Exxon Sending Excess Electricity to Needy Grid in Texas

   By Dan Molinski

Exxon Mobil Corp. said Wednesday that since it has shut down its Baytown oil refinery near Houston due to a severe winter storm, it is returning unused electricity back to the state's main power grid where supply is needed.

Nearly 3 million customers in Texas, including areas around Houston, are without power after the Lone Star state was hit this week with the worst winter storm in decades. Power demand for heating surged but supply fell as electricity plants struggled with equipment failures and other problems.

"Due to the freezing weather conditions, coupled with the curtailment of natural gas supplies throughout the State of Texas, we have shut down our manufacturing units across the Baytown Area," Irving-based Exxon said in a statement. "Any units that remain in operation are dedicated to exporting electricity back into the grid."

Exxon said it's currently exporting in excess of 200 megawatts back to the grid, which it said "is enough electricity to power approximately 100,000 homes."

Write to Dan Molinski at dan.molinski@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 17, 2021 16:05 ET (21:05 GMT)

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