LP&L plans to move forward joining ERCOT in June

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Lubbock Power and Light is going ahead with plans to join the Electric Reliability Council of Texas this summer.

LP&L spokesperson Matt Rose took part in a district 5 town hall meeting Tuesday night. He said the city’s decision to join ERCOT was based on bringing back competition and saving money.

“The reasoning still stands, we still believe the fact we’re about to migrate to this system -- at no cost to you all, versus us having to pay off three quarters of a billion dollars worth of debt on our ratepayers’ back -- that alone is huge,” he said.

The ERCOT grid nearly collapsed during historic cold temperatures in Texas back in February. But, Rose says the South Plains is mostly immune to those issues because power generators here are treated for both intense summer heat and subfreezing cold.

Rose says the city is closely watching legislation that would require similar precautions statewide.

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