The Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ (ERCOT) recent study found Texas consumers could pay 20 percent more for electricity by 2020 if the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to limit carbon emissions shuts down up to half of the state’s coal-fired generation.
ERCOT, which manages the state’s primary electricity grid, also found moving from coal-fired plants to more solar and wind generation could hurt the reliability of the grid, reports the Houston Chronicle.
In June, the EPA proposed state-specific goals for reducing carbon-dioxide emissions from existing power plants. EPA wants Texas to reduce emissions by 39 percent by 2030.
John Fainter, president of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas, said he wasn’t surprised by the report’s conclusions and “there’s going to have to be significant investment to respond” to the EPA proposal. He hopes EPA will provide “flexibility” in its final draft.