Eclipse will sap solar energy, affecting Texas’ power grid

ERCOT says it is prepared for a significant decline in solar-generated energy during the April 8 event.

Solar eclipses are highly predictable, with astronomers able to project the exact path and duration centuries out. For a power grid that has become much more susceptible to the far less predictable weather, the event offers a chance to see how the grid holds up to a rapid but expected loss of solar power.

The April event will block 81% to 99% of the sun’s rays across Texas. While the ribbon of totality is only about 70 miles wide, it will have a wide effect on solar arrays throughout the state. “ERCOT has analyzed the ramping challenges posed by the eclipse and will continue to monitor this aspect of the eclipse as updated weather forecasts are received,” ERCOT spokeswoman Trudi Webster said in an email. “Wind, solar, and load forecasts, which are all impacted by weather, will influence the projected ramping needs during the eclipse.”ERCOT has created an 11-day plan to address the eclipse that begins March 28.

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