Why Does Texas Have Its Own Power Grid? (Page 3/17)
blackrams FEB 17, 10:57 AM
So, may I assume the seven Ps are applicable in this situation?
Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance
I sincerely do hope things warm up soon for my Texas friends.

Rams
rinselberg FEB 17, 11:48 AM
Dan Woodfin, a senior director for ERCOT, had this to say:

quote
Don’t point too many fingers at Texas wind turbines, because they’re not the main reason broad swaths of the state have been plunged into darkness.

While ice has forced some turbines to shut down just as a brutal cold wave drives record electricity demand, that’s been the least significant factor in the blackouts, according to Dan Woodfin, a senior director for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state’s power grid.

The main factors: Frozen instruments at natural gas, coal and even nuclear facilities, as well as limited supplies of natural gas, he said. “Natural gas pressure” in particular is one reason power is coming back slower than expected Tuesday, added Woodfin.


"Frozen Wind Farms Are Just a Small Piece of Texas’s Power Woes"
Will Wade, Naureen S Malik and Brian Eckhouse for Bloomberg Green; updated February 16, 2021.
https://www.bloomberg.com/n...ower-woes?srnd=green

ALTERNATIVE ONLINE ACCESS (same brief report)
"Don't Blame Wind Turbines for Texas' Massive Power Outages"
https://time.com/5939749/te...utage-wind-turbines/
maryjane FEB 17, 12:02 PM
Bloomberg and Time are unbiased sources and I'm sure they consulted any number of independent sources before choosing which ones to go with.
rinselberg FEB 17, 12:07 PM
Who is truly unbiased?

I thought maybe you and Dan (Woodfin) of ERCOT went way back.



Arguments aside, I am glad that you surfaced here and that you are getting by.
maryjane FEB 17, 12:09 PM
Why ERCOT?

https://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/tag/ercot/
maryjane FEB 17, 12:26 PM

quote
Originally posted by rinselberg:

Who is truly unbiased?

I thought maybe you and Dan (Woodfin) of ERCOT went way back.



Arguments aside, I am glad that you surfaced here and that you are getting by.



Woodfin is and always was a big proponent of wind and solar power so he is going to characterize & minimize those alternative source failures as being 'negligible'.
He's covering his own ass.
sourmash FEB 17, 12:33 PM
The things you bring here from your sources, like Lawrence, transcends bias. It's statist propaganda bilge.

Go have a watch of Full Metal Jacket to see what Mr Drill Sergeant thinks of people named "Lawrence".
82-T/A [At Work] FEB 17, 12:50 PM

quote
Originally posted by rinselberg:

"Frozen Wind Farms Are Just a Small Piece of Texas’s Power Woes"





I like the wind farms... huge supporter of them. But lying and misrepresenting the failure here helps no one. I'm not saying you're lying, but I think a lot of greenies are covering their asses and you're just repeating what they're telling you.

Wind farms make up +18% of Texas's total power production. Nearly all of the turbines have completely frozen over, making them completely unusable. They don't all run at the same time either, which means they typically are there to help load balance... turn more on, and you can produce up to 23% of the total power on the grid from wind turbines. Unfortunately, they're all pretty much useless right now.

As a result, the grid automatically has ~18% less power going to it.

While that's going on, you have ever home out there running their heaters on (heat pumps and/or emergency heat) 24/7 to maintain some kind of livable temperature in the home. Which means there is a significantly larger draw on the grid than there otherwise would be (I haven't seen any consistent numbers, but it's showing at least a 30% increase in power consumption across the board). With 18% less power, and a 30% increased demand... you have problems.

Again, I like wind power. It was designed to provide more power for hotter days, and even be able to load balance and provide significantly more power when the demand is there. It was not designed for freezing weather, which is extremely rare here... just is what it is... a freak snowstorm in South Texas.


We shouldn't allow our desire to "protect" ideologies to get in the way of things we actually 100% know to be facts.

Wind power will be here to stay, and it's been spectacular for Texas, the environment, and new skilled jobs. But let's not say it doesn't come with its own challenges once in a blue moon.
blackrams FEB 17, 01:11 PM
Just saw on the local news that Mississippi consumers are being asked to restrict or reduce there electrical usage due to "other" state's needs.

Ya know, when I moved south to Southern Mississippi, we immediately started a renovation and addition to our new (to us) home. It was all electric but, I changed out our water heater, cook top range and changed the fireplace to a LPG power gas ventless version. I also had the house wired for my PTO generator as a back up and had the entire structure spray foam insulated (minus the garage). All of my neighbors thought I was nuts. Some actually laughed out loud.

They don't think so now. My home is now larger than all of the surrounding homes and when we compare utilities bills, mine has always been smaller by a significant margin. Adding the gas and the foam insulation is what made the difference. Guess who is quietly smiling to himself now.

Rams

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 02-17-2021).]

OldsFiero FEB 17, 07:37 PM

quote
Originally posted by blackrams:

Just saw on the local news that Mississippi consumers are being asked to restrict or reduce there electrical usage due to "other" state's needs.

Ya know, when I moved south to Southern Mississippi, we immediately started a renovation and addition to our new (to us) home. It was all electric but, I changed out our water heater, cook top range and changed the fireplace to a LPG power gas ventless version. I also had the house wired for my PTO generator as a back up and had the entire structure spray foam insulated (minus the garage). All of my neighbors thought I was nuts. Some actually laughed out loud.

They don't think so now. My home is now larger than all of the surrounding homes and when we compare utilities bills, mine has always been smaller by a significant margin. Adding the gas and the foam insulation is what made the difference. Guess who is quietly smiling to himself now.

Rams




THAT is beautiful. I love it! I think a back up generator is a worthwhile investment too. The power goes out where I live 3-4 times a year. Sometimes for 2-3 days. Not a lot, but when you consider spoiled food and such, I think it pays.
I really hope it warms up for you all. It's one thing when it's the norm where you live. It's totally another when it's not. And often life threatening.

Marc