Item 12- Presentation: Transmission Discussion — original pdf

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Transmission Import Capacity Critical Importance to Austin Zero Carbon 2035 Goals Al Braden Electric Utility Commission March 9, 2026 Item 12AE Constrained By Import Capacity • Austin Energy challenged to import enough power. • Not enough import capacity to close lines to modernize and upgrade them. • Not enough in-town generation to support the line outages needed for that work either. • Peakers wouldn’t be ready till 2030 or later. • Transmission is an important tool in our toolbox. • We can build incremental transmission improvements, batteries and solar in that same time – eliminating the need for more fossil plants. AE Grid Based On Historic Gas Generation • Austin relied on in-town generation with gas and oil since 1950’s. • External transmission lines to Fayette and South Texas Project only. • Austin is limited to bringing power from the east, requiring more equipment for voltage support to the west side of Austin. • Transmission links between DFW and San Antonio run to our east – providing indirect access to our wind and solar energy. • Sister cities are encircled by energy beltways - allowing power import from many directions. • Austin’s in-town generation never required extensive transmission lines to the outside world when we were a smaller gas-powered city – until our commitment to transition to renewables a decade ago. Transmission Required to Close Gas Plants • Early wind and solar projects could be handled by the CREZ lines and our import capacity. • As renewables grew in West Texas, congestion costs and price separation became serious problems. • 2020 Generation Plan – AE argued it couldn’t meet our renewable goals and retire our gas plants without additional transmission lines. • Closing the Decker steam units in 2022-2023 left a 700 MW local generation gap. Aging Decker peakers could add 200 MW. Closing Sand Hill in 2035 as the Generation Plan calls for add another 600 MW shortfall. • We need a major commitment to transmission capacity, batteries and local solar generation at all scales to reach that 2035 goal. • Just ten years left! Many of these upgrades may take almost that long. Transmission Plan looked at many scenarios, including closing the gas plants. Elevate Importance of Transmission • By ERCOT market design, transmission providers cannot coordinate with generators. AE generation and transmission can’t collaborate on a common plan. Only public information can be shared. • AE requires more transmission import capacity – or the unacceptable continuation of fossil fuel burning on the generation side. • Extensive work is done on the Generation Plan, while transmission planning does not get much attention at the EUC and Council. • Update progress on the 2023 Transmission Plan – and a new plan incorporating the ERCOT 765 KV superhighway – important to reach our 2035 goals. • Batteries allow the transmission lines to import power into town during non-peak hours, ready, pre-staged for use during morning and evening peaks. This adds to the power we’re able to import during peak times. • New large lines needed should be in the works now – building toward an energy beltway can provide reliable power to all parts of Austin and increase the import locations available. • The beltway is a generational project needing a strategic design. FREE POWER ACROSS TEXAS! Yes, changes every 5 minutes! Clear Example of West to East Congestion ERCOT approved a massive 765 KV grid plan to be built by 2030. Each new line will carry five times the power of a current 345 KV line. It will add to the existing grid - that will stay in place, minimizing the congestion and price separation. Off ramps in Bell County and San Antonio, could bring our renewable power to our neighborhood where it can move it onto the nearby 345 KV lines. Austin Energy should study the implications and begin planning transmission lines to take advantage. MEET OUR ZERO CARBON GOAL IN 2035 • These transmission opportunities – coupled with the smart use of batteries and local solar – can bring us the to our goal of a Carbon Free 2035 with no additional gas peakers required. • Following are comparisons of the regional grids for Austin, DFW, Houston and San Antonio. Maps are from www.energy.gov downloaded during 2023 EUC Working Group studies of transmission. Thank You. Any Questions?