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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wind turbines froze, but so did everything else. Thermal plants actually, at least as of yesterday morning, accounted for more of the missing demand than wind. It's not a renewable issue but an overall infrastructure issue.

This is misleading. Many of the green energy folks in Texas are making this argument. First, as a percentage of available capacity, more renewable energy is offline than thermal. Second, investment in thermal infrastructure has basically dried up in the past 5-6 years as wind and now solar have commanded dollars. Thermal has its real problems, but renewable advocates need to be honest about what is happening here. Intermittent actually means intermittent.

Let's be honest then. The VAST majority of down power plants are fossil fuel ones. Wind isn't a substantial part of winter energy production in Texas. Wind turbines are used in freaking Antartica. The wind turbines in Texas were not weatherized. Texas doesnt keep backup power plants running which means they can't handle demand surges. Had Texas been connected to the national grid then they could have handled the demand surge.

The elecrical grid does need a variety of sources. Redundancies are important. Green power cannot be one hundred percent until battery storage technology is improved. That's all true but has absolutely nothing to do with this manmade catastrophe.

Thermal infrastructure has been underinvested in in Texas for the better part of the past decade while renewable has soaked up dollars. Coal capacity (second best performing in this type of weather behind nuke) has been cut in half. Natural gas power gen has seen minimal investments. Meanwhile, the state’s population has exploded over the past twenty years. Hint, less thermal capacity expected to serve more people is not going to be a recipe for success.

There is no national grid. Please come back when you understand that. We have regional grids and interconnection isn’t as simple as running an extension cord across the Red River. And, not for nothing, the neighboring regional power coordinator is also going through rolling black outs.

I’m not arguing against renewables as part of a generation portfolio. I am arguing for honesty that this isn’t as simple as wishing a green transition occurs and you’re done. There is a reason why power authorities in Massachusetts are arguing that people will need to get used to living without home heating....

The future requires a mix of energy solutions. The “transition” will take decades.
But it’s ridiculous to blame the current catastrophe in Texas on green energy. Nuclear power plants were shut down due to freezing cooling pipes.
The fact of the matter is that (1) the energy infrastructure is not weatherized to handle more extreme weather events (which will become more frequent) and (2) the Texan energy network is not plugged in to nearby regional networks from where they could pull excess energy.

These conditions are the natural result of under-investment and a hesitancy to address climate change.

Texans should get ready for a tax hike. It’s going to be expensive to make your state more resilient to climate change. Alternatively, you can just die during weather events.

Death or taxes - they’re always waiting for you.

Germany tried to go full green. They decommissioned nuke plants. Their manufacturing sector suffered and they’re now burning more coal than ever.

We’ve seen problems in California and Texas and we’re seeing secondary problems in places like MA and NY. But sure, at least partially assigning blame to renewables is unreasonable.

The SPP is currently experiencing rolling blackouts. What excess power would an interconnected Texas be pulling right now?

From the rest of the freaking North America grid.

SPP—the neighboring operator that borders Texas on all sides and is interconnected into the eastern grid—is also experiencing rolling blackouts. If there were simply an interconnect issue then SPP wouldn’t have blackouts right now.

El Paso is connected to the western grid and has hardly any power outages at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Wholesale-power-prices-spiking-across-Texas-15951684.php

Again, this doesn’t tell the full story. 80% of Texas renewable capacity is offline right now and about 20% of thermal capacity is offline.

20% of thermal is A LOT bigger than 80% of renewable.

Come on, you're spinning the stats. Nuclear, coal, and natural gas generating plants are all down due to inability to withstand the cold temps. They are not properly winterized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Wholesale-power-prices-spiking-across-Texas-15951684.php

Again, this doesn’t tell the full story. 80% of Texas renewable capacity is offline right now and about 20% of thermal capacity is offline.

How mcuh of that renewable capacity is normally online in winter? Hint: it's not 100%

Lot closer to 100% than you think. Average high/low in Dallas on 2/14 is 65/40. 55/32 in Amarillo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wind turbines froze, but so did everything else. Thermal plants actually, at least as of yesterday morning, accounted for more of the missing demand than wind. It's not a renewable issue but an overall infrastructure issue.

This is misleading. Many of the green energy folks in Texas are making this argument. First, as a percentage of available capacity, more renewable energy is offline than thermal. Second, investment in thermal infrastructure has basically dried up in the past 5-6 years as wind and now solar have commanded dollars. Thermal has its real problems, but renewable advocates need to be honest about what is happening here. Intermittent actually means intermittent.

Let's be honest then. The VAST majority of down power plants are fossil fuel ones. Wind isn't a substantial part of winter energy production in Texas. Wind turbines are used in freaking Antartica. The wind turbines in Texas were not weatherized. Texas doesnt keep backup power plants running which means they can't handle demand surges. Had Texas been connected to the national grid then they could have handled the demand surge.

The elecrical grid does need a variety of sources. Redundancies are important. Green power cannot be one hundred percent until battery storage technology is improved. That's all true but has absolutely nothing to do with this manmade catastrophe.

Thermal infrastructure has been underinvested in in Texas for the better part of the past decade while renewable has soaked up dollars. Coal capacity (second best performing in this type of weather behind nuke) has been cut in half. Natural gas power gen has seen minimal investments. Meanwhile, the state’s population has exploded over the past twenty years. Hint, less thermal capacity expected to serve more people is not going to be a recipe for success.

There is no national grid. Please come back when you understand that. We have regional grids and interconnection isn’t as simple as running an extension cord across the Red River. And, not for nothing, the neighboring regional power coordinator is also going through rolling black outs.

I’m not arguing against renewables as part of a generation portfolio. I am arguing for honesty that this isn’t as simple as wishing a green transition occurs and you’re done. There is a reason why power authorities in Massachusetts are arguing that people will need to get used to living without home heating....

The future requires a mix of energy solutions. The “transition” will take decades.
But it’s ridiculous to blame the current catastrophe in Texas on green energy. Nuclear power plants were shut down due to freezing cooling pipes.
The fact of the matter is that (1) the energy infrastructure is not weatherized to handle more extreme weather events (which will become more frequent) and (2) the Texan energy network is not plugged in to nearby regional networks from where they could pull excess energy.

These conditions are the natural result of under-investment and a hesitancy to address climate change.

Texans should get ready for a tax hike. It’s going to be expensive to make your state more resilient to climate change. Alternatively, you can just die during weather events.

Death or taxes - they’re always waiting for you.

Germany tried to go full green. They decommissioned nuke plants. Their manufacturing sector suffered and they’re now burning more coal than ever.

We’ve seen problems in California and Texas and we’re seeing secondary problems in places like MA and NY. But sure, at least partially assigning blame to renewables is unreasonable.

The SPP is currently experiencing rolling blackouts. What excess power would an interconnected Texas be pulling right now?

From the rest of the freaking North America grid.

SPP—the neighboring operator that borders Texas on all sides and is interconnected into the eastern grid—is also experiencing rolling blackouts. If there were simply an interconnect issue then SPP wouldn’t have blackouts right now.

El Paso is connected to the western grid and has hardly any power outages at all.

El Paso is closer to San Diego than to Houston. It gets to be on the western interconnect for a reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what to think. My husband works 25 miles away so he packed up a weeks worth of food and clothes. Please do not make a joke of this. The GOP idiots have not kept up our infrastructure. We can handle 100 degrees but not zero. This is scary. I’m worried about power and I have four greyhounds here.

There are wind turbines throughout the midwest in Iowa and Indiana, Ohio..... and those don't freeze. Why did the ones in Texas freeze?

I am curious as to why you did not mention the coal and gas fired plants that also froze?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Wholesale-power-prices-spiking-across-Texas-15951684.php

Again, this doesn’t tell the full story. 80% of Texas renewable capacity is offline right now and about 20% of thermal capacity is offline.

20% of thermal is A LOT bigger than 80% of renewable.

Come on, you're spinning the stats. Nuclear, coal, and natural gas generating plants are all down due to inability to withstand the cold temps. They are not properly winterized.

In absolute terms, yes. But the this isn’t apples to apples comparison for reasons detailed above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

STOP POINTING FINGERS. ALL AMERICANS ARE TO BLAME FOR NOT ACKNOWLEDGING CLIMATE CHANGE SOONER, UNLIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD.

California, long Democrat-led, has suffered terribly from climate-change-related weather extremes. What's happening in Texas is another weather extreme that will become more frequent with our changing climate triggered by man.

It's not a Dem vs. Rep thing, even though Republicans are more likely to deny climate change than Democrats.

It's that we need a comprehensive, federal, effort to reduce pollution and strengthen our infrastructure so we can all withstand FLOODS, TORNADOES, HIGH WINDS, HIGH HEAT, and BITTER COLD.

Until January, who controlled the Senate and Executive branch?
Who let all of the climate bills die on their desk?
Who let all of the infrastructure bills die on their desk?

This isn't a "both sides" issue.

+1
And I WILL keep pointing fingers because this is just chickens coming home to roost! How many more weather related bailouts will Texas need? Everyone remembers California’s wildfires, but here’s what: California keeps trying to address global warming. It’s the knuckle dragging GOP in places like Texas who keep holding up addressing climate change as a country and who keep mocking places like California for trying! There is not both sides; there is the GOP shackling us to their stupidity and surprise, surprise here with their hands out again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wind turbines froze, but so did everything else. Thermal plants actually, at least as of yesterday morning, accounted for more of the missing demand than wind. It's not a renewable issue but an overall infrastructure issue.

This is misleading. Many of the green energy folks in Texas are making this argument. First, as a percentage of available capacity, more renewable energy is offline than thermal. Second, investment in thermal infrastructure has basically dried up in the past 5-6 years as wind and now solar have commanded dollars. Thermal has its real problems, but renewable advocates need to be honest about what is happening here. Intermittent actually means intermittent.

Let's be honest then. The VAST majority of down power plants are fossil fuel ones. Wind isn't a substantial part of winter energy production in Texas. Wind turbines are used in freaking Antartica. The wind turbines in Texas were not weatherized. Texas doesnt keep backup power plants running which means they can't handle demand surges. Had Texas been connected to the national grid then they could have handled the demand surge.

The elecrical grid does need a variety of sources. Redundancies are important. Green power cannot be one hundred percent until battery storage technology is improved. That's all true but has absolutely nothing to do with this manmade catastrophe.

Thermal infrastructure has been underinvested in in Texas for the better part of the past decade while renewable has soaked up dollars. Coal capacity (second best performing in this type of weather behind nuke) has been cut in half. Natural gas power gen has seen minimal investments. Meanwhile, the state’s population has exploded over the past twenty years. Hint, less thermal capacity expected to serve more people is not going to be a recipe for success.

There is no national grid. Please come back when you understand that. We have regional grids and interconnection isn’t as simple as running an extension cord across the Red River. And, not for nothing, the neighboring regional power coordinator is also going through rolling black outs.

I’m not arguing against renewables as part of a generation portfolio. I am arguing for honesty that this isn’t as simple as wishing a green transition occurs and you’re done. There is a reason why power authorities in Massachusetts are arguing that people will need to get used to living without home heating....

The future requires a mix of energy solutions. The “transition” will take decades.
But it’s ridiculous to blame the current catastrophe in Texas on green energy. Nuclear power plants were shut down due to freezing cooling pipes.
The fact of the matter is that (1) the energy infrastructure is not weatherized to handle more extreme weather events (which will become more frequent) and (2) the Texan energy network is not plugged in to nearby regional networks from where they could pull excess energy.

These conditions are the natural result of under-investment and a hesitancy to address climate change.

Texans should get ready for a tax hike. It’s going to be expensive to make your state more resilient to climate change. Alternatively, you can just die during weather events.

Death or taxes - they’re always waiting for you.

Germany tried to go full green. They decommissioned nuke plants. Their manufacturing sector suffered and they’re now burning more coal than ever.

We’ve seen problems in California and Texas and we’re seeing secondary problems in places like MA and NY. But sure, at least partially assigning blame to renewables is unreasonable.

The SPP is currently experiencing rolling blackouts. What excess power would an interconnected Texas be pulling right now?

From the rest of the freaking North America grid.

SPP—the neighboring operator that borders Texas on all sides and is interconnected into the eastern grid—is also experiencing rolling blackouts. If there were simply an interconnect issue then SPP wouldn’t have blackouts right now.

El Paso is connected to the western grid and has hardly any power outages at all.

El Paso is closer to San Diego than to Houston. It gets to be on the western interconnect for a reason.

El Paso winterized all their equipment to operate in -10 degrees. They proactively spent a lot of money over the past decade to make their system more resilient. That seems to be a bigger factor. That said, being part of a wider grid system is also helpful in building resiliency. The rest of Texas needs to start spending money on infrastructure improvements.

https://kvia.com/news/el-paso/2021/02/15/el-pasos-not-seeing-power-outages-like-the-rest-of-texas-and-heres-why/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

STOP POINTING FINGERS. ALL AMERICANS ARE TO BLAME FOR NOT ACKNOWLEDGING CLIMATE CHANGE SOONER, UNLIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD.

California, long Democrat-led, has suffered terribly from climate-change-related weather extremes. What's happening in Texas is another weather extreme that will become more frequent with our changing climate triggered by man.

It's not a Dem vs. Rep thing, even though Republicans are more likely to deny climate change than Democrats.

It's that we need a comprehensive, federal, effort to reduce pollution and strengthen our infrastructure so we can all withstand FLOODS, TORNADOES, HIGH WINDS, HIGH HEAT, and BITTER COLD.

Until January, who controlled the Senate and Executive branch?
Who let all of the climate bills die on their desk?
Who let all of the infrastructure bills die on their desk?

This isn't a "both sides" issue.

+1
And I WILL keep pointing fingers because this is just chickens coming home to roost! How many more weather related bailouts will Texas need? Everyone remembers California’s wildfires, but here’s what: California keeps trying to address global warming. It’s the knuckle dragging GOP in places like Texas who keep holding up addressing climate change as a country and who keep mocking places like California for trying! There is not both sides; there is the GOP shackling us to their stupidity and surprise, surprise here with their hands out again.

Me again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what to think. My husband works 25 miles away so he packed up a weeks worth of food and clothes. Please do not make a joke of this. The GOP idiots have not kept up our infrastructure. We can handle 100 degrees but not zero. This is scary. I’m worried about power and I have four greyhounds here.

There are wind turbines throughout the midwest in Iowa and Indiana, Ohio..... and those don't freeze. Why did the ones in Texas freeze?

I am curious as to why you did not mention the coal and gas fired plants that also froze?

I haven’t checked the data but someone I trust told me this weather system is a 3.9 sigma event for Texas. I’d be surprised is windmills in the north are resilient to an equine Lang event, but perhaps they are.

[Anonymous]

Even ERCOT says frozen windmills is a small blip in terms of impact compared to frozen coal, gas, nuclear power outages

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-16/frozen-wind-farms-were-just-a-small-piece-of-texas-s-power-woes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

STOP POINTING FINGERS. ALL AMERICANS ARE TO BLAME FOR NOT ACKNOWLEDGING CLIMATE CHANGE SOONER, UNLIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD.

California, long Democrat-led, has suffered terribly from climate-change-related weather extremes. What's happening in Texas is another weather extreme that will become more frequent with our changing climate triggered by man.

It's not a Dem vs. Rep thing, even though Republicans are more likely to deny climate change than Democrats.

It's that we need a comprehensive, federal, effort to reduce pollution and strengthen our infrastructure so we can all withstand FLOODS, TORNADOES, HIGH WINDS, HIGH HEAT, and BITTER COLD.

Until January, who controlled the Senate and Executive branch?
Who let all of the climate bills die on their desk?
Who let all of the infrastructure bills die on their desk?

This isn't a "both sides" issue.

+1
And I WILL keep pointing fingers because this is just chickens coming home to roost! How many more weather related bailouts will Texas need? Everyone remembers California’s wildfires, but here’s what: California keeps trying to address global warming. It’s the knuckle dragging GOP in places like Texas who keep holding up addressing climate change as a country and who keep mocking places like California for trying! There is not both sides; there is the GOP shackling us to their stupidity and surprise, surprise here with their hands out again.

Texas already leads the country in wind capacity and will probably lead in solar by the end of the decade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what to think. My husband works 25 miles away so he packed up a weeks worth of food and clothes. Please do not make a joke of this. The GOP idiots have not kept up our infrastructure. We can handle 100 degrees but not zero. This is scary. I’m worried about power and I have four greyhounds here.

There are wind turbines throughout the midwest in Iowa and Indiana, Ohio..... and those don't freeze. Why did the ones in Texas freeze?

I am curious as to why you did not mention the coal and gas fired plants that also froze?

I haven’t checked the data but someone I trust told me this weather system is a 3.9 sigma event for Texas. I’d be surprised is windmills in the north are resilient to an equine Lang event, but perhaps they are.

narrator: they are

Somehow, turbines in the upper midwest and on ridges in PA and MD that routinely experience sub-zero temperatures, don't have these issues. Science and all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Wholesale-power-prices-spiking-across-Texas-15951684.php

Again, this doesn’t tell the full story. 80% of Texas renewable capacity is offline right now and about 20% of thermal capacity is offline.

How mcuh of that renewable capacity is normally online in winter? Hint: it's not 100%

Lot closer to 100% than you think. Average high/low in Dallas on 2/14 is 65/40. 55/32 in Amarillo.

It's not about temperature, it's about the seasonal prevalence of wind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even ERCOT says frozen windmills is a small blip in terms of impact compared to frozen coal, gas, nuclear power outages

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-16/frozen-wind-farms-were-just-a-small-piece-of-texas-s-power-woes

Summer wind in Texas are more predictable and hence most wind power generation occurs during the summer. It’s just more Fox News spin. They are also attacking electrical cars like Tesla. Funny how quick Texas turns on businesses. The state is inherently unfriendly to businesses.