Public interest case proceeding before the Public Utility Commission of Texas expected to last approximately six months
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2017
LUBBOCK, Texas – Lubbock Power & Light (LP&L) has initiated the formal application process to join the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). LP&L submitted an application with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) to begin a public interest case focused on the impacts of allowing LP&L to disconnect from the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and connect to the ERCOT system. The filing of Lubbock’s application with the PUC follows two years of extensive studies and research by multiple stakeholders, including LP&L, related to the costs and benefits of allowing the City of Lubbock to join the Texas state electrical grid.
“LP&L is excited as we begin the formal approval stages of this project,” said LP&L Director of Electric Utilities David McCalla. “We stated from the beginning that moving to ERCOT accomplishes the goal of providing Lubbock citizens a diversified portfolio of reliable and affordable Texas power for generations to come. With the benefit of the studies we have performed, we feel as confident as ever that this move will achieve our stated goals and benefit the State of Texas as a whole.”
On September 24, 2015, the LP&L Electric Utility Board and the Lubbock City Council announced they would begin a process to join ERCOT as part of their 2019 Solution, dedicated to securing a reliable and cost-effective source of power for future generations of Lubbock citizens. Since the time of the announcement, LP&L leadership has worked closely with all interested stakeholders in a PUC project which produced comprehensive studies and a public workshop focused on how Lubbock’s entry to the ERCOT electrical market will affect ERCOT, SPP and Lubbock ratepayers. The results of these studies and workshop will guide the next step of the process as the PUC looks to whether it is in the public’s interest to allow Lubbock to join over 90% of Texans currently in ERCOT.
This week, LP&L will send out postcard notifications to its customers alerting them to the filing of the application with the PUC. In the coming months, LP&L will participate in all aspects of the case before the PUC with an expected conclusion in the first quarter of 2018. LP&L customers and members of the general public will have the ability to monitor the progress of the case and read about all aspects of this process through LP&L’s website located at lpandl.com.
“This is an important moment in Lubbock’s history. We are securing the resources needed to sustain the economic vitality of our city for years to come,” said Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope. “I am proud of the work undertaken by leadership at LP&L and as we move into the final stages of this process, I believe that all involved will see the benefit of allowing Lubbock to join our fellow Texans.”
Lubbock Power & Light is the third largest municipal electric utility in Texas and has been serving the citizens of Lubbock since 1917. LP&L serves more than 104,000 electric meters and owns and maintains 4,936 miles of power lines and three power plants in and around the City of Lubbock.For more information about Lubbock Power & Light, as well as updates on new customer initiatives implemented, go to www.lpandl.com and follow the utility on Facebook and Twitter.