Last year, the Gibbons Creek Power Plant in Grimes County operated only between June and September. The co-owners of the coal fired facility, which includes the Bryan-College Station area, have notified the state’s electric grid it will remain shut down. Which means not having as much reserve to cover this summer’s peak demands.
The loss of the plant will cut the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ (ERCOT) margin of extra power from 13.7% to 7.4%. That boosts the risk of higher prices and blackouts.
Bryan city manager Kean Register, who is on the Board of the Texas Municipal Power Agency that owns Gibbons Creek, says 14 employees will continue to work there. He added that recreational use at the Gibbons Creek Lake is not affected by the decision to keep the power plant closed.