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$360M DOE grant to fund project that will connect ERCOT to US power grid

For the first time, Texas's ERCOT grid will be connected to other states' grids thanks to funding from the Department of Energy. Photo via Getty Images

Thanks to recently announced funding, the power grid for the territory served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) will be connected to grids in other states.

Officials hope building a 320-mile transmission line that connects the ERCOT electric grid to electric grids in the Southeast will prevent power outages like the massive blackout that occurred in 2022 when a winter storm blasted Texas.

San Francisco-based Pattern Energy says its Southern Spirit project will cost more than $2.6 billion. Full-scale construction is supposed to get underway in 2028, and the project is set to go online in 2031.

The U.S. Department of Energy recently approved up to $360 million for the transmission project. The transmission line will stretch from Texas’ border with Louisiana to Mississippi. It’ll supply about 3,000 megawatts of electricity in either direction. That’s enough power for about 750,000 residential customers during ERCOT’s peak hours.

ERCOT’s more than 54,100 miles of transmission lines supply power to about 90 percent of Texans.

“The U.S. transmission network is the backbone of our nation’s electricity system. Though our grid has served U.S. energy needs for more than a century, our country’s needs are changing,” David Turk, under secretary at the Department of Energy, says in a news release.

“DOE’s approach to deploying near-term solutions and developing long-term planning tools will ensure our electric grid is more interconnected and resilient than ever before,” Turk adds, “while also supporting greater electricity demand.”

The other three projects that recently received funding from the DOE include:

  • Aroostook Renewable Project, which will construct a new substation in Haynesville, Maine, and a 111-mile transmission line connecting to a substation in Pittsfield, Maine.
  • Cimarron Link, a 400-mile HVDC transmission line from Texas County, Oklahoma to Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • Southline, which will construct a 108-mile transmission line between Hidalgo County, New Mexico, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. The DOE previously supported a 175-mile line from Hidalgo County, New Mexico, to Pima County, Arizona, in Southline Phase 1 on the first round of the Transmission Facilitation Program.

This month's funding completes the $2.5 billion in awards from the Transmission Facilitation Program which is administered through the Building a Better Grid Initiative that launched in January 2022. Its mission has been to develop nationally significant transmission lines, increase resilience by connecting regions of the country and improve access to clean energy sources, according to the DOE.

Earlier this year, ERCOT, which manages 90 percent of Texas’ power supply, forecasted a major spike in demand for electricity over the next five to seven years

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A View From HETI

Hobby Airport's new solar canopy is operating at 100% capacity. Photo courtesy Houston Airports.

Houston's William P. Hobby Airport is generating its own clean energy.

Houston Aiports announced that Hobby's red garage is now home to a "solar canopy" that is producing energy at 100 percent capacity to power daily operations. The photovoltaic (PV) solar system generated more than 1.1 gigawatt-hours of electricity in testing, and is expected to produce up to 1 megawatt-hour now that it's operating at full power.

“This project is proof that sustainability can be practical, visible and directly tied to the passenger experience,” Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports, said in a news release. “Passengers now park under a structure that shields their cars from the Texas sun while generating clean energy that keeps airport operations running efficiently, lowering overall peak demand electrical costs during the day and our carbon footprint. It’s a win for travelers, the city and the planet.”

The project was completed by Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and CenterPoint Energy. It's part of Houston Airport's efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent over its 2019 baseline.

In a separate announcement, the airport system also shared that it recently reached Level 3 in the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation program after reducing emissions by 19 percent in three years. This includes reductions at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Hobby and Ellington Airport/Houston Spaceport.

The reductions have come from initiatives such as adding electric vehicles to airport fleets, upgrading airfield lighting with LED bulbs, adding smarter power systems to terminals, and improving IAH's central utility plant with more efficient equipment. Additionally, the expansion to Hobby's West Concourse and renovations at IAH Terminal B incorporate cleaner equipment and technology.

According to Houston Airports, from 2019 to 2023:

  • IAH reduced emissions by 17 percent
  • Hobby reduced emissions by 32 percent
  • Ellington Airport reduced emissions by 4 percent

"I see firsthand how vital it is to link infrastructure with sustainability,” Houston City Council Member Twila Carter, chair of the council’s Resilience Committee, said in the release. “Reducing carbon emissions at our airports isn’t just about cleaner travel — it’s about smarter planning, safer communities and building a Houston that can thrive for generations to come.”

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