If you’re like me, you’re wondering why Texas doesn’t bite the bullet and connect to the Eastern and Western power grids. We are the energy capital of America. but not. will not happen. Federal regulators are not welcome here.
But there’s a practical alternative called the “Southern Soul Transition,” which I first reported on in January.
This month, a top ERCOT executive spoke publicly for the first time about the proposed 320-mile transmission line. The line will connect the Texas power grid to the main grid in the eastern United States by passing through Louisiana and Mississippi.
Once the nonprofit Electric Reliability Council of Texas connects to the larger grid, electricity can flow either into or out of Texas. We can sell excess energy at the exit, and in the event of a crisis, we can obtain electricity.
This plan could satisfy Texas’ thirst to maintain an independent network not regulated by the feds. The electricity will flow as direct current instead of the more common alternating current. The feds signed off on the project in 2014.
The project, first proposed by Pattern Energy in 2014, took on more urgency after the 2021 ice storm.
Speaking to members of the historic 111-year-old Dallas Electric Club, Jeff Belew, ERCOT’s director of operations planning, said the grid operator does not have an official position on Southern Spirit. He said his job was not to promote the project but to provide accurate information.
After I listened to Bello’s presentation, I received a follow-up memo from ERCOT spokeswoman Trudi Webster, who reiterated that “ERCOT is not directing or cooperating with Pattern Energy to develop the project.”
And he shouldn’t. Pattern is a private company. But if built, it would represent up to 4% of ERCOT’s current peak resource needs.
It doesn’t seem like a lot, but in the ever-growing state of Texas, every little bit helps.
3400 new job opportunities
Pattern said the project would cost $2.6 billion, create 3,400 jobs, mostly in construction, and provide Louisiana parishes millions of dollars in tax revenue.
“The project will create a valuable connection to diverse energy resources, enhance grid reliability during extreme weather events and provide clean, low-cost energy to consumers,” said Adam Raines, project development manager at Pattern.
The project faces major obstacles. Some Louisiana dioceses oppose it. They view the project as taking parts of their private property and erecting huge towers on their lands. But none of the influx of electricity will benefit Louisiana.
“We have had strong support in Louisiana parishes,” Pattern’s Raines said. “So far, more than 150 landowners have written in support of the project. Nearly half of the project’s right-of-way in Louisiana has already been acquired.”
Louisiana residents also fear that property rights will be used against them to seize private property in exchange for the right of way.
The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill this year that would have killed the project. The new law would prevent transportation projects from seizing the property of private landowners when the project does not benefit Louisiana. Pattern officials say they are “evaluating the new law to work to mitigate its impact.”
The construction schedule continues to be pushed forward. In January, Pattern said on its website that construction could begin in 2026 and end in 2029. Now it says a targeted start-up is 2028 with a completion date in 2031. So far there has been no progress.
From a local angle, Garland Power & Light is part of the plan because the lines will connect to Texas with the utility running a substation on the Texas border.
The lines will cut north of Louisiana and into Mississippi. The direct current will be converted into alternating current.
ERCOT already has small relationships with both the western and eastern U.S. grids and with Mexico, but nothing compares to the massive scale of this project.
Not “political bravado”
At the Electricity Club, Bello spoke about the advantages of being an energy island that is accountable only to us. ERCOT has more flexibility than the major networks. He said major grid operators are monitoring Texas innovations to see if they are successful.
Bellew quoted former Governor Rick Perry’s infamous statement after the 2021 ice storm: “Texas will Going without power for longer than three days puts the federal government out of business.
“It’s not just political courage,” Bello said. “There are actually a lot of benefits to us in being able to maintain an independent grid. I think that’s a really good thing for the state.”
It could be better by connecting to the large grid, whether in times of crisis or to sell excess energy. Could Southern Spirit be the answer?
“There are a lot of people who are not sure the project will get done because there are hurdles to overcome,” the ERCOT man said.
“We are very confident that this innovative and much-needed project will go ahead,” The Pattern man said.
I hope so. Another million people have moved to Texas since the storm of 2021. We need all the help we can get.
