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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

Enron Suspended from Texas Power Grid

LCG, Dec. 4, 2001--The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has suspended Enron Corp.'s access to the Lone Star State's transmission system, cutting off at least temporarily the company's ability to move electric power within its home state, Reuters news agency reported yesterday.

"Enron was put on sort of an informal credit watch when it was clear that they were starting to have some problems," explained Tom Noel, ERCOT president. "They indicated to us late last week that they were not going to be able to 'upgrade' their security and were going to lose their status as a Qualified Scheduling Entity."

ERCOT, one of 10 regional councils of the north American Electric Reliability Council, is also the Texas independent system operator, managing nearly 85 percent of the state's grid. The agency requires any energy wholesaler moving power on its lines be listed as a Qualified Scheduling Entity, or QSE, which shows it has met basic asset and credit requirements.

"The QSE's are the party that we deal with. We do not deal directly with the retailers, that's why we're very careful about (their credit worthiness)," Noel told Reuters, stressing that Enron was not banned forever.

"If someone loses their capability to become a QSE, they can restore it essentially immediately if they can demonstrate they've met the credit requirements. It's not, 'You're kicked out forever,"' Noel said, but added that if the suspension lasts longer than 72 hours, any company scheduled to receive power would be free to seek other providers.

If Enron were to eventually restore its standing with ERCOT, the company might have to win back that business, Noel cautioned.

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