Texas is in the midst of its largest transmission expansion in more than a decade. According to the findings in a new study, bidding out the projects could save ratepayers billions of dollars. In fact, applying competitive bidding to ERCOT’s upcoming high-voltage transmission projects could lower upfront construction costs by $3 billion to $9 billion, […]
As Texas prepares to build a $40 billion-plus high-voltage transmission backbone, Barry Smitherman argues the PUC can open those contracts to competitive bidding if a 2019 law is repealed.
When utilities lose in legislatures and lose at the bidding table, they go back to FERC. Regulators should reaffirm competition as the default for regional projects. America’s electric grid is straining under aging transmission infrastructure, surging new generation and an explosion of demand from electricity-hungry data centers and heavy manufacturing. In April, incumbent utilities in […]
Electric utilities in other states are asking federal regulators to allow monopoly control over projects, while some critics want Texas to have more competitive bidding.
