Blackouts a Texas-sized embarrassment

seguingazette.com ^ | February 4, 2011 | seguingazette.com

[dragnet2]

Forget all the concern about al Qaeda terrorists using explosions to take out our power grid or foreign hackers disabling it from afar - in Texas a cold front can apparently do the job.

As the lights flickered and went dark across Texas on Wednesday in response to a state-mandated rolling blackout plan, Lt. Governor David Dewhurst was clearly irritated.

He wasn't the only one.

"This should not happen," Dewhurst told reporters on Wednesday.

Dewhurst said that cold weather knocked 50 of the 550 power plants in Texas offline. That, coupled with increased demand, turned out the lights.

"Lack of adequate winterization and preparation appear to be a major cause of the outages," Dewhurst said.

The plant managers and the parent companies might want to make a note in their day planners for next year - "WINTER CAN BE COLD!"

The fact that we weren't properly prepared for it - and because of that computers and equipment all over the state came to a screeching halt - is simply inexcusable.

[freekitty]

I had 4 blackouts lasting 45 minutes to 1 hour in a 3 hour time. My brother had a 2 day blackout. The transformers around here are antiquated; yet no one will spend the money to do anything.

[freekitty]

I did and I have an oxygen machine and the power was cut in Dallas to some of the hospitals.

[freekitty]

Does that generator cost about 10,000? That’s what the electric company quoted me.

[steve86]

Appears to be a nice backup system but I'm a little skeptical on the duration claim. If he has 24 12V deep cycle batteries let's say the system stores a total of 2,600 amp hours. Estimate 25% will be lost to inefficiencies as wasted heat. This leaves under 2,000 amp hours. A modern refrigerator is estimated to take around 160 amp hours a 24 hour day out of the 12V battery bank (this is based 20 amp draw and a 1/3 duty cycle, which would be higher in the summer if the house is uncooled and hot inside). So the refrigerator alone should run around 12 days. But it won't run that long because the Trace inverter will shut down before all that power is delivered and it won't be able to start the compressor. I think your friend is relying more on idealized calculations than on actual measured current drain and system performance. I have had a smaller backup system for the last 10+ years and have found actual performance much lower than the idealized calculations, even after going to improved traction batteries and a better inverter.

Our Kohler whole house generator is plumbed to commercial natural gas line

Not sure how comfortable I would be with that arrangement given the events of the last few days in Texas and NM. A filled propane tank would give a much greater sense of security and autonomy from utilities and the government.

[deport]

ERCOT numbers show about 75,000 MW of generation availiable.
http://www.ercot.com/content/news/presentations/2010/ERCOT-2010-Capacity-Demand-and-Reserves-Report-Winter-Update.pdf

[meyer]

See post 80.

[primeval patriot]

Any tips/links on long term fuel storage?

Diesel and gasoline degrades over time.

Compressed fuels, no idea on how long they last.

[Uri’el-2012]

You folks aren’t prepared to survive in those temperatures.

How are you heating your home?

Electric heaters
Wood fireplaces
sweaters
and electric blankets

OBTW no gas stove and no hot water
since Thursday

[steve86]

I have had a smaller backup system for the last 10+ years and have found actual performance much lower than the idealized calculations

But it sure as heck is better than nothing!

[pallis]

That little power outage turned off the natural gas in New Mexico. Schools have been out, restaurants and businesses closed, and a huge chunk of the population has been left without heat in sub-freezing temperatures. ...I seem to recall that some of the stimulus money was to go to building up the infrastructure. Maybe some of it can go to pay all the people who will have to go to every home and business that lost gas, and certify them to have it turned back on. ...The sad part is that many of these people have been brainwashed with global warming nonsense, and carbon fuels are bad crap, and they will accept this kind of third world idiocy as a necessary transition to green energy. Call it what it is, a sign that our once great nation is collapsing because of liberal and globalist agendas.

[deport]

A little info on ERCOT

Showing the ERCOT boundaries [in blue] where the rolling blackouts occurred except for El Paso Electic which isn't a part of ERCOT.

ERCOT in relation to the rest of the US as far as electric grids are concerned. Texas chose to remain instate with their grid with no major ties to the other US grids to keep the FERC out of control.

[Fantomw]

Actually, many people whith medical notices to the electric companies had their electricity cut. This was nothing put pure greed and lack of planning. They didn’t want to bring up those power plants because of the cost involved. They gambled it wouldn’t be that bad and it was. Heads should roll,but they won’t. Screw Ercot................................... . Or maybe Ercot should spin up those extra generators, keep 'em on standby for every cold front/storm. Of course they then should be able to recoup costs on your next bill... Right? You ok with that?

[meyer]

Call it what it is, a sign that our once great nation is collapsing because of liberal and globalist agendas.

Probably the best lesson of all to be garnered from this event.

[steve86]

With gasoline purchase no-ethanol fuel to begin with.

Treat with Stabil and store in metal containers protected from light (of course). Re-treat every year or two. Other than a slightly increased amount of pinging I have been unable to detect a performance difference in three-year old gasoline. The fuel does get more yellowish over time but there should be no blackish accumulations if treated properly.

Diesel I use Pri-D to treat but may not be really necessary. I have run eight-year old diesel as a test and it was fine. You have to keep an eye on bacterial growth. Supposedly it will become more acidic but you will have to decide if that is important in an emergency.

[Jedidah]

I know. Did you see the Liberty Valance’s pictures of his lovely orange grove?

I hope the damage there was not too severe.

[lewislynn]

Does anyone know what it's called when someone has an obsession with a state in which they don't live?

Welcome to California life.

[steve86]

And propane in a tank will last about forever, or until the valve corrodes.

[Squantos]

Kitty ours is a 14kw whole house generator. Ran around 6 grand installed but they run around 3500 to 4000 now.

http://www.kohlerpower.com/residential/solutions/sizingcalculator.htm?sectionNumber=13561&nodeNumber=1&contentNumber=103#advanced_result_calc_outer_12

Steve those are my neighbors numbers, not mine, I haven’t installed such as of yet...albeit they do not run all appliances etc shy of freezer and fridge and maybe TV. His wood stove heats during the battery bank use I am told.

As to connecting the “fixed” whole house genset to commercial natural gas it was viable choice as 99% of power outages are not due to violent storms that would uproot trees that could damage gas lines. We have a propane powered honda 7kw portable and a diesel coleman portable that we can rob fuel from the trucks bed tanks if commerical source of NG is not available. Fuel storage considerations was key so NG for fixed and LP & Diesel for portables was choice at the end of the day .

[lewislynn]

“I heard that Texas has not allowed electric stations to be built for about 15 years. They don’t have the capacity for an extra load like this.”

Yep, we’re doing our part to SAVE THE WORLD!!!

How's that "deregulation" working out for you?

[bgill]

Maybe things are different in Dallas. Around Austin and Central Texas, they said they weren’t doing that. Friends along those circuits confirmed they didn’t have blackouts. Had to take a neighbor to Seton for a short day surgery proceedure and they said they hadn’t had any and were told they weren’t going to have any.

There was a teacher complaining on the local news that her kindergarten students were without electricity 50 minutes out of every hour so they couldn’t get to the restrooms because the toilets weren’t working. They should have all gone home.