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Assigning Blame for the Blackouts in Texas
Climate Etc. ^ | February 18, 2021 | Planning Engineer

Posted on 02/21/2021 3:58:01 PM PST by FreedomPoster

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To: LucyT

Ping to the replied-to post.


41 posted on 02/21/2021 5:56:52 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: palmer
The average for a February day is 9 GW.

The ERCOT "dependable" rating for wind in winter is 7 gigawatts. Granted, there were big problems with natural gas deliveries in last week's conditions to plants that ERCOT counts on for more than 50% of winter capacity in TX.

Failure all around.

42 posted on 02/21/2021 5:59:14 PM PST by Al B. ("Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid." -- Ronald Reagan)
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To: DesertRhino

The R’s always trying to please the dems and the media and their stupid ideas always lead to disaster. Never notice the D’s doing this.


43 posted on 02/21/2021 6:27:32 PM PST by dandiegirl (BOBBY m)
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To: FreedomPoster; All

Biden EPA Rulings not Cruz fault: Review These two previous postings
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3936590/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3936608/posts


44 posted on 02/21/2021 6:42:09 PM PST by mosesdapoet (mosesdapoet aka L.J.Keslin posting here for the record hoping somebody might read and pass around)
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To: Yo-Yo; FreedomPoster; null and void; aragorn; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; bgill; bitt; Black Agnes; ...
.

PING

Biden's Department of Energy refused to allow Texas' Natural Gas and Coal fired powerplants to operate at 100% capacity unless they charged $1,500/MWh (normal costs are $60/MWh.).

More at # 12.

(People died; will anyone be charged with murder?)

45 posted on 02/21/2021 7:14:46 PM PST by LucyT
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To: LucyT

You are wrong I am in the energy industry. Gas particularly. The EPA sets the limits for air pollution measured in grams per kWh of production. They DO NOT set the output of the plants not a single one. How the plants choose to meet the federally established limits is up to them. These limits are not currently CO2 limits they are limits as per the clean Air and water acts of NOx, SOx, mercury, lead, arsenic and 2.5 particulates. For gas turbines the hotter and more fuel rich the combustion the more NOx emissions are created it is a function of combustion temperature. Obviously higher temps for a given mass of air flow equal more power. Plant operators have three choices to meet the federally established limits one is to install post combustion SCR catalysts which allow for as high a temperature the HP turbines can stand and the highest power output. Choice two is run fuel lean or O2 lean with EGR this lowers the O2 content of the combustion chamber and this lowers the NOx emissions considerably but costs raw power output. The third choice is to retrofit low NOx combustors that use staged combustion such as Georgia Tech’s design. The SCR and retrofits are expensive so most operators choose to run fuel or O2 lean which costs 20% or so of the raw thermal limit of the turbines. It is not “derating” since the emissions limits set the max power within those limits that all gas plants must meet to be legal to run. What Abbot asked for was a waiver to the emissions limits so the turbines could be run right up to their melting points and drastically increase toxic emissions. NOx is the prime cause of smog and acid rain and in ppm levels causes respiratory distress syndrome when exposed for any length of time more than a few minutes. Coal plants and diesels also have emissions limits that the operator chooses how to meet them either with control technologies such as catalysts , scrubbers or particulates filters. Again the EPA does not set max power they set max emissions per kWh of power how those limits are met is an economic calculation that the operator chooses their compliance method.


46 posted on 02/21/2021 8:10:11 PM PST by JD_UTDallas ("Veni Vidi Vici" )
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To: JD_UTDallas
The blame for the problems caused by the lack of electricity falls completely on the shoulders of all of the individual people who endured it.

Everybody who pays attention knows that at some point electricity and/or running water, heat, food supply, etc., won't be available for some amount of time.

They are very lucky the grid is coming back up as quick as it is.

If you don't realize you should drain the water from your pipes and know how to do it, YOU are at fault.

If you don't know that you should put RV anti-freeze in the traps under your sinks, bathtubs and toilets, and know how to do it, YOU are at fault.

If you haven't learned how to keep warm when there is no heat, and haven't stashed the stuff needed to do it, YOU are at fault.

If you don't have some extra non perishable food for at least a few weeks, YOU are at fault.

If you don't have some water stashed and/or the ability to filter water, YOU are at fault.

If you don't have the means and the ability to defend your family, YOU are at fault.

History tells us, bad things happen.

You can't predict what, where or for how long, but we do KNOW bad things happen.

You can choose to be ready for most bad events, or you can be an ignorant idiot and assume all of the goods and services you enjoy will always be there.

Nobody wants to take personal responsibility for even their own well being any more.

Those who "think" this way deserve what they get.

47 posted on 02/21/2021 9:02:00 PM PST by Mogger
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To: Al B.
Re: "Failure all around."

I completely disagree.

The major reason natural gas supplies stopped is because the Permian Basin - where most of the just-in-time natural gas in Texas comes from - was one of the first sectors to lose electric power when the Texas grid started to collapse.

No electricity in the Permian Basin means most of the source pipelines and heaters stopped working.

Was that predictable?

Probably.

But the collapse of the Texas power grid was so far out on the risk curve, it would have been almost impossible to get funding to prevent that.

48 posted on 02/21/2021 9:57:48 PM PST by zeestephen
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To: nascarnation
I saw articles that said they had to keep the feed to downtown areas with hospitals so office buildings were lit up too. Don’t most of med facilities have diesel or gas turbine gen set backups?

The emergency plan would have nothing to do with the grid. The buildings facilities department would have already have a plan in place that when notified, they would cut back to security level lighting, 45 degrees on the thermostat, minimum load on air handlers, standby power level on data centers. Huge power savings without affecting hospitals or other critical functions.

The county judges need to be held responsible for their poor preparation or this crap will be repeated in the future.

49 posted on 02/21/2021 10:04:51 PM PST by CMAC51
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To: FreedomPoster

There are two things I want from my utilities. I want, no, I demand heat on the coldest days and I demand AC on the hottest days. If Texans demand less, well then, live without heat/AC.


50 posted on 02/21/2021 10:05:19 PM PST by Chgogal (Hey Biden, I am a loyal supporter of the Biden's Banana Republic!)
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To: boxlunch

Ping


51 posted on 02/21/2021 10:07:40 PM PST by Chgogal (Hey Biden, I am a loyal supporter of the Biden's Banana Republic!)
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To: palmer
Would have helped a little if their heating was curtailed and they heat with heat exchangers. But they can't tolerate frozen pipes either. The lights on one floor of a skyscraper might add up to 10,000 Watts. That's one residence on aux heat.

The county emergency management plan should have each building have a plan in place to cut back to security level lighting, 45 degrees on the thermostat, air handlers for key areas only (prevent frozen pipes), standby power on all data centers (huge power hogs).

If this had been done in Lubbock, DFW, Austin, Houston and San Antonio, then the blackouts that knocked out the natural gas distribution would not have been necessary. The gas network would not have frozen over. In essence, the dominoes would not have started falling.

Poor preparation by the counties is an element of this that should not be ignored.

52 posted on 02/21/2021 10:12:41 PM PST by CMAC51
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To: JD_UTDallas

That is the same thing... Stop lying.

“Again the EPA does not set max power they set max emissions per kWh of power”


53 posted on 02/21/2021 10:35:31 PM PST by Pikachu_Dad ("the media are selling you a line of soap)
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To: JD_UTDallas

The same bad logic murdered many in London.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenfell_Tower_fire


54 posted on 02/21/2021 10:38:11 PM PST by Pikachu_Dad ("the media are selling you a line of soap)
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To: FreedomPoster

Worst winter storm I’ve seen here in my entire life. But, we weathered it. I’ve lived through worse winter storms, when I worked further north. Never got cold, Carhartts and plenty of quilts. Worried about the pipes freezing, kept ‘em trickling. Everything is thawing. It’ll just be another memory that I won’t be able to remember in the not too distant future.


55 posted on 02/21/2021 11:03:34 PM PST by The Right Edge (Staunch Trump Supporter AND PROUD to be!)
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To: Yo-Yo

Texans! WTF?


56 posted on 02/21/2021 11:32:24 PM PST by Chgogal (Hey Biden, I am a loyal supporter of the Biden's Banana Republic!)
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To: humblegunner

jeez..what a loser you are..all ive seen you do over the years is disparage fellow freepers..get a life


57 posted on 02/22/2021 12:14:09 AM PST by justkillingtime
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To: justkillingtime

I’m a loser that knows how to use capitalization and punctuation.


58 posted on 02/22/2021 12:19:31 AM PST by humblegunner (Balls To Picasso.)
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To: CMAC51
If this had been done in Lubbock, DFW, Austin, Houston and San Antonio, then the blackouts that knocked out the natural gas distribution would not have been necessary.

Gas distribution that relies on the grid for heat is not robust. Wind is worse: there's no choice with wind but to heat the gear oil from the grid.

59 posted on 02/22/2021 3:39:15 AM PST by palmer (Democracy Dies Six Ways from Sunday)
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To: humblegunner
I’m a loser that knows

I'm a loser who knows...

60 posted on 02/22/2021 3:42:40 AM PST by palmer (Democracy Dies Six Ways from Sunday)
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