I’m a Dem here in Texas. Our wind turbines froze.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Solar panels on the space station and the mars lander seem to do fine. So do the wind turbines in Antartica.

I don't think it is the technology.

Yea, typical weather in Texas is just like Antartica, orbital space, and Mars.

Would it kill you to just admit that Texas cheaped out and hasn’t properly prepared for the extreme weather events that accompany climate change? They ignored previous recommendations to proactively fortify infrastructure.

It’s just going to get worse. Responses like your’s are like an ostrich with its head in the sand. This will happen again....and again.

And, next time. Texas should receive no Federal disaster funds. They have been warned several times and are now warned again. If Texas does not wish to prepare, then next time is on them not the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Solar panels on the space station and the mars lander seem to do fine. So do the wind turbines in Antartica.

I don't think it is the technology.


Yea, typical weather in Texas is just like Antartica, orbital space, and Mars.


Would it kill you to just admit that Texas cheaped out and hasn’t properly prepared for the extreme weather events that accompany climate change? They ignored previous recommendations to proactively fortify infrastructure.

It’s just going to get worse. Responses like your’s are like an ostrich with its head in the sand. This will happen again....and again.


Well, that's not for me to decide, I don't pay taxes in Texas. I am not sure if I want to pay every year to prepare for an event that may happen every 50 years. If the tax payers in Texas believe it's a good use of their funds to be constantly prepared for snow and prolonged freezing weather, then that's their business.


DP
As a person from outside Texas who pays federal taxes (I assume, correct me if not), do you have any objection at all to repeatedly bailing out Texas with federal resources, when Texas continues to cheap out and go on the dole when they get caught with their pants down?

Any objection, or absolutely none at all?

The previous poster is the same kind of person who complains about states that don't fund their retirement systems enough (make preparations) and then use that as an excuse for not wanting to help states out during COVID. So if that person is consistent, that person will not want federal money sent to Texas to help with their energy infrastructure. If they are consistent they will say that it's on them to prepare for cold weather.

I hope the previous poster is happy when their insurance rates also go up in order to "help" out the Texans who have to make claims for water damage from burst pipes.

I hate to tell you, but like COVID, we are all in this together. But Texans like to think that somehow they can go it alone. I guess that's why it's called the LONE star state.

[Anonymous]

https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/education/texas-did-you-know#:~:text=Texas's%20nickname%20pays%20tribute%20to,the%20Texas%20way%20of%20life.



"Texas's nickname pays tribute to the Lone Star flag, which was adopted after Texas became independent from Mexico in 1836. Texas was an independent republic for ten years before accepting annexation to the United States, and the flag reflects the pride and go-it-alone spirit that is still part of the Texas way of life."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP can't admit that if the turbines can run in really extreme environments, then it's not that turbines can't work in Texas. It's that they cheap out and don't want to prepare for what they've been told by experts they will be facing.

I bet PP has no problem with Texas accepting federal disaster relief, since they couldn't manage taking care of themselves even before secession. Is that cool by you, PP?

It’s also not just the GD turbines. It’s everything. Gas, and coal, and electric, and nuclear. Everything failed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Solar panels on the space station and the mars lander seem to do fine. So do the wind turbines in Antartica.

I don't think it is the technology.

Yea, typical weather in Texas is just like Antartica, orbital space, and Mars.

Would it kill you to just admit that Texas cheaped out and hasn’t properly prepared for the extreme weather events that accompany climate change? They ignored previous recommendations to proactively fortify infrastructure.

It’s just going to get worse. Responses like your’s are like an ostrich with its head in the sand. This will happen again....and again.

And, next time. Texas should receive no Federal disaster funds. They have been warned several times and are now warned again. If Texas does not wish to prepare, then next time is on them not the rest of us.

Didn't Trump refuse federal assistance after protests in Minneapolis? You know, because their politicians didn't prevent the problems?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Solar panels on the space station and the mars lander seem to do fine. So do the wind turbines in Antartica.

I don't think it is the technology.

Yea, typical weather in Texas is just like Antartica, orbital space, and Mars.

Would it kill you to just admit that Texas cheaped out and hasn’t properly prepared for the extreme weather events that accompany climate change? They ignored previous recommendations to proactively fortify infrastructure.

It’s just going to get worse. Responses like your’s are like an ostrich with its head in the sand. This will happen again....and again.

And, next time. Texas should receive no Federal disaster funds. They have been warned several times and are now warned again. If Texas does not wish to prepare, then next time is on them not the rest of us.

Didn't Trump refuse federal assistance after protests in Minneapolis? You know, because their politicians didn't prevent the problems?

And for the wildfires in California, because they didn’t rake the forest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Solar panels on the space station and the mars lander seem to do fine. So do the wind turbines in Antartica.

I don't think it is the technology.

Yea, typical weather in Texas is just like Antartica, orbital space, and Mars.

Would it kill you to just admit that Texas cheaped out and hasn’t properly prepared for the extreme weather events that accompany climate change? They ignored previous recommendations to proactively fortify infrastructure.

It’s just going to get worse. Responses like your’s are like an ostrich with its head in the sand. This will happen again....and again.

And, next time. Texas should receive no Federal disaster funds. They have been warned several times and are now warned again. If Texas does not wish to prepare, then next time is on them not the rest of us.

Didn't Trump refuse federal assistance after protests in Minneapolis? You know, because their politicians didn't prevent the problems?

And for the wildfires in California, because they didn’t rake the forest?

A lot of CA forests are federally owned, btw. Just saying.

[Anonymous]

Iowa's didn't freeze because they had the brains to WINTERIZE them
Maybe you could follow their lead!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Man the right wing fossil fuel sphere got out there with their message fast.
Democrats and progressives are always playing catch up.
Always trying to unring a bell.

It’s almost like that was the state government’s priority instead of telling citizens how to stay safe.

This happened ten years ago, FERC wrote a report with a ton of recommendations, mostly “winterize your power distribution capability, FFS,” and Texas did nothing. You might recall this because Dallas in particular was a total icy mess the whole week before hosting the Super Bowl for the first time. Here’s the report; of course Texas was not required to follow the recommendations because its power grid is not regulated by the federal government. https://www.ferc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/08-16-11-report.pdf

My husband worked on that report. Last night he kept telling me that TX knew.

Of course they knew. They actively chose this scenario. They prefferred cheaper short term electricity over long term reliability amd resiliency.

So basically the GOP builds infrastructure like China builds buildings. Does anyone remember that school that collapsed in China that was practically built with paper clips in place of rebar and sawdust in the cement? This is that. An avoidable tragedy in support of the party’s ideals.

Your 1% event has happened 3 times in the last 30 years. How many billions is this costing in aid and productivity? At some point, it is worth investing in the infrastructure so as to not have to pay these additional emergency costs.
Prelim data suggests this was a 4 standard deviation event. Not many systems in the world built to withstand those types of events.

It happened ten years ago and the lack of winterization was specifically pointed to as the cause by both federal and state investigators. This was forseen and the problems known ahead of time.

And power outages happen all over blue states with heat waves that would be called overnight lows in the Texas summer. Going into the 90s in July of 2019 had DMV officials worried about blackouts while most Texans would be grateful for 90s temps in July and their systems would perform just fine at that demand/operating environment. California had rolling blackouts last year over what Texas could handle as a relatively average summer. Some of this is policy choices and some of it is that nobody builds systems to withstand these kind of events. Whether you’re in TX or CA.

That's just not entirely true. DMV summers are notoriously brutal, even by Texas standards. 90+ degree brutally humid summer days with a heat index over 100 are the norm not the exception around here. We pay extra for an electrical system that has guaranteed backup supply and whose components are weatherized. Texas chose not to and is paying the proverbial piper.

No. DMV summers are not brutal but Texas standards. Not even close. You’re losing track of scale here. Average July temp/heat index in DC is 89/100.8. Average in Dallas 95.2/113.5. And that’s just Dallas. Heat index in Houston, San Antonio and Austin are all worse in July. And the DMV power grid is not built to withstand sustained Texas temps from both a demand and operating perspective.

Ive been in both and I prefer the dry heat. The point is that our systems are built to handle everything from 100+ to -0 because you cant assume that wont happen. We pay to have backup supply in case of an emergency. We pay for weatherization. We dont do this because we want to. We do this because if something happens we dont want a grid failure. Texas on the other hand chooses not to prepare.

No. Systems aren’t built “for anything” that can happen. They are built for ranges that cover 99% of what could happen. When the 1% hits, systems fail. That’s true everywhere in the country. And right now Texas is having the 1% event.

I don’t have time to look for DMV’s ISO right now, but most other ISOs manage to around a one day in 10 year standard (industry standard). So when you get hit with a one day in 50 year event (especially on a multi day period) like Texas is experiencing right now you can expect system failure. You should not expect that your power system will operate under a comparable 4 standard deviation event that hits the DMV.

No one said.anything that can happen. 0-100 degree weather is not a 1% event in either the DMV or DFW. Had the temps been -20 or 120 you'd have a point. But they weren't. This event was manageable, forseeable, and predicted. The weather front was not even sudden. They knew it was coming and didn't prepare.

Texas is experiencing a 1% event FOR TEXAS.

Figure out what a 1% event is FOR DMV. That event is the appropriate comparison for what is happening in Texas right now. Odds are that DMV has similar grid experience in the case of a 1% event for DMV as Texas is having for a 1% event FOR TEXAS.

No Texas is not. It is a 1 in 10 year event for Texas. Look it up. There are references that planners, engineers and designers use.

Yes, Texas the state is in a once in 50 year event. Look it up. Parts of Texas have experienced this. Even for DFW this is like a once in 10 year event, but for the entire state to be this frozen is a once in 50 year event. Had this vortex only hit DFW, the grid probably holds fine. If only the Nat gas producers in the panhandle had been impacted, the grid holds fine. Those are things that have happened in memory. But for demand to surge across the entire state like this a once in 50 year event. Had this weather only hit DFW and Houston, the grid probably holds fine. But for San Antonio and areas south of I-10 to also get impacted at the SAME TIME as Houston and DFW is a historical storm.

NYT is saying this Texas storm goes beyond historical conditions.

NYPost says it is without precedent.

San Antonio papers say San Antonio hasn’t seen anything like this in 30+ years.

Local meteorologists are saying this is the worst storm going back to 1950.

The combined temps in DFW, Austin, Houston and San Antonio are record shattering. I get looking at DFW and saying something like this has happened before. Same for Houston, San Antonio or even Galveston. But nothing like this across the entire state at the same time has been seen in 50+ years.

I dont think your points are in conflict from everyone elses.

This has been so catostrophic because it's a combination of separate failures across the state. Many of those failures were caused by a combination of bad decisions. Had some of these failures not happened or been prepared for this likely would not have been as bad as it is.

So, while Galveston area generators might deserve a pass DFW ones don't. There is an excuse for some parts of Texas to not have winterized but not for others. On the broader scale there is still no excuse for the lack of always on backup capacity.

That’s the point! Nobody has a system with 100% backup. What you have is reserve margin which acts as what you’re calling backup. The storm knocked out the reserve margin. There isn’t a system in the US is built to withstand a 4 standard deviation event. Everybody wants to act like you can just plan to this event, but it doesn’t work that way anywhere in the country.

You’re wrong. Every place but Texas pays for reserve margarine. Texas pays for power used only and actually disincentivizes carrying any reserve margin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You know this is rare but not out of the norm for Texas in terms of temperatures. There was a similar event in 2011. The feds and state of Texas did an after action review. There were recommendations made to avoid this. So yes if fact you can plan for something like this.

It is rare and out of the norm for practically the entire state to experience these conditions at the same exact time. That’s what turned this from a within norm ten year event into something that was basically unprecedented.

Someone from ERCOT is on here spinning desperately. BTW, a 4SD event would be once every 1000 years not once every 100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Texas have laws against price hikes like this in a disaster?

Texans are opposed to laws. Unless you want an abortion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if this is going to be a tipping point to get rid of some of the Republican leadership in Texas unfortunately memories are short when it comes to elections

just remember people this is the price you pay for low taxes and lack of regulation.

Elections are next year - hopefully memories aren’t that short.

No, people. Rs are party over country.

#stickitothelibs

The Republicans I knew when I lived in Texas would not vote for a Republican in this case. It's why Ann Richards was elected for one term. You might be surprised how angry it makes people to sit in freezing cold houses with burst pipes and no drinking water. Or maybe you wouldn't be surprised. It doesn't take much imagination.

Ann Richards was decades ago, and the R party today doesn't look anything like the R party of 30 years ago. Also, let's remember that she was a one-term governor, and if she had been alive during Trump's years they would've been at each other's throats. I wish she had been alive these past four years. It would've been a sight to behold to seem the two go at each other.

I was thinking about her too during this. Texas polices weren’t always so awful. What a dame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Solar panels on the space station and the mars lander seem to do fine. So do the wind turbines in Antartica.

I don't think it is the technology.

Yea, typical weather in Texas is just like Antartica, orbital space, and Mars.

Would it kill you to just admit that Texas cheaped out and hasn’t properly prepared for the extreme weather events that accompany climate change? They ignored previous recommendations to proactively fortify infrastructure.

It’s just going to get worse. Responses like your’s are like an ostrich with its head in the sand. This will happen again....and again.

And, next time. Texas should receive no Federal disaster funds. They have been warned several times and are now warned again. If Texas does not wish to prepare, then next time is on them not the rest of us.

Didn't Trump refuse federal assistance after protests in Minneapolis? You know, because their politicians didn't prevent the problems?

And for the wildfires in California, because they didn’t rake the forest?

A lot of CA forests are federally owned, btw. Just saying.

Yeah I know, like 75-80%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Man the right wing fossil fuel sphere got out there with their message fast.
Democrats and progressives are always playing catch up.
Always trying to unring a bell.

It’s almost like that was the state government’s priority instead of telling citizens how to stay safe.

This happened ten years ago, FERC wrote a report with a ton of recommendations, mostly “winterize your power distribution capability, FFS,” and Texas did nothing. You might recall this because Dallas in particular was a total icy mess the whole week before hosting the Super Bowl for the first time. Here’s the report; of course Texas was not required to follow the recommendations because its power grid is not regulated by the federal government. https://www.ferc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/08-16-11-report.pdf

My husband worked on that report. Last night he kept telling me that TX knew.

Of course they knew. They actively chose this scenario. They prefferred cheaper short term electricity over long term reliability amd resiliency.

So basically the GOP builds infrastructure like China builds buildings. Does anyone remember that school that collapsed in China that was practically built with paper clips in place of rebar and sawdust in the cement? This is that. An avoidable tragedy in support of the party’s ideals.

Your 1% event has happened 3 times in the last 30 years. How many billions is this costing in aid and productivity? At some point, it is worth investing in the infrastructure so as to not have to pay these additional emergency costs.
Prelim data suggests this was a 4 standard deviation event. Not many systems in the world built to withstand those types of events.

It happened ten years ago and the lack of winterization was specifically pointed to as the cause by both federal and state investigators. This was forseen and the problems known ahead of time.

And power outages happen all over blue states with heat waves that would be called overnight lows in the Texas summer. Going into the 90s in July of 2019 had DMV officials worried about blackouts while most Texans would be grateful for 90s temps in July and their systems would perform just fine at that demand/operating environment. California had rolling blackouts last year over what Texas could handle as a relatively average summer. Some of this is policy choices and some of it is that nobody builds systems to withstand these kind of events. Whether you’re in TX or CA.

That's just not entirely true. DMV summers are notoriously brutal, even by Texas standards. 90+ degree brutally humid summer days with a heat index over 100 are the norm not the exception around here. We pay extra for an electrical system that has guaranteed backup supply and whose components are weatherized. Texas chose not to and is paying the proverbial piper.

No. DMV summers are not brutal but Texas standards. Not even close. You’re losing track of scale here. Average July temp/heat index in DC is 89/100.8. Average in Dallas 95.2/113.5. And that’s just Dallas. Heat index in Houston, San Antonio and Austin are all worse in July. And the DMV power grid is not built to withstand sustained Texas temps from both a demand and operating perspective.

Ive been in both and I prefer the dry heat. The point is that our systems are built to handle everything from 100+ to -0 because you cant assume that wont happen. We pay to have backup supply in case of an emergency. We pay for weatherization. We dont do this because we want to. We do this because if something happens we dont want a grid failure. Texas on the other hand chooses not to prepare.

No. Systems aren’t built “for anything” that can happen. They are built for ranges that cover 99% of what could happen. When the 1% hits, systems fail. That’s true everywhere in the country. And right now Texas is having the 1% event.

I don’t have time to look for DMV’s ISO right now, but most other ISOs manage to around a one day in 10 year standard (industry standard). So when you get hit with a one day in 50 year event (especially on a multi day period) like Texas is experiencing right now you can expect system failure. You should not expect that your power system will operate under a comparable 4 standard deviation event that hits the DMV.

No one said.anything that can happen. 0-100 degree weather is not a 1% event in either the DMV or DFW. Had the temps been -20 or 120 you'd have a point. But they weren't. This event was manageable, forseeable, and predicted. The weather front was not even sudden. They knew it was coming and didn't prepare.

Texas is experiencing a 1% event FOR TEXAS.

Figure out what a 1% event is FOR DMV. That event is the appropriate comparison for what is happening in Texas right now. Odds are that DMV has similar grid experience in the case of a 1% event for DMV as Texas is having for a 1% event FOR TEXAS.

No Texas is not. It is a 1 in 10 year event for Texas. Look it up. There are references that planners, engineers and designers use.

Yes, Texas the state is in a once in 50 year event. Look it up. Parts of Texas have experienced this. Even for DFW this is like a once in 10 year event, but for the entire state to be this frozen is a once in 50 year event. Had this vortex only hit DFW, the grid probably holds fine. If only the Nat gas producers in the panhandle had been impacted, the grid holds fine. Those are things that have happened in memory. But for demand to surge across the entire state like this a once in 50 year event. Had this weather only hit DFW and Houston, the grid probably holds fine. But for San Antonio and areas south of I-10 to also get impacted at the SAME TIME as Houston and DFW is a historical storm.

NYT is saying this Texas storm goes beyond historical conditions.

NYPost says it is without precedent.

San Antonio papers say San Antonio hasn’t seen anything like this in 30+ years.

Local meteorologists are saying this is the worst storm going back to 1950.

The combined temps in DFW, Austin, Houston and San Antonio are record shattering. I get looking at DFW and saying something like this has happened before. Same for Houston, San Antonio or even Galveston. But nothing like this across the entire state at the same time has been seen in 50+ years.

I dont think your points are in conflict from everyone elses.

This has been so catostrophic because it's a combination of separate failures across the state. Many of those failures were caused by a combination of bad decisions. Had some of these failures not happened or been prepared for this likely would not have been as bad as it is.

So, while Galveston area generators might deserve a pass DFW ones don't. There is an excuse for some parts of Texas to not have winterized but not for others. On the broader scale there is still no excuse for the lack of always on backup capacity.

That’s the point! Nobody has a system with 100% backup. What you have is reserve margin which acts as what you’re calling backup. The storm knocked out the reserve margin. There isn’t a system in the US is built to withstand a 4 standard deviation event. Everybody wants to act like you can just plan to this event, but it doesn’t work that way anywhere in the country.

You’re wrong. Every place but Texas pays for reserve margin. Texas pays for power used only and actually disincentivizes carrying any reserve margin.

Seriously, where’s that conservative here who’s always preaching about the little red hen and the ant and the grasshopper?

[Anonymous]

Hey Republicans - Texas is a red state from the Governor down to the County Dog Catcher. What are you doing to help your people? Their homes are destroyed, they're out of clean water, power is still intermittent, and they're facing 1,000s in electricity bills.

Step up you cowards.