New power plant being built to support Texas grid

Austin, Texas – Editor’s Note: The attached video has nothing to do with this story.

the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) will build a new power plant to provide an additional 190 megawatts to the Texas power grid.

The new facility, a Peaker power plant, will be located in central Texas and is expected to be operational by 2025. Peaker power plants are used for short periods of time and provide on-demand power when demand for electricity is high. They have the ability to “boot up and down in minutes,” according to the press release.

“With this new facility, LCRA continues its commitment to providing reliable, cost-effective power to its customers and the Texas grid,” said Timothy Timmerman, LCRA Chairman of the Board. “The new facility will provide peak power to support the Texas power grid and power homes, businesses and industries.”

The facility will include 10 highly efficient Wärtsilä piston engines, each capable of delivering 19 megawatts of power. According to data from ERCOT, one megawatt of these motors can supply around 200 households with electricity at peak times. One motor could then power around 3,800 homes, for example, and the entire plant could power more than 38,000 homes in Texas.

“Texas needs more dispatchable thermal power generation, which can be available quickly depending on market conditions and demand,” said Phil Wilson, LCRA’s general manager. “The demand for electricity in Texas is increasing as more people and businesses call Texas home, and we are excited to be able to support the Texas power grid with this new facility and meet the growing demand for electricity.”

The new facility will be LCRA’s second Peaker facility, with the first being constructed in Fayette County in 2010 and hosting 184 megawatts of natural gas. The location for the second plant is not yet known.

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