April 8, 2013 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

According to an Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) report, the Texas grid faces pressure from a shrinking water supply, growing population and rising summer temperatures.

The ongoing drought puts Texas' power plants at risk, threatening rolling blackouts but solutions like demand response, energy-efficiency programs and increasing renewable energy sources, all consume almost no water and can be built faster than gas and coal plants, according to EDF.

For example, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) will launch the Weather-Sensitive Emergency Response Service pilot this summer. The pilot expands ERCOT's options to reduce electric use through demand response and provides new incentives for customer participation.

Several bills that could alleviate such grid pressure are currently being considered by the 83^rd Texas Legislature, including bills that allow all customers to participate in electric markets, provide innovative clean energy financing mechanisms, and offer fair compensation for customers who provide power back to the grid by generating excess electricity from renewables or conserving energy using demand response initiatives.

For more:
- see the report

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