerlines linking Texas’ grid to Mississippi. According to a release last week, the effort is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda.
Thomas Gleeson, chairman of the Texas Public Utility Commission, noted that, while the Southern Spirit Transmission line would cross multiple state lines, Texas’ grid independence would not be upset.
However, while the lines are exempt from federal oversight, the maneuver is the latest in a long line of federal overtures to integrate Texas into the national grid. Historically, Texas has shunned interconnection because it would subject its grid to unwanted federal oversight.
Texas’s grid, unique for its independence, helps the state avoid the federal regulatory authority exercised by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and most of the state’s energy policy stakeholders remain committed to preserving this autonomy.
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/efforts-to-federalize-texas-grid-continue/