Curtailment of generators
A wind or solar plant is curtailed when it could produce more than the grid can take. The cause is usually full transmission lines or more supply than demand. Curtailed energy is lost revenue, so developers study it before picking a site.
Curtailment of loads
A large power user can also be curtailed. Some loads agree to cut use during grid emergencies or peak hours, sometimes in return for payment or a faster connection. Rules for how large loads behave in emergencies are changing, including in Texas under SB 6. Check ERCOT and the PUCT for the current rules.
Questions people ask
Is curtailment the same as an outage?
No. An outage is unplanned. Curtailment is a controlled cut made to keep the grid in balance.
Can I estimate curtailment for a site?
Past prices and congestion patterns give hints, but a real estimate needs a grid model. Treat any simple figure as a rough signal.
Related
More glossary
- What is time to power?
- What is powered land?
- What is a powered shell?
- What is large load interconnection?
- What is a point of interconnection?
- What is an interconnection queue?
- What is queue position?
- What is ERCOT?
Need a site, or have one?
Tell us what you need and Voltane finds, reports on and prices candidate sites in ERCOT. Or bring a site you already have for a path-to-power report (by request for now).