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NBC Fact check: Renewable energy is not to blame for the Texas energy crisis
NBC News / Comcast ^ | February 17, 2021 | By Kevin Collier

Posted on 02/18/2021 3:32:47 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Almost immediately after winter storms and extreme cold temperatures first swept through Texas last Thursday and left millions of residents without power, prominent conservative politicians and media personalities began to blame renewable energy.

And while frozen wind turbines have contributed to the state's energy crisis, that type of energy has only slightly underperformed against published expectations for winter output. Natural gas, the state's dominant energy source, has provided drastically less energy than expected, according to experts and industry data.

"Wind was operating almost as well as expected," said Sam Newell, head of the electricity group at the Brattle Group, an energy consulting company that has advised Texas on its power grid.

"It's an order of magnitude smaller" than problems with natural gas, coal and nuclear energy, he said.

Efforts to pin the ongoing crisis on renewable energy gained steam in recent days. Fox News host Tucker Carlson devoted an entire segment to the claim Monday night, which didn't mention gas failures but did blame Texas' expansion into wind energy for deaths in the state.

The politicization of the Texas crisis underscores the ongoing battle between Republicans and Democrats over how to address climate change, as well as previous battles over the energy industry.

Now, Texas is under the microscope, with experts pointing to the state's deregulated energy grid (and its lack of cold weather preparation) as the culprits.

Data from Texas makes clear that renewable energy failures have played only a small part in the crisis.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: solar; texas; wind; winter
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1 posted on 02/18/2021 3:32:47 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Wind was operating almost as well as expected,

You expected the wind turbines to freeze?

What was it...some 80% off line?

That was your expectation?

Where do I sign up for some of that insanity? /s


2 posted on 02/18/2021 3:39:40 AM PST by Adder ("Can you be more stupid?" is a question, not a challenge.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

ChiComast has spoken!


3 posted on 02/18/2021 3:40:35 AM PST by mewzilla (Break out the mustard seeds. )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The current Texas weather (my relatives are in the thick middle of it) is a couple standard deviations off normal. Kinda unaffordable to “plan” for this.

But hey, last summer I finally convinced them to store 30 days of everything on the farm.

Guess who is barely inconveniences by all this?

N.b. BIL did have to take the tractor and wagon to the feed store for more goat feed. Grand kids loves the rides ;-)


4 posted on 02/18/2021 3:40:43 AM PST by Blueflag
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

23 percent of Texas grid is “wind power.”

Over 85 percent of that “wind power” failed.

The remaining portion of Texas grid power, does not have sufficent winterization.

No figure yet, for how much of that remaining portion failed.

Yet, in terms of efficiency in reliabilty, the “wind power” flopped.

And, in terms of efficiency in reliabilty, the “power executives” failed to provide for cold temperature operations - particularly in regard to natural gas sources.


5 posted on 02/18/2021 3:41:10 AM PST by linMcHlp
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Nothing like bankrupt media trying to deny the obvious. Just what kind of idiots do they take us for? I suppose the tactic is repeating the big lie often enough will make it so.


6 posted on 02/18/2021 3:42:06 AM PST by iontheball
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To: Adder

Yeah I saw that too. “Met ecpectations.”

Net: you still need ample grid capacity for when you suffer an “expected” 90% loss of green power.


7 posted on 02/18/2021 3:43:02 AM PST by Blueflag
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"The science is telling us we're going to have more variability in our weather," he said. "In Texas, when we think of more variability in our weather, we usually think of hotter, drier summers, but it goes the other way, as well."

So, no matter what happens, the "experts" were right, and the additional government regulation, higher taxes, and push toward de-industrialization was the correct course of action, but we just didn't push it far enough? Is that the idea?

8 posted on 02/18/2021 3:43:13 AM PST by ClearCase_guy ("I see you did something -- why you so racist?")
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To: Blueflag

I can’t recall which FReeper posted it, but I think he/she stated that there was a 2012 report calling for the winterization of the NatGas facilities.
It was not followed obviously.


9 posted on 02/18/2021 3:43:49 AM PST by EEGator
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

They keep mentioning the fossil fuel failures as the culprits...but never explain what part of them failed. If they mean they didn’t or couldn’t keep up with demand, well...you put over 25% on wind/solar energy! Which some 80% went offline. That’s not a failure of coal, gas, or nuclear. In fact the reporting is an obfuscation of the truth to fit your narrative.


10 posted on 02/18/2021 3:44:17 AM PST by EBH (Deer in the headlights get killed)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
the cause was the MSM's push for GLOBAL WARMING and GREEN ENERGY and Biden-CCP.


11 posted on 02/18/2021 3:44:34 AM PST by Diogenesis (Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Nice try to CYA NBC (Nothin But Commies).


12 posted on 02/18/2021 3:45:30 AM PST by HighSierra5
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To: EBH

Fossil fuel failed because it had been REPLACED by unreliable renewable energy PERIOD!


13 posted on 02/18/2021 3:48:34 AM PST by ronnie raygun ( Massive mistakes are made by arrogant fools; massive evils are committed by evil people.")
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To: Adder

Correct. They didn’t expect much from turbines to begin with...


14 posted on 02/18/2021 3:53:16 AM PST by teeman8r (Armageddon won't be pretty, but it's not like it's the end of the world or something)
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To: Adder

You don’t measure wind generation offline that way. It isn’t generation divided by generation capacity. It was never 80% offline. If it isn’t windy enough then a generator spins more slowly and produces less power, but it isn’t offline.


15 posted on 02/18/2021 4:04:47 AM PST by impimp ( )
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To: ronnie raygun

DOES GOING WITH CAPS HELP THE POINT?

IT WAS NATURAL GAS’ FAULT.

if they were both running backs then wind fumbled once while natural gas fumbled three times - who cost us the game?


16 posted on 02/18/2021 4:06:28 AM PST by impimp ( )
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To: Adder

Guess you haven’t see the pics or windmill blades being de-iced by helicopter?


17 posted on 02/18/2021 4:06:55 AM PST by snoringbear (,W,E.oGovernment is the Pimp, )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The not so stunning lack of factual information in the article is beyond not stunning. Coal fired powerplants have been closing early nationwide in efforts to placate the folks seeking the complete destruction of any energy production they don’t approve of.

Gigawatts of what is called baseload by the electric power producers have literally been force out of production by the minority voices in the global warming green energy insanity movement. Wind mills and solar panels are NOT baseload. Energy that can be counted on no matter the conditions.

Baseload is always available until it isn’t which is the situation brought on in my opinion with the early closure of coal fired generation as well as nuclear. The electric grid has gone from excess baseload to marginal conditions where use and available electricity under normal conditions are so close that there is no margin for conditions the State of Texas is now experiencing.

The result of the continuing insanity are rolling blackouts as a minimum or complete loss of power for unknown lengths of time and those responsible are the clueless proponents of so called “clean” energy. Better termed UTOPIA. One can only wonder where those folks live and what the temperature of their homes might be?

Placing the future of the nation into the hands of clueless ignorant morons is not what will produce a future worth having. Just my humble opinion.


18 posted on 02/18/2021 4:10:07 AM PST by wita (Always and forever, under oath in defense of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The MSM take Green Energy failures personally, rather than objectively.

That should be everything anyone needs to know.


19 posted on 02/18/2021 4:12:11 AM PST by UNGN
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To: ronnie raygun

You know that, I know that, but that’s not the narrative.


20 posted on 02/18/2021 4:13:50 AM PST by EBH (Deer in the headlights get killed)
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