The short-lived attempt in 1976 to bind the Texas grid more closely with the rest of the country raised questions about Texas' electric reliability and oversight that, since the 2021 blackout, seem even more pressing today.
more closely with the rest of the country raised questions about Texas' electric reliability and oversight that, since the 2021 blackout, seem even more pressing today.
The problem was this: electric providers in Texas had long maintained an informal agreement not to send power across state lines. The decision was made as a way to avoid federal regulation. If power stayed in Texas, companies and the state regulators they worked with had more control. In response, the company conducted a study to show the benefits of connecting its four power utilities — even though that meant connecting across state lines. The study argued that doing so would make their utilities more efficient and save customers money. In other words, connecting was a no brainer.
But King said the event wasn’t as dramatic as legend has made it. The connection was likely made around midnight, but the move itself was made to force a legal confrontation, not to secretly smuggle electricity. Outside of responses from other utilities, the Midnight Connection forced the anticipated legal and regulatory battle. The Public Utility Commission of Texas, which had formed just the year before, suddenly had a major scandal to reckon with.
“I think if you stop and look, you will see, first of all, interconnections are practiced throughout the world as a means of reliability, that it’s an accepted practice,” he said. While the Midnight Connection took place just outside Vernon, few people in the town have heard of it. There are currently four direct current connections between Texas and neighboring grids. King characterizes them as “anemic,” not a sufficient way to ensure reliable power.Last year, as millions of people sat in their homes without electricity, King wondered if things could have been different if Texas had had the ability to pull more power from other states.
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