iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

Solar + batteries continue to grow rapidly in Texas: over 1.2 gigawatts added every month this year! Overall, more than 11 gigawatts were installed in Texas in the last 8 months, outpacing any other state or even region in the US. #txlege #txenergy 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

Solar + wind growth is outpacing global demand growth by more than 5% through the 3rd quarter of this year. Add nuclear and clean energy is outpacing demand by 10% per this Canary Media graphic. Michael Liebreich showed what 3% growth over 40 years would do... 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

America has two possible AI futures: the villain path and the hero path. One raises bills & destabilizes grids, the other lowers bills & strengthens the grid. Varun Sivaram explains why flexible data centers could help lower costs & boost reliability. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 23/11/2025

A new report from Grid Strategies shows projected 166GW demand growth in the US with over 30% in Texas. ERCOT demand growth is projected to be higher than PJM with 14 states including the data center hub in northern Virginia. #txlege #txenergy 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

Varun Sivaram says ERCOT is the model the world should copy. Texas has headroom, speed, and the chance to lead flexible AI load growth. We break it down on the Energy Capital Podcast.

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

There are two paths for AI data centers: hero and villain. Emerald AI founder & CEO Varun Sivaram and I talked through the two paths. If you want to understand how AI data centers can strengthen the grid and lower electric bills, give it a listen. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

The Wall St. Journal published this chart which shows there’s about 40 gigawatts of power already built or under construction for AI data centers and another 70 gigawatts of planned AI demand for power in 2025 alone. Next year will almost certainly be even bigger. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

More data centers are coming to Texas. Google announced $40 billion in investments, including 6.2 gigawatts of new supply and an investment in residential energy efficiency. Flexibility will be the key as these massive energy users come onto the grid. #txlege #txenergy 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

China is energy dominant. The US absolutely could provide a meaningful counterweight but it would require broad political consensus to pursue an all-of-the-above strategy that includes both molecules and electrons, renewables and lower emission fossils. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

China is moving forward with renewables at a breakneck pace, but Texas could be a counterweight as we install 15-20 gigawatts of wind, solar, storage and gas per year. Unfortunately, federal big government overreach and red tape are slowing down the Texas energy miracle. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

There's a new November electric demand record in Texas. It's 92 degrees in Austin – on November 7. There are 25,000 megawatts-worth of thermal plants offline for seasonal maintenance. Solar + wind providing >50% all day. Could see a battery record this evening. #txlege #txenergy

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

Gas turbines are scarce, and supply won’t catch up soon. I discuss with Nat Bullard why physics and lead times, not wishful thinking, set the pace, and how Texas can bridge the gap with renewables, storage, and smarter demand.

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Reposted by Doug Lewin

Halcyon @halcyonai.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Texas is where the future of energy is being tested. In this week’s Halcyon post, @nathanielbullard.com joins @douglewin.bsky.social to dig into ERCOT’s soaring load queue, the state’s one-of-a-kind market, and what its data signals for the rest of the country. Read + listen 👇 hubs.ly/Q03RNcSl0

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Texas severely lags on residential demand response, making reliability risks higher than they need to be; PUC Staff recommended higher profits for Texas' largest electricity utility; and Texas added 1.3 gigawatts of solar & storage in October. Link in reply. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

Oncor wants a billion more per year in rate increases but "does not consider" DERs in its planning. DERs could save $8.5 billion over 10 years. It's time for regulators to require some form of competition and price discovery for the socialized distribution system. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

1,200 Texans are already building America’s solar future. Doug Lewin talks with Dan Barcelo (T1 Energy) on how Texas could make every step of the solar supply chain, from polysilicon to panels, right here.

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Texas doesn’t wait for permission to build. Doug Lewin and Dan Barcelo (T1 Energy) explore how Texas’ “build, build, build” spirit could turn distributed power into sovereign energy and why that matters for the next boom.

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Over 75% of power installed last year globally was solar and over 75% of that was made in China. Can the US manufacture enough solar for our needs and maybe enough to export? I talked with T1 Energy CEO Dan Barcelo about building a solar supply chain in Texas. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

ERCOT demand is up 5% year-over-year & 23% since 2021 with nearly all of the demand growth being met by wind, solar & batteries, according to EIA. Solar has gone from a barely perceptible sliver to nearly 15% in only 4 years, with most of the growth in the last year. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

AI data centers aren't driving bills higher. In many places, rising demand is lowering costs as fixed costs are spread out to more users. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

There are nearly 23 gigawatts of thermal plants offline for maintenance as Texas continues to have way above average heat. To pick up the slack, batteries are deploying for longer periods; they discharged over 3,000 megawatts for 2+ hours Tuesday evening. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Load growth lowers costs customers, according to a recent LBL / Brattle study. There is a lot more potential for residential bill reductions. More on that study, Base's billion dollar raise, Corpus Christi running out of water, and much more in the link in the reply 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

LBL/Brattle study shines light on factors driving power prices, notes medium price reductions from market-based renewables; also, reckoning with China's growth; Corpus Christi is running out of water; Base raises a billion, and much more: www.douglewin.com/p/market-ba...

douglewin.com

Market-Based Renewables Lower Prices, Reading & Podcast Picks, October 19, 2025

Batteries are booming in Texas; LBL/Brattle study shines light on factors driving power prices; reckoning with China's growth; Corpus Christi is running out of water; and much more

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

Don't miss Aurora's 2nd Annual Energy Transition Forum in NYC next week October 21. Link to register in the reply. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

Electricity costs are increasing nationwide, but the idea that clean energy drives up prices? The data clearly doesn't support those claims. States that added renewables fastest generally have lower electricity costs.

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

NYC people: Don't miss DERvos this Friday! I'll be there and you should, too. Link to register in the reply. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

Austin energy people: Don't miss this great event hosted by Gridraven tomorrow at Capital Factory downtown. #txenergy 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Data shows Administration's claims on renewables are wrong, states with higher shares of renewables typically have lower electricity costs. Markets are choosing renewables based on price. Also, buyers' remorse from the Permian as oil prices plunge. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

There are two new battery energy storage records in Texas: largest instantaneous amount of storage (8.63 gigawatts) and largest percent of load met by storage (13.2%). Battery energy storage is up 100% year-over-year. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Texas is about to get a 400 MW / 1.8 gigawatt-hour battery. The second and third phases will have 5-hour duration storage, the first project of its kind in Texas. I wrote today about how decisions over a new ancillary service could attract longer duration storage – or not. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Join me this morning on Chambers of Innovation's webinar. Link in reply.

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Oil & gas vs renewables is a false fight. In fact, many oil and gas producers want to connect to the grid to power their operations with renewables. “More energy, less emissions” should be our path forward. 1/

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

AI is just the start. Robotics, biotech & advanced computing will drive terawatt-scale demand. Texas has the mix to lead, but only if we plan in terawatts, not gigawatts.

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Reducing energy waste in homes could offset all projected data center demand. @rewiringamerica's new report shows how: in exchange for speed to power, data centers fund residential load reductions. Households get lower bills & the grid gets more reliable. Link in reply 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Cheap power brings new industries. Higher demand leads to higher prices which leads to more solar + storage and cheaper power again. Check out the TribCast with Eric Goff on how Texas is doing this and more, featured in this week's Reading and Podcast Picks www.douglewin.com/p/helping-t...

douglewin.com

Demand Side Resources Could Enable Load Growth: Reading & Podcast Picks, October 5, 2025

Data centers could put money into customers' pockets, gain speed to power, and make the grid more reliable by investing in demand-side markets; DOE cuts hurt Texas and the gas industry, too; and more

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

My friends at Aurora are hodling their second annual Energy Transition Forum in NYC October 21. Topics include grid reliability, AI, and investment. Join alongside leaders from utilities, finance and the gov't for a conversation you don't want to miss. Registration in the reply

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Texas is now #1 in utility scale battery storage with 14 gigawatts, passing California. That gives Texas the #1 spot in wind, utility scale solar, and storage. Good thing, too, because yesterday Texans shattered ERCOT's previous October peak demand by nearly 4 gigawatts. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

If you’re working on grid modernization, clean energy buildout, or just want to connect with others in this space, Intersolar's Texas event is a can't miss. I'll be on a keynote panel and hope to see you there. Find out more and get a discount here buff.ly/00pIV3f

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Secretary Wright said that "Texas has the fastest rising wholesale electricity prices of any region in the country, 100 percent rise in wholesale prices from the start of the Biden administration to today." Uh, no. That's wrong. More info in the link in the reply.

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas told the Board last week “The additions of solar & batteries have helped us handle the growth in the summer months, where we’ve seen a lot more consumption.” Link to Claire Hao's article about grid performance this summer & more in the link in the reply 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

Energy use is way up in Texas but power prices have bucked the national trend and actually declined over the summer, mostly due to solar + storage records. VPPs are also growing in Texas and beginning to put a downward pressure on prices, too. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

ERCOT’s wholesale market creates consumer savings and producer profits. Bankruptcies aren’t a bug, they’re a feature. Investors risk their own capital, not ratepayers. Markets discover what works through trial and error. #TxEnergy #GridReliability #CleanEnergy #EnergyPolicy #ERCOT

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Recent @heatmap_news poll shows who Americans blame for higher electricity bills: their local utility and state government over Biden or Trump. Voters/consumers want lower prices but a lot of actions by the federal government will lead to higher prices. 1/3

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

According to IEEFA using ERCOT data, "since 2016, demand in ERCOT has jumped 39.2%; renewables have provided the power for 95.7% of that growth.” Another summer of records shows what’s possible when clean energy scales. 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Texas isn't the only ones breaking records. China is exporting massive amounts of green tech to the developing world. Noahpinion had a great article on the impact of China's clean energy export machine... 1/2

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

The ERCOT Board will hear today that solar and storage "made the summer uneventful." Of course, uneventful is good. "Events," in grid parlance, are usually major problems. And there are a record 6 gigawatts of new resources coming in Q1. #txlege #txenergy 1/

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

Can AI data centers lower costs for residential consumers? Also, who's getting blamed for high energy costs? Is bipartisan permitting reform in DC possible? Can we have a "pragmatic climate reset"? And more on quarantining monopolies: www.douglewin.com/p/who-do-am...

douglewin.com

Who Do Americans Blame for Higher Energy Bills? Reading & Podcast Picks: Sunday, September 21, 2025

Flexible AI loads; who gets blamed for high energy costs; bipartisan permitting reform in DC; solar and battery records in Texas; the "pragmatic climate reset"; quarantining monopolies; and more

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Yesterday’s regulation rewarded spending, not efficiency. ERCOT proves competition works. The next frontier is price discovery in distribution. Reliability per dollar depends on it. #TxEnergy #GridReliability #CleanEnergy #EnergyPolicy #ERCOT

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

ERCOT's Large load queue has tripled in the last year and is now 70% data centers. Forward prices are up 15-20% compared to last year Also, the largest and newest coal plant in Texas (and the US) is offline for 2 years. That and more here: www.douglewin.com/p/large-loa...

douglewin.com

Large Load Queue Has Tripled in Texas: Grid Roundup #76

Biggest coal plant in Texas offline for two years; peak demand is down, energy use is up in Texas; forward prices for 2026-2030 are up 15-20%; 70% of Texas' large load queue is data centers

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Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

The monopoly utility business model stretches back over 100 years. It was phenomenally successful to bring electrification to the masses, but does it meet our current needs? Lynne Kiesling and I dig into that in part 1 of 2 here: www.douglewin.com/p/the-hidde...

douglewin.com

Why the Old Utility Business Model Doesn’t Fit Anymore with Lynne Kiesling (Part 1)

Over a hundred years ago, the monopoly business utility model emerged as the one that could attract sufficient capital to electrify everything.

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