If you run a manufacturing plant with rotating production cycles, a cold storage facility with fluctuating compressor loads, or any Texas operation where power consumptions shift throughout the day - monetizing your load flexibility in ERCOT’s energy and ancillary services markets probably wasn’t an option for you before December 2025.

That’s changed.

On December 5, 2025, ERCOT launched Real-Time Co-Optimization + Batteries (RTC+B), a fundamental restructuring of how the Texas power grid procures energy and ancillary services. In this initial breakdown of the launch, we discussed how this shift would reward quick-responding facilities. Now, roughly two months in, businesses that were previously shut out of this demand response participation are earning real money from their energy flexibility.

What changed - and why it matters for your facility

Before RTC+B, ERCOT procured ancillary services day-ahead, and energy in both day-ahead and real-time markets. If your facility’s load changed unexpectedly and couldn’t be available in real time for your ancillary service day-ahead commitment, you faced steep penalties. That meant participation required high-accuracy load forecasting 24 hours in advance — a dealbreaker for facilities with natural variation in their power consumption.

Now, the market co-optimizes energy and ancillary every five minutes. Instead of locking you into a rigid day-ahead commitment, ERCOT makes selection decisions within rolling 5-minute windows. The result: the market works with your real-time operations rather than against them.

The key requirement isn’t that your load is flat - it’s that it’s predictable. If your facility follows a consistent daily pattern, even one with large swings between morning and evening, you may be eligible to participate.

Above: Real-time energy data from the Voltus platform showing two facilities with predictable load patterns.

Energy prices spiked during Winter Storm Fern 

Just weeks after RTC+B launched, Winter Storm Fern (January 23-27, 2026) stress-tested the new market design. Facilities with predictable load patterns earned substantial ancillary service revenue as the grid paid premium prices for operational flexibility:

• Average earnings: $1,000/MW-day during the storm period
• Peak earnings: $3,600/MW on January 26th alone.

How Voltus handles the heavy lifting

Voltus makes participation in these programs straightforward. Our platform ingests 30-second meter data from your facility, giving ERCOT real-time visibility into your load. We use that data to build an optimal market offer that clears in both day-ahead and real-time markets, reducing your penalty exposure while maximizing your earnings.

You don’t need to change how you operate. We work around your load profile - not the other way around.

The window is open

ERCOT’s RTC+B stabilization phase ended on January 31, meaning the market rules are now locked in and operating as designed. Businesses that move now will be positioned to capture value as the market matures. 

Ready to see what your energy flexibility is worth in ERCOT? Reach out to info@voltus.co to get started.