Winter Storm Grid Crisis and Brazos Bankruptcy Updates

View our Facebook page for updates.

December 17

On Tuesday, December 14, Tri-County Electric Cooperative participated in the hearing regarding Brazos's restructuring plan to emerge from bankruptcy. Judge David Jones's ruling gave Brazos more time and full control over its restructuring path. One of the paths Brazos is considering is securitization, meaning our members would be passed millions of debt over 15-30 years. Brazos's two largest member-cooperatives, CoServ and Tri-County Electric Co-op, filed court papers against this and stated Brazos should explore selling generation assets. 

The Wall Street Journal Bankruptcy division keeps track of notable bankruptcy cases, including Brazos's bankruptcy. An article on Tuesday's hearing was included in the December 16 daily e-newsletter. We continue to fight for the best interests of our members. We are in this together.

December 1

Darryl Schriver's President/CEO column on page 18 of the December Texas Co-op Power magazine includes an update on the Brazos bankruptcy and a look at the upcoming winter. Tri-County Electric Cooperative's distribution system held up well during Winter Storm Uri with most outages tied directly to the mandatory load shed. The state legislature passed multiple bills related to the state's electric grid, and the PUC and ERCOT are working to carry out legislation. Natural gas prices are at the highest in years and has increased the cost of wholesale power. 

We continue to fight for you in the Brazos bankruptcy and will do our best to keep you informed through the process.

September 1

The September Texas Co-op Power magazine and Member Bulletin are available for members to view. The Texas Co-op Power magazine includes full Annual Meeting details, the Annual Report, financial statements and a member-specific election ballot. President/ CEO Darryl Schriver provided a Brazos bankruptcy update on page 18, a recap of the bankruptcy is in the Annual Report on page AR 8.

 

August 1

The August Texas Co-op Power magazine and Member Bulletin are available for members to view. The Texas Co-op Power magazine includes a Brazos bankruptcy update. The Member Bulletin includes information for the upcoming Annual Meeting.

 

July 1

The July Texas Co-op Power magazine and Member Bulletin are available for members to view. The Texas Co-op Power magazine includes a legislative and Brazos bankruptcy update. The Member Bulletin includes energy-saving tips for the summer.

 

June 1

The June Texas Co-op Power magazine and Member Bulletin are available for members to view. Both publications have updates on the Texas electric grid conditions and Brazos bankruptcy.

 

May 18

Tri-County Electric Cooperative member may be eligible for federal assistance. The Texas Rent Relief Program was granted $1 billion in federal assistance to help Texans with unpaid rent and utility bills dating back to March 13, 2020. Read the full release here.

 

May 3

The May Texas Co-op Power magazine and Member Bulletin are available for members to view. Both publications have updates on the winter storm, grid crisis and Brazos bankruptcy.

 

April 5

The April Member Bulletin is available for members to view here. The bulletin includes an update on the winter storm, grid crisis and Brazos bankruptcy. Additionally, the Brazos winter storm adder will not be on April billing statements. Brazos removed this 2-cent per kilowatt-hour adder on the past power bill.

 

March 22

Darryl Schriver, President/CEO, went live on Facebook to give an update on the winter storm and grid crisis. He covered billing, the 2 cent Brazos winter storm adder, the Brazos bankruptcy and the political landscape surrounding the grid crisis and legislative hearings. Watch the full video here. You do not have to have a Facebook account to watch the video.

 

March 1 

The March Member Bulletin includes updated information on what we know regarding February electric charges for members. View the member bulletin here.

Click here for the press release regarding Tri-County Electric Cooperative's response to the Brazos Electric Power Cooperative Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

 

February 24 - Rates and Billing Update 

Darryl Schriver, President/CEO, went live on Facebook to discuss last week's events and how it will impact members. Local, state and national news include information on last week's events. We appreciate your patience and understanding with the winter storm and rotating outages to protect the grid. This is a statewide issue. Our employees worked hard to take care of you. We appreciate the nice notes and kudos. Your comments have been documented and shared with our employees to let them know you appreciate their work. Watch the full video here. You do not have to have a Facebook account to watch the video.

 

Friday, February 19

10: 00 am -  ERCOT replaced the Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) 3 and with an EEA 1, ending rotating outages. Texans are still asked to conserve with they can to protect the grid and help keep healthy reserves. More energy-saving tips are available at bit.ly/TCECSaveEnergy

Additionally, we have received questions regarding member bills. We expect members to have high kWh consumption due to the cold temperatures and heaters running longer, and therefore higher bills. Your bill amount is based on the amount of kilowatt-hours you consume and when you are off, you do not use electricity and will not be charged for it. When you are on, you will be using electricity.

Schriver covered this topic in Wednesday's video update. Read the highlights at below in the 12:30 pm update or watch the full video here.

7:45 am - We continue to monitor the ERCOT grid and the EEA 3 is still in place. Please continue to conserve where you can to prevent more rotating outages.

Tips from ERCOT to reduce electric use:

• Turn down thermostats to 68-degrees.
• Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
• Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.
• Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, etc.).
• Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
• Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

Thursday, February 18

5:00 pm - Linemen restored all members from the winter weather storm. Crews will continue to work any outages that come in as ice begins to melt and temperatures slowly rise. We thank you again for your patience and understanding.

The EEA 3 is still in place but we are not conducting rotating outages. Texans are responsibly conserving energy to protect the ERCOT grid and preventing more rotating outages.

1:00 pm - Crews have restored most members from the winter storm and are working to restore approximately 20 members. If you experience an outage, please check your main breaker at the meter base to make sure it did not trip before calling the co-op to report.

Our load shed requirements remain at 0 MW and ERCOT still has the level 3 alert on the grid. Please continue to conserve where you can.

7:30 am - Crews worked through the night and restored 650 members experiencing continuous outages. Approximately 100 members are still out and crews are restoring as fast as possible. Three shifts of linemen have worked around the clock for the past 120 hours restoring members from the winter storm that hit on Saturday. 

During the night, ERCOT dropped our load shed requirement to 0 MW and members were able to enjoy a consistent flow of electricity. We remain at 0 MW, but ERCOT has not lifted the Emergency Energy Alert (EEEA) 3. We are not out of this quite yet and are asking members to conserve energy where they can to avoid more rotating outages. 

If you experience an outage, please check your main breaker before reporting your outage to us. Report your outage here, through the app TCEC Connect, or by phone at 817-444-3201.

Tips from ERCOT to reduce electric use:

• Turn down thermostats to 68-degrees.
• Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
• Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.
• Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, etc.).
• Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
• Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

 

Wednesday, February 17

7:00 pm - Tonight's video update is available here. Members do not have to have a Facebook account to watch the video. Here are the highlights:

• We have approximately 750 members experiencing continuous outages. Our crews continue to restore these members.
• The ERCOT grid is looking better as generation comes on the grid. A wind farm was brought back in the grid today. Going into the night our load requirements are 57 MW. 
• Please continue to conserve where you can. This is helping the grid.
• Rotating outages will continue through the night. We are hopeful that ERCOT protocols may change tonight and we can incorporate some other feeders into the rotation to ease the pressure on the members who have been experiencing rotating outages since Sunday night/Monday morning.
• If you experience a continuous and complete outage lasting longer than 3 hours, please let us know by calling 817-444-3201.

12:30 pm - The focus of today's video update was answer questions from our members.Watch the update here. Here are the highlights:

• ERCOT's operating reserves are the highest they have been since Saturday.
• Paying the fine for not complying with the ERCOT mandate is not a wise decision. ERCOT is here to protect the entire grid and keep it from going completely out. These measures are based on science and engineering standards.
• Members experiencing the rotating outages is simply based on location based on ERCOT's orders. Approximately 45% of our feeders meet ERCOT's protocol, so those feeders are included in the rotation. We do get to decide which feeders are in the rotation. We are following ERCOT's orders and are not discriminating against members.
• Bills:
  • Your bill amount is based on the amount of kilowatt-hours you consume. When you are off, you do not use electricity and will not be charged for it. When you are on, you will be using electricity. We expect members to have high kWh consumption due to the cold temperatures and heaters running longer.
  • Our rates are set. We have not changed our rates since 2002 and the board does not expect a rate increase. 
  • Power cost recovery factor (PCRF) will be looked out. We have had similar crises like this before, and PCRF adjustments have been fair and spread over a long period of time to keep bills steady.
• Power generation deficiencies come from various areas. First, these cold temps are hitting the entire state, from the panhandle to Galveston, which increases demand across the entire state. Second, the temperatures froze well heads and limited the flow of natural gas to generating plants. Generation failed to get on the grid due to frozen lines or they were not called on fast enough. 
• We are not targeting specific members. We are spreading load shed across our feeders that can be rotated based on ERCOT's protocol. We are not discriminating against certain members because we don't have the time or resources to hand-select one load over another. We will never discriminate against members.
• The Tri-County Electric Co-op system is solid. The load shed and rotating outages is caused by ERCOT. Our lines and equipment are in great condition due to years of regular maintenance. The outages we do have are due to load and increased use due to the low temperatures causing equipment failures. These failures happen in any storm that hit our system. We have three rotations of linemen working around the clock to restore members. 

8:00 am - Rotating outages will continue as we comply with ERCOT's load shed mandate. This morning, our obligation was 134 MW and 57,000 members are included in the rotation. We ask that you continue to be patient with us as we comply and do our part to protect the Texas grid and prevent a state-wide blackout. If you are a member experiencing a continuous, constant outage without cycling on and off, please let our system operators know by contacting our offices.

 

Tuesday, February 16

7:00 pm - The evening update video included additional information on why some members experience rotating outages and others do not. We also reminded members to let us know if they are experiencing a continuous outage lasting more than three hours and predictions on how long rotating outages will continue. Watch the video update here.

12:00 pm - We want to hear from members who have been completely out of power and not experiencing rotating outages. We are asking all members who have been out of power, continuously, for more than three hours to report to the co-op online here, through the member app TCEC Connect, or by phone 817-444-3201. Watch the full update and video from Darryl Schriver here.

9:00 am - We continue to comply with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) mandate to shed load through rotating outages. Members can expect rotating outages to last 60 minutes. "On" time will vary depending on how much load we are required to shed. We are currently required to shed 181 MW of load from our system.

If you experience an outage lasting more than 90 minutes, please let us know by reporting online at here or through the member app TCEC Connect so our system operators can dispatch a crew.

We ask that you be patient as our employees and crews as we do what we can to take care of our members during this situation.

 

Monday, February 15

7:00 pm - The ERCOT Rotating Outage Update 2 video is available to watch here.

4:20 pm - Management is compiling information in preparation for the next Facebook live update. Darryl Schriver will go live in the 6 pm hour with information for our members regarding the rotating outages.

12:30 pm - Darryl Schriver, President/CEO, delivered an update on the ERCOT mandated rolling outages via Facebook Live. To watch the video and get the update, click here. Roughly 58,000 members are out of power, with 2,400 being snow/weather-related and 55,800 members involved in the rotating outages.

8:30 am - We are now shedding 158 MW of load - approximately 58,150 members - from our system. ERCOT instructed Brazos, our generation and transmission co-op, to shed more load to relieve the grid. Members will see more frequent and longer (less than one hour) rotating outages to accommodate ERCOT's requirements.

5:30 am - ERCOT posted a press release explaining the rotating outages were caused by extreme winter temperatures taking electric generators offline. Read the full release at http://www.ercot.com/news/releases/show/225210

4:00 am - We are operating rolling outages throughout our system. These temporary, controlled outages are done at the request of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid operators. ERCOT requested utilities across the state to shed load to help reduce pressure on the grid. These procedures are designed to protect the reliability of the Texas grid and prevent uncontrolled outages.

What to know:

• If your power is out, it is due to the controlled rolling outages to ease pressure on the grid.
• These are temporary outages that may last up to 1 hour.
• ERCOT has not released when they believe the load shed will be over.
• Your power may go off more than once during this controlled scenario.
• All crews have been pulled from the field for their safety. Once the grid is out of the rotating outages phase, crews will work to restore members experiencing outages.
• If you have an emergency, dial 911.

The last time ERCOT enacted system-wide rotating outages was in December 1989. This is the fourth time in ERCOT history to enact rotating outages.

Monitor the ERCOT grid here.

 

2:45 am - ERCOT issued an EEA level 3 and load shed and rotating outages are underway. Our system shed 81.4 MW to ease pressure on the grid.

From ERCOT: ERCOT has issued an EEA level 3 because electric demand is very high right now, and supplies can’t keep up. Reserves have dropped below 1,000 MW and are not expected to recover within 30 minutes; as a result, ERCOT has ordered transmission companies to reduce demand on the system.

This is typically done through rotating outages, which are controlled, temporary interruptions of electric service. This type of demand reduction is only used as a last resort to preserve the reliability of the electric system as a whole.

In these situations, each utility is required to lower the demand on its system based on its percentage of the historic ERCOT peak demand. While each utility is responsible for determining how to implement the required demand reduction, most utilities use rotating outages for this purpose. Rotating outages primarily affect residential neighborhoods and small businesses and are typically limited to 10 to 45 minutes before being rotated to another location.

Conservation Tips

ERCOT is asking consumers to conserve energy to help lower electric demand.

 

 

Sunday, February 14

5:00 pm - We continue to monitor the ERCOT grid and weather conditions. ERCOT is issuing a conservation alert asking all Texans to conserve where they can.

Tips from ERCOT to reduce electric use:

- Turn down thermostats to 68-degrees.

- Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.

- Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.

- Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, etc.).

- Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.

- Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

Conserve. Conserve. Conserve.

 

11: 00 am - ERCOT asks all Texans to reduce electric use where possible. Demand (what Texans are using) continues to increase. Grid operators provided energy-saving tips that can help the entire grid:

- Turn down thermostats to 68-degrees.

- Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.

- Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.

- Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, etc.).

- Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.

- Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

See the full release below:

AUSTIN, TX, Feb. 14, 2021 – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is asking consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity use as much as possible Sunday, Feb. 14 through Tuesday, Feb. 16.

"We are experiencing record-breaking electric demand due to the extreme cold temperatures that have gripped Texas," said ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness. "At the same time, we are dealing with higher-than-normal generation outages due to frozen wind turbines and limited natural gas supplies available to generating units. We are asking Texans to take some simple, safe steps to lower their energy use during this time."

Here are some tips to reduce electricity use:

- Turn down thermostats to 68-degrees.

- Close shades and blinds to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.

- Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.

- Avoid using large appliances (i.e., ovens, washing machines, etc.).

- Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.

- Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

Given the prolonged, below-freezing temperatures, conservation measures should be implemented safely and within reason.

ERCOT has the tools and procedures in place to maintain a reliable electric system during tight grid conditions. If power reserves drop too low, ERCOT may need to declare an Energy Emergency Alert, or EEA. Declaring an EEA allows the grid operator to take advantage of additional resources that are only available during scarcity conditions. There are three levels of EEA, and rotating outages are only implemented as a last resort to maintain reliability of the electric system.

Click here for more information on ERCOT’s emergency procedures during tight grid conditions.

Click here for more information on the additional tools and resources available to ERCOT when it declares an EEA.

How to track electricity demand

View daily peak demand forecast, current load and available generation on ERCOT.com.

Follow ERCOT on Twitter (@ERCOT_ISO).

Sign up for the ERCOT mobile app (available for download at the Apple App Store and Google Play).

Consumer assistance

Public Utility Commission of Texas Hotline – 1-888-782-8477

 

 

8:45 am - WEATHER: The US Weather service is predicting heavy snow to cover our service territory today around noon. We already have a blanket of snow at our Aledo office and other communities we serve.

ERCOT: We continue to monitor the ERCOT grid. Right now, grid conditions are normal but they expect demand (what Texans use) will go beyond grid capacity (what is available to Texans) in the evening hours today. PLEASE conserve where you can today. Monitor the grid at http://www.ercot.com/

Remember:

- If you see a downed line, stay away and report it immediately.

- If you experience an outage, please report online at oms.tcectexas.com, through our member app TCEC Connect or by calling 817-444-3201.

- Do not run your generator indoors or use your gas stove to heat your home.

Be Safe:

- Do not travel unless you absolutely need to. If you must travel, reduce your speed and leave plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you.

- Have blankets and warm clothes on hand.

- Have water available if you rely on a water well.

Your co-op is here for you during this time. Please be patient, as our response times may increase due to our linemen driving large trucks and bucket trucks across snow and ice to restore any members.

 

Saturday, February 13

ERCOT is expecting the cold temperatures to cause significant high load consumption and record peaks. For the next 48 hours, the grid will be under extreme pressure. Please stay warm, but do what you can to conserve energy to protect the grid. We are looking good on our side, but we want to help protect the entire grid for all Texans.

Texas consumers can stay current on grid conditions by downloading the ERCOT app and following ERCOT on Twitter: http://www.ercot.com/news/releases/show/224996

 

The cold temps have settled in and any precipitation has turned to ice. We currently have a handful of outages and our crews are working to restore. Please let us know if you experience an outage by reporting online at oms.tcectexas.com, through the mobile app TCEC Connect or by calling 817-444-3201.

We ask for your patience as our linemen work to get all members restored.

Please stay home and bundle up if at all possible. If you must travel, please be safe.

 

Friday, February 12

Bitter cold temperatures are on the way. Here are a few tips to help you prepare. Remember: your heater will have to work harder the colder it gets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, February 11

WEATHER WATCH: We continue to monitor the weather and prepare for the weekend. With weather like this, we face many challenges like ice on electric lines and equipment, and ice on tree limbs. The weight of ice accumulation can cause outages and downed lines.

Remember:

- If you see a downed line, stay away and report it immediately.

- If you experience an outage, please report online at oms.tcectexas.com, through our member app TCEC Connect or by calling 817-444-3201.

- Do not run your generator indoors or use your gas stove to heat your home.

Be Prepared:

- Make sure you have plenty of food in the pantry that does not require the oven, microwave or other electric appliance to prepare.

- Have blankets and warm clothes on hand.

- Have water available if you rely on a water well.

We are prepared, but ask for you patience and understanding for our linemen and crews working in the field. 

 

Wednesday, February 10

Cold temperatures are setting into our service territory. Are you prepared? We are staffed and ready to respond to whatever mother nature sends our way. If you experience a power outage, let us know by reporting online at oms.tcectexas.com, through TCEC Connect, or calling our offices at 817-444-3201.