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Texas Spins Into the Wind: An electricity grid that relies on renewables also needs nuclear or coal power.
Wall Street Journal ^ | February 17, 2021 | WSJ Editorial Board

Posted on 02/17/2021 6:53:27 PM PST by karpov

While millions of Texans remain without power for a third day, the wind industry and its advocates are spinning a fable that gas, coal and nuclear plants—not their frozen turbines—are to blame. PolitiFact proclaims “Natural gas, not wind turbines, main driver of Texas power shortage.” Climate-change conformity is hard for the media to resist, but we don’t mind. So here are the facts to cut through the spin.

Texas energy regulators were already warning of rolling blackouts late last week as temperatures in western Texas plunged into the 20s, causing wind turbines to freeze. Natural gas and coal-fired plants ramped up to cover the wind power shortfall as demand for electricity increased with falling temperatures.

Some readers have questioned our reporting Wednesday ("The Political Making of a Texas Power Outage") that wind’s share of electricity generation in Texas plunged to 8% from 42%. How can that be, they wonder, when the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot) has reported that it counts on wind to meet only 10% of its winter capacity.

Ercot’s disclosure is slippery. Start with the term “capacity,” which means potential maximum output. This is different than actual power generation. Texas has a total winter capacity of about 83,000 megawatts (MW) including all power sources. Total power demand and generation, however, at their peak are usually only around 57,000 MW. Regulators build slack into the system.

Texas has about 30,000 MW of wind capacity, but winds aren’t constant or predictable. Winds this past month have generated between about 600 and 22,500 MW. Regulators don’t count on wind to provide much more than 10% or so of the grid’s total capacity since they can’t command turbines to increase power like they can coal and gas plants.

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


TOPICS: Editorial; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: climate; energy; power; texas; weather
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1 posted on 02/17/2021 6:53:27 PM PST by karpov
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To: karpov

2 posted on 02/17/2021 6:58:07 PM PST by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: karpov

What’s Biden doing? Trump would have already had help there.


3 posted on 02/17/2021 7:06:07 PM PST by ryderann
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To: ryderann

Playing Mario Kart with his granddaughter.


4 posted on 02/17/2021 7:07:23 PM PST by Shadow44
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To: karpov

When I was a kid, we had a large propane tank on our farm.

The guy would come and fill it up every so often.

If I were in the countryside, I’d have one of those if it
is still allowed.


5 posted on 02/17/2021 7:08:39 PM PST by DoughtyOne (The Republican Party is dead. Long live the Founders Party.)
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To: karpov
An electricity grid that relies on renewables also needs nuclear or coal power.

And a communist country requires at least one capitalist country to steal from.

6 posted on 02/17/2021 7:09:24 PM PST by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
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To: karpov

Maybe they could replace their frozen turbines with some of these Egyptian fan wavers, to generate the wind and the electricity they need, on these frigid evenings...


     

7 posted on 02/17/2021 7:12:39 PM PST by Songcraft
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To: ryderann
What’s Biden doing?

My question too! Biden’s Katrina

8 posted on 02/17/2021 7:14:57 PM PST by eeriegeno (A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people t)
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To: DoughtyOne

I have a ventless propane heater that I take with me where ever I go.

It served me well in the cold winters of north/ south Dakota.

I built a frame for it to hang on and it kept my camper very warm during the cold days of winter here in arizona


9 posted on 02/17/2021 7:15:54 PM PST by South Dakota (Patriotism is the new terrorism)
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To: karpov
There was no redundancy or back up systems in our Texas grid.

Only enough generation for estimated max requirement in best conditions.

Dad was a EE beginning with Texas Electic.

As the company changed hands & names, he said that forecasting demands was never in the plans. Just catching up to the demands was to be the norm, nothing more.

10 posted on 02/17/2021 7:17:12 PM PST by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
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To: karpov

Texas screwed up plain and simple.

Texas requires 24 million barrels of natural gas per day. Natural gas transmission lines froze and was only able to deliver 12-14 million per day and plants had to be shut down. Texas felt they did not need water separators on their transmission lines.They were told to do so in 2011 the last time they had below average temps.

This is why in my great state above the largest gas deposits in the country we have water separators..something Texas felt they did not need.

Read this aerticle and it explains fully why Texas is out of electric power.

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/16/natural-gas-power-storm/


11 posted on 02/17/2021 7:20:52 PM PST by setter
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To: DoughtyOne

You have to ask the point you posed . . . “if allowed”? I guess government overreach is now focused on the AOC faction in our “new progressive” government. We’re screwed!!!


12 posted on 02/17/2021 7:21:48 PM PST by rhubarbk
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To: Travis McGee

Great meme, Matt!

We MUST press this issue!

“Renewable Energy” as it has been crafted by LIEberals is a total fail scam, and MUST be rendered irrelevant!


13 posted on 02/17/2021 7:28:54 PM PST by Taxman (SAVE AMERICA!)
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To: ryderann

Top of the hour news had harris sending thoughts but no prayers or aid.


14 posted on 02/17/2021 7:31:01 PM PST by cableguymn (We need a redneck in the white house.... But the fact checkers said the story was false!)
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To: karpov

Well DUH Wall Street Journal.....


15 posted on 02/17/2021 7:36:43 PM PST by Dawgreg
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To: setter

The Perfect Storm,
Thanks.


16 posted on 02/17/2021 7:48:56 PM PST by Big Red Badger (Be Still and Know that I Am God. Rev 19)
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To: karpov

>>While millions of Texans remain without power for a third day, the wind industry and its advocates are spinning a fable that gas, coal and nuclear plants—not their frozen turbines—are to blame. PolitiFact proclaims “Natural gas, not wind turbines, main driver of Texas power shortage.” Climate-change conformity is hard for the media to resist, but we don’t mind. So here are the facts to cut through the spin.

Natural Gas has been producing 65% of the energy today in Texas (all day) and wind about 8%.

https://www.eia.gov/beta/electricity/gridmonitor/dashboard/daily_generation_mix/regional/REG-TEX


17 posted on 02/17/2021 7:49:07 PM PST by a fool in paradise (Call on Joe Biden to follow Donald Trump's example and donate his annual salary to charity. )
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To: karpov

>>While millions of Texans remain without power for a third day, the wind industry and its advocates are spinning a fable that gas, coal and nuclear plants—not their frozen turbines—are to blame. PolitiFact proclaims “Natural gas, not wind turbines, main driver of Texas power shortage.” Climate-change conformity is hard for the media to resist, but we don’t mind. So here are the facts to cut through the spin.

Natural Gas has been producing 65% of the energy today in Texas (all day) and wind about 8%.

https://www.eia.gov/beta/electricity/gridmonitor/dashboard/daily_generation_mix/regional/REG-TEX


18 posted on 02/17/2021 7:49:07 PM PST by a fool in paradise (Call on Joe Biden to follow Donald Trump's example and donate his annual salary to charity. )
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To: karpov

In the USA there is absolutely NO NEED for windmills or solar panels to provide us with One Watt of energy. None. A country that was so very recently a Net Exporter of oil and NatGas has no need for such.


19 posted on 02/17/2021 7:49:48 PM PST by ocrp1982
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To: ryderann

FEMA is sending portable Generators, diesel fuel and blankets


20 posted on 02/17/2021 7:51:55 PM PST by Bull Snipe
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