Posted on 02/20/2021 6:31:33 AM PST by Chad C. Mulligan
*snip* . . . . Isaac acknowledged the need for some targeted reforms—like winterization requirements and mandating backup generating capacity—that would shore up the grid’s preparedness for future events, he said that federal integration of Texas’s power system is a bad idea.
“We’re an independent state and we like our Texas independence,” he said. “And the last thing we want to do is have our grid controlled by any kind of federal regulatory agency or the federal government,” he added.
One thing Isaac said he fears with greater federal control of Texas’s grid would be “market distorting policies that pick one type of winner over another type of reliable source of electricity generation,” referring to federal subsidies of renewables, which he said were less reliable than coal, gas, or nuclear.
“We need to eliminate subsidies across the board and completely level the playing field,” he said, adding that he supports “getting rid of all market distorting subsidies throughout the United States for all forms of energy production.”
“Let’s let the market compete,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at theepochtimes.com ...
i.e. build their own nuclear or gas/coal capacity to fill in the shortfall when their precious windmills and solar panels can't produce. Right now they expect somebody else to cover their fails, on top of the massive subsidies they get.
I've worked as a professional engineer for almost three decades, and I've never heard of any infrastructure that has been designed to work at all times and under all circumstances.
EVERYTHING has an operational limit and a normal life cycle.
“ Finally a little sanity in the news about Texas.”
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I’m a Texan, God Bless Texas. I’m proud that Texas has its own electric grid. But, have to say the ESCOT board is corrupt and incompetent. There is absolutely no excuse for the electric outages that has transpired and subsequent water, food and structural tragedies caused by it. The entire board should be fired. And, while a free trader private enterprise guy, I believe there has to be state government oversight. Per Ronald Reagan; trust but verify.
I agree with this. I have no doubt the fed would love to get its hooks into the Texas power grid.
” less federal control “ ?
Shouldn’t that apply to EVERY aspect of government ?
Since you work in the field, a question.
With the understanding that nothing is bulletproof, in your opinion what differences would winterizing the equipment have made?.
Would it have made a significant difference, or would it have been minor?.
I work in the oil and gas industry, the people I have talked too in west Texas said the ice and sleet was the biggest issue, not the cold, eventhough it did contribute to the problem.
winterizing their gas production system is a must do. It is nonsense to talk about climate change or whatever you want to call it today. They have had enough cold snaps over the last 100+ years to know they needed to be prepared.
As for the solar and wind, these things are fantasies right now. PA and NY are filled with windmills which never seem to turn and they are located on high ridges, far away from population centers.
A Texas company just announces major investment in solar in my area. Just south of Erie, PA. We average 111 inches of snow a year and are right between 3 of the cloudiest cities in the US, Cleveland, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. 1,600 acres of private land in a number of different blocks.
Maybe they will pay folks to shovel the snow off the panels.
Correction; *ERCOT*
If the problem there was caused by a unique combination of cold, ice, sleet, snow, etc. that is impossible to predict, then that's a different story.
We discussed this on a similar thread the other day. Check out the image below from a massive winter storm event back in January 1998 that hardly got any attention in the U.S. media. Most of the people affected lived in Canada, but the destruction covered a wide swath across upstate New York as well. This storm involved heavy rain that fell in rapidly-declining temperatures and freezing all over everything. FIVE INCHES of ICE coated the area. Millions of trees were toppled in the Adirondack Mountains, and power lines and even power transmission TOWERS came down under the weight.
People had no power for 4-6 weeks in some areas ... at a time when temperatures were well below zero overnight.
Agree but with a few exceptions. One being national defense. But, everybody and every organization needs oversight. Sometimes it’s provided through completion sometimes government oversight is necessary. What’s the saying? “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely “.
ERCOT not ESCOT. Typo?
But I agree. My power is still off, I’m charging the phone in the car (right now) and have been freezing without power since Monday about 7:30AM. I’m about to throw out at least $100 in food because I can’t use it before it rots, the fridge started smelling funky 2 days ago. Scared to open the big freezer. I have a propane heater, but it’s still cold.
Water pump might be trashed, pipes definitely busted, had no idea it would get this bad this fast. 1st night 21 was predicted, let the faucets drip and we can handle that, leave a small electric heater on in the bathroom it can get below 20 and won’t freeze in tbe tub. Power was off and on all Sunday night, room never heated up enough, by 4AM it was 11 degrees, everything was frozen. Too late. Till yesterday about noon, the highest temp I saw here was around 24. High yesterday was 45, still have ice in the yard. Barely melted it all off the roads.
Lufkin city water ran out, not a jug of water in any store in town. No propane anywhere. No Coleman fuel. (I have enough to fill my lantern maybe 2 more times. After that it’s kerosene lamp, it doesn’t add much heat.) Not a restaurant open in town, they don’t have enough water yet to operate, although city water is partially back on. I’m on a shallow water well in the yard. Stores were limiting milk, bread and water to 2 per household. Water was gone before 1pm.
ERCOT had the chance to winterize long ago, and decided not to do it. Whether that was idiocy, corruption or incompetence, I don’t know. I suspect a mix of all 3.
But they do need to winterize, and make sure they have traditional means to take up the slack when “renewable” methods fail. There was no excuse for this, it could have been mostly prevented. Of course, we’ll pay dearly for it.
Sure, we would have had some brief problems when ice weighted down the lines, but for the most part, nothing more than overnight without power in scattered locations would have been possible.
Slightly off topic, I went out yesterday, limbs down all over the place, some a foot in diameter, broke off by ice weight. Saw at least 20 people carrying bundles of pvc pipe in their trucks. And it’s barely thawed out in town, out here still frozen. I talked to 2 friends who both know they have broken pipes, but can’t tell how bad it is yet, still frozen solid. Another friend south of Houston and over 70 is chilly but doing fine, their power was only out briefly. He said there was a big stink because a million people were freezing in the dark, and high rise downtown Houston office buildings were lit up everywhere. Empty and still lit up. People were not happy. Can anyone in Houston confirm this?
*through competition *
The first step to Control the Feds should be to abide by the US Constitution very STRICTLY, by Requiring ALL Federal Agencies within the State to pay ALL DEBTS WITH GOLD AND SILVER COIN!!
When the Feds don’t pay the Utilities or ANY OTHER DEBT within the State with REAL MONEY Disconnect them and Start SEIZING ASSETS.
Article 1, section 10
Yeh, ERCOT. I posted a correction. You fired pretty quick. But yeh, just about everyone in Texas has been affected in one way or another. One of my daughters and her husband are in the process in building a house near weatherford in an unincorporated community. They will have a water well and be on propane. So, this cold weather has caused them to consider some extra measures to discuss with their builder so to weather proof their house for sure. Anyway, hope you come out ok or at least with minimal damage.
“And, while a free trader private enterprise guy, I believe there has to be state government oversight. Per Ronald Reagan; trust but verify.”
The real screamin will start when you get your new electric bills and insurance premiums. It’s not going to be pretty.
I was an operations manager at a NG cryo plant in the 80’s. The idea that NG production facilities from wellhead to delivery can be winterized, shut down on standby in case solar and wind fail, and then just cranked up on the coldest days of the year is completely ludicrous.
I understand that better winterization was recommended over 10 years ago and nothing was done. Does anyone in Texas really think that's going to change? Texas has the electrical grid that Texas wants.
The article is right but your comment is impossible. Wind and solar are rated with “nameplate capacity” but production is a function of nature, e.g. chaos.
What can be done is the degree of reliance on renewables can be limited to the point where FMEA results in acceptable risk. Texas probably relied on wind too heavily by a factor of two.
“ The real screamin will start when you get your new electric bills and insurance premiums. It’s not going to be pretty.”
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Yeh, for sure. And, all the temperature hardening that will be required will be passed on to users which is you and me. Utility bills will increase no doubt about it. Lots of folks are saying this was a once a century event which suggest all the noise and outrage will be temporary and will pass. We shall see...
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