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Vistra to Install New Gas-Fired Units at Permian Basin Power Plant

LCG, September 30, 2025--Vistra Corp. announced yesterday that it will proceed with the next phase of its capital plan to support grid reliability in Texas. In 2024, Vistra identified over $1 billion worth of potential capital additions in generation capacity within the Texas ERCOT market by 2028 if market conditions were supportive. Now, with West Texas' growing power requirements, particularly the state's expanding oil and natural gas industries, Vistra reached a final investment decision and confirms it will build two new advanced natural gas-fired power units on-site at its Permian Basin Power Plant.

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ERCOT Announces New Grid Research, Innovation and Transformation (GRIT) Initiative

LCG, September 24, 2025--Electric Reliability Council of Texas Inc. (ERCOT) yesterday announced its new initiative to increase its efforts to fully use and apply innovation and transformation through industry collaboration to best overcome the challenges and opportunities facing future grid operations. The new Grid Research, Innovation, and Transformation (GRIT) initiative will advance research and prototyping of emerging concepts and solutions to better understand the implications of rapid grid and technology evolution and position ERCOT to lead in the future energy landscape.

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Industry News

Lake Michigan Silt Closes AEP's Cook Nuke

LCG, Aug. 30, 2001--American Electric power Co. said this morning that the 1,100 megawatt Unit 2 of its Cook nuclear power plant at Benton Harbor, Mich., was being taken off line because of the intrusion of Lake Michigan silt into its cooling water systems.

"The silt was drawn in by plant water intake pipes and degraded cooling water systems required for plant safety equipment and back-up power sources," AEP said in a statement.

Silty water is a fine abrasive and can literally grind down the moving parts of a system in which it circulates. AEP said Unit 1 at Cook, a twin of Unit 2, was taken off line on Monday to replace a circulating water pump discharge valve. The company did not say silt was what made the replacement necessary but did say that silt intrusion affects the cooling water systems for both units.

Three huge pipes, each 16 feet across, bring water from one-half mile out in Lake Michigan into the plant. It is not surprising that silt -- and an occasional boat -- would find its way into the plant's systems.

AEP was unable to say how long the units would be shut down, but said return-to-service schedules for both units will be established following an investigation to determine the cause of the silt intrusion.

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