HOUSTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Texas' electric grid operator has approved the shutdown of two more coal-fired power plants, green-lighting the layoffs for more than 800 coal miners and power plant workers, Houston Chronicle reported on Monday.
In a statement, the electric grid operator said the plants are "economically challenged," because of low wholesale power prices, the expansion of renewable electricity and the low cost of natural gas.
In November, the state's largest power generator, Dallas-based Vistra Energy, announced plans to shutter three plants pending the approval of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Texas' grid overseer. ERCOT has determined that the loss of more than 4,000 megawatts of energy would not impact's the grid's reliability.
ERCOT had initially approved the shutdown Vistra's northeast Texas Monticello coal plant, and last week approved the shutdown of Sandow near Austin and Big Brown east of Waco. The approval came just days after Vistra announced a merger with Houston-based power company Dynegy.
While the state is expected to have plenty of electricity to power its homes and businesses next year, the concern is whether closing coal plants in the future would destabilize a grid that increasingly relies on intermittent and often unpredictable wind and solar power.
Vistra expects to shutter the plants by mid-February, before it closes on the deal to acquire Dynegy. Enditem
