WattBridge Now World's Largest LM6000 Fleet Owner as the 288-MW Brotman Facility Begins Commercial Operations

Planned Installation of Additional 1,600 MW in Support of Texas Energy Security Is Endangered as State Legislature Considers PCM Guardrails

HOUSTON, May 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WattBridge Energy, LLC announced today commissioning of the Brotman Generating Station in Brazoria County, Texas. Brotman is the fifth new power-generation installation in the WattBridge fleet in just 36 months, which brings the company's support within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) zone to 1,824 MW operating for 1.2 million homes.

Powered by six PROENERGY LM6000 gas-turbine packages, the 288-MW Brotman station supports renewable development and delivers energy security with fast-start, reduced-emission peaking power. WattBridge, an independent power producer, has rapidly expanded its operating portfolio from six LM6000 units in January 2021 to 38 units today, making the Texas-based company the largest LM6000 owner in the world.

The Texas State Legislature identified the need for more dispatchable generation in the 87th and current 88th legislative sessions. WattBridge plans to develop at least 4,000 MW in Texas, but those plans may be forced to change due to developing changes with the market structure, according to WattBridge President, Mike Alvarado.

"We've been proud to contribute to the Texas Miracle of affordable energy security with 2,400 MW operational or under construction and at least a further 1,600 MW in advanced development that could be online by 2026," he says. "Our business requires the PCM (Performance Credit Mechanism) as adopted by the PUCT (Public Utilities Commission of Texas) to support new development and retain existing dispatchable generation; without the regulatory certainty that allows us to invest in a 30-year asset, we simply cannot move forward."

The PCM initiative, which is the sole existing legislation to solve Texas grid reliability issues with new generation, was passed by the House State Affairs Committee to include a cost cap on the reliability program of $500 million per year. According to PROENERGY CEO Jeff Canon, these guardrails will render virtually any investment in dispatchable generation uneconomical.

"No owner can withstand the proposed changes to the PCM, and PROENERGY provides, hands down, the lowest installed rate in the industry," he says. "I suspect that not one megawatt of dispatchable power could be built; in fact, the movable nature of dispatchable power might see units redeployed out of the state."   

Alvarado added that the cost cap, while intended to protect Texas consumers, will have the opposite effect.

"This isn't a guardrail for consumers; it's an arbitrary legislative opinion about how much reliability the State will allow in any year regardless of load changes, reliability needs, or resource mix," he says. "Within a few years, the Texas Miracle will dry up, energy security will suffer, and everyday Texans will be left holding the bag."

About WattBridge 

WattBridge Energy is a Houston, Texas-based global independent power producer. Serving as a bridge between emissions-intensive power generation and a fully renewable future, WattBridge operates under the vision of enabling wind and solar-energy growth. With 2,400 MW operating or under construction in ERCOT and a further 1,600 MW in advanced development—all driven by reliable LM6000 engines—WattBridge is among the largest owners and operators of this technology in the world. For more on WattBridge, visit www.wattbridge.info.

About PROENERGY 

Based in Sedalia, Missouri, PROENERGY is a global peaking-power solutions provider with operational experience on every continent. The company offers vertically integrated aeroderivative power services, including engineering, construction, operations, repair, maintenance, research, and true, turnkey power generation facilities that include the complete balance of plant. For more on PROENERGY, visit www.proenergyservices.com.

SOURCE WattBridge