The Timmerman Power Plant near Maxwell is now fully online after LCRA brought the second generating unit onto the ERCOT grid Tuesday, completing the two-unit peaker site and pushing its total output to roughly 380 megawatts. The project is the first backed by the state’s Texas Energy Fund to reach full operation, a milestone state and utility officials are touting as a reliability boost for Central Texas.
As reported by KXAN and detailed in a release from the Office of the Texas Governor, the second unit is now connected to the ERCOT grid and the site is operating at its full design capacity. LCRA said the latest addition doubled the plant’s output and that the new unit came online about a month ahead of schedule.
What the plant will provide
According to LCRA, the two units together will produce about 380 megawatts, which is roughly enough to power more than 100,000 homes at full capacity. The facility uses reciprocating natural-gas engines and is designed to ramp up quickly to meet short bursts of demand during hot summer afternoons or winter cold snaps, stepping in when the grid is feeling the strain.
How it was funded
The Timmerman site was supported by the state’s Texas Energy Fund, which is aimed at speeding new dispatchable generation into the ERCOT system. The fund has approved roughly $2.65 billion in loans so far, according to the Houston Chronicle. Timmerman Unit 1 is also eligible for a performance-based completion bonus of up to $22.56 million paid out over 10 years, as reported by POWER.
Local impact and next steps
LCRA says the project created more than 300 construction jobs and will continue to add payroll and tax revenue in Caldwell County. LCRA Board Chair Stephen F. Cooper said the plant “stands ready to provide power within minutes on the hottest summer days, the coldest winter nights, and everything in between,” a statement noted by the Office of the Texas Governor.
From here, regulators at the Public Utility Commission of Texas will run formal test periods to gauge the plant’s performance, determine how much completion-bonus funding is paid out, and track Timmerman’s role in overall grid reliability. For more background on how the site started up, see Phase One Went Live.
