Tesla is undertaking one of its largest lobbying efforts in Texas.
The company is lobbying for the state to change several energy market rules for Tesla to deploy its energy products to the state.
Tesla has two main focuses. First, making deploying Megapacks at the utility level a little easier. The second, and perhaps more important focus is making it easier for residents who have Powerwalls and solar to participate in the energy market.
Arushi Sharma Frank, Tesla’s US Energy Markets Policy lead, posted this to LinkedIn on the company’s frustrations:
So basically, it’s horrendously hot in large parts of the country too early in the year compared to past years. The early heat waves are a huge challenge for electric grid operators, and that’s on top of other climate concerns. Home solar and battery customers have been providing their extra clean energy capacity back to constrained grids daily, around the world, and gotten paid for it. We’re trying to enable that in Texas/ERCOT this year. I keep hearing how that will take 4-6 years and it’s like, what a joke! Let’s do it now and figure out something that doesn’t take years and cost the earth.
Tesla filed an OBDRR, or a request for a rule change, with the Electric Council of Texas (ERCOT). The change would enable electrical utilities with behind-the-meter solar and batteries to bid on the extra capacity. In addition, it would unlock the value for homeowner’s solar arrays and batteries to help the Texas grid.
It would also allow Tesla to operate all of its distributed energy assets as a virtual power plant, much like what Tesla does currently in California.
However, ERCOT did not provide a comment or timeline on the proposed rule change.
