,/A>Posted on 06/02/2022 5:53:11 PM PDT by blam
Following an early-season heat wave searing parts of Texas in May, scorching hot weather returns with a vengeance early next week, resulting in power demand forecasts that are at levels not seen in a few years as households and businesses are expected to crank up their air conditioners.
Houston-based energy firm Criterion Research reports Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Texas’ main grid operator, could see daily average power demand soar to 2019/20 highs on Monday as maximum temperatures across the state are likely to be in the low triple digits.
ERCOT’s seven-day power load forecast for next week is extremely high for this early summer, with the ISO forecasting demand near 59.5 gigawatts on Monday. If that outlook materializes, it would be on par with the 2019/2020 highs in late July/August of those years. – Criterion Research
On the bright side, wind generation within Texas will be helping out during the peak of the heat, with ERCOT expecting wind output to reach 15 gigawatts on Monday and then 18-19 gigawatts after that. However, even that range for wind is below the highs of >20 gigawatts that we sometimes see for installed wind capacity. – Criterion Research
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Regional fossil fuel generation will remain above 30 gigawatts through the current 7-day outlook, but the weak renewables showing for today (<10 gigawatts) should equate to very high fossil fuel use to close out this week. So it seems that the grid should have some spare fossil fuel capacity to leverage during the peak demand period. – Criterion Research
In terms of hourly/peak rate, Bloomberg says power usage on Monday could climb as high as 75 gigawatts, a record-high.
Weather models show maximum high temperatures across the state will rise above 90 degrees Fahrenheit this weekend and then touch at least 100s degrees Fahrenheit between Monday and Tuesday. Maximum temps will decline to the high 80s by June 11 and make another run for triple digits by the 20th.
Texans should be prepared for grid strain and soaring power prices. Power grids in the westernmost states warned last month that power-generating capacity might struggle to keep up with demand amid threats of heat waves this summer, resulting in possible rolling blackouts.
It was idiotic to start shutting down fossil fuel power generating plants before nuclear was in full operation.
Many will suffer and some will die.
Don’t worry - libtards have promised to blow into the wind and help the little windmills save Texas 🤪
Texas has already drunk the green koolaid though. This is primarily the reason why I refuse to move there.
Renewables will never be able to replace the base load requirement. Buy an electric car and increase the dependence further. What a plan.
The peak estimate on the chat for next week is lower than the 3 peaks in May. It doesn’t match the text of the artucle.
How is it that Texas allowed itself to be rendered Vulnerable to this insanity? A situation usually associated with Third World countries?
Simple: Complacency. The people weren’t paying any attention at all while Leftists and Stupid RINO Politicians who the Low Information Voters put in charge on election day and then promptly went back to sleep afterward until the next election cycle who voted for the Idiots and Subversives that promoted WOKE Energy Policy.
If this stupidity can happen in TEXAS it can and will happen to you and your state.
Ercot = Enron.
Before Ercot, there were no power outages in Texas unless a line was down for some reason. After ERCOT, energy rich Texas is always sucking hind teat.
The illegals are why the grid is strained.
We barely have a nuclear industry any more, having sold it to the Japanese and Chinese. It's a strategic bet. Wind and solar will kill nuclear.
But that won’t get clicks like scary stuff does.
Longer term the electricity shortfall will be very real unless we start adding power generation and lots of it.
A previous generation would already have embarked on a national program to build power plants, nuclear making the most sense in the era of the global warming religion.
I support removing governors where outages occur.
“How is it that Texas allowed itself to be rendered Vulnerable to this insanity? A situation usually associated with Third World countries?”
The Department of Energy. Federal supremacy. States don’t have the last say in their own energy policy.
How they going to put 4 million energy sucking EVs in Texas when it already has big energy issues?
Shoulda built a few nuke plants.
Yup. Sheeple will never realize it until the lights go out.
How is it Texas gave us 3 of some of the worst presidents in U.S. history? 2 Bush's and 1 LBJ!
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