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Three of the top five fastest growing cities in the country are here in Texas, and explosive population growth puts a lot of pressure on our electric grid to keep up with demand. Fortunately, the state's main grid operator, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), has done a great job of keeping the lights on, and new building codes are ensuring less energy use in the thousands of new houses that are being constructed.

As more and more people flock to the Lone Star State, there is significant potential for energy efficiency to reduce pollution and energy bills for Texas families. But in a report released last October, ERCOT overestimated the cost of energy efficiency in Texas by more than two times and understated by about seven times the amount we are on track to achieve. ERCOT's estimates do not acknowledge Texas' reality: Energy efficiency, and other sources of clean energy, are already on the rise. 

ERCOT's energy efficiency cost predictions don't add up

The ERCOT report aimed to assess what the Clean Power Plan which sets the nation's first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants would mean for Texas' electric makeup. In the plan, each state is empowered to develop an individualized, flexible state plan to meet its carbon reduction goals. Although recent action from the Supreme Court temporarily paused the enforcement of the Clean Power Plan's deadlines while the courts review it, EDF remains confident the framework rests on rock-solid legal and scientific footing. Texas leaders should move forward with compliance planning in order to maximize the benefits of clean electricity and be in the best position to comply once the Clean Power Plan is upheld.