Texas Grid Innovation: A French-American Initiative to Accelerate ERCOT’s Energy Transformation

As Texas faces a sharp surge in electricity demand, driven by AI, data centers, and industrial expansion, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) stands at a critical crossroads. Ensuring grid reliability while enabling rapid growth and supporting the energy transition is no longer optional. It’s urgent.

In response, the FACC is launching a high-impact initiative in late 2025, mobilizing its network of energy and tech leaders to support ERCOT’s mission.

A Shared Vision: Scaling Capacity Through Technology

The FACC exists to foster innovation and transatlantic business collaboration. In this project, its members will work together to address a core challenge:

→ How can we expand ERCOT’s grid capacity without relying solely on massive infrastructure investments?

The answer lies in smart, scalable, and tech-driven solutions.

A Coalition of Industry Leaders

Confirmed participants include Schneider Electric, Engie, and Aurora, with additional invitations extended to major global players such as TotalEnergies, bp, Calpine, Hitachi Energy, and Shell. These companies bring cutting-edge expertise to the table—and a strong commitment to innovation.

Together, they will explore how advanced technologies, demand-side flexibility, and grid modernization can unlock new capacity, faster and more sustainably.

A Four-Pillar Action Plan

To turn ideas into impact, the initiative will focus on:

→ Targeted technical workshops to explore scalable solutions,

→ Quarterly C-suite roundtables to engage executive leadership,

→ Site visits and pilot initiatives to test real-world applications,

→ A white paper task force to formalize key recommendations.

Timeline & Next Steps

The initiative kicks off in Q4 2025, with activities running throughout 2026. Key milestones include:

→ September 2025: Final participant selection and formation of the steering committee,

→ November 2025: First strategic roundtable to define focus areas and ERCOT engagement,

→ Late 2025: Launch of technical workstreams and 2026 planning.