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Second, duplicate the transmission grids so that each substation attaches to two local grids

Where would the real estate and capital come from such a project? This statement is the same as saying we can eliminate all traffic congestion in Houston by doubling all the roads.

High Voltage Transmission lines are expensive. Duplicate capacity (building twice what you need) is very expensive. Look at the houses near the substation that feeds your home. Whose houses do you intend to demolish to create this back-up that Texas has never needed?

Your other suggestions are not much beter. Thanks for playing.

I must have not explained the proposal in a manner you could understand - especially since you are so far off in your understanding of what I propose.

Creating two grids does NOT require a doubling of capacity nor does it require double the number of tranmission lines. It does require ISOLATION, so that a fault in one grid does not impact the other grid. Such isolation is acheived by equipment at the substation. At most, all that would be required would be to take the existing number of lines (for example lets say 10) and isolate them into to seperate grids of 5 lines each. Then split the load 50% to each grid.

No change in lines yet. If needed, lines could added as demand required. Lets say that folks were paranoid and decided to add 1 extra line to each grid for a config of 6 + 6. This gives a standard N+1 configuration that is commonly used in fault tolerant designs. The point of two grids is to prevent faults at one grid from impacting the other grid.

I'm very much aware of what is right and wrong about the Texas grid. Would it supprise you to know that Texas utility companies are having to replacing entire power transmission towers in locations? The reason is that the towers are about to fall down. Would it supprise you to know that the SCADA control and transfer trip controls of the grid will loose their commuications paths in less than 18 months? And that the power companies are having to scramble to find alternative means of communications for the vital functions.

Don't cast stones Texas - you are living in a glass house. The PRIMARY advantage that you have over the rest of the grid(s) is that you are smaller in size - which is the very thing I have been advocating.