Seems that Green is not always good.

[Retired]

For reasons of their own, Texas does not want to be a part of the national grid. Without knowing what their plan is or the methodology of their decision making, any opinion on this issue is just that. Opinion.

Im pretty certain that there isnt a bunch of baffons running the show in Texas. Im also one of the few people in this country with a degree in emergency management, that and a buck twenty five will get me coffee at McDs.

 

[rjwilliams11741]

For reasons of their own, Texas does not want to be a part of the national grid. Without knowing what their plan is or the methodology of their decision making, any opinion on this issue is just that. Opinion.

Im pretty certain that there isnt a bunch of baffons running the show in Texas. Im also one of the few people in this country with a degree in emergency management, that and a buck twenty five will get me coffee at McDs.

Agreed that i am merely expressing my opinion although I not sure I agree with the first sentence of your second paragraph. Having friends and family in the greater Houston area and the Dallas area their communications with me indicate that they disagree white that sentence as well.

 

[MapNerd]

All I would say is if I were Ercot, I also probably would not have considered taking on the cost of contingencies to mitigate the risks of the unusual weather they are experiencing.

However, I also would not have disconnected from the national grid - not only so I could import energy when needed, but so I could export it when I don’t. The huge mistake here was that in my opinion.

If there is one thing I have learned in my short time on this earth it’s this - man plans, God laughs.

 

[Retired]

As always, follow the money.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Texas has wanted to get out of the union for quite some time. It is not a good idea to be dependent on another country. We know why they are working on this and an unexpected event can be disastrous if plans are not complete. There are a few that would blame the effort, but on a (w)hole most residents are onboard in the lone star state.

My comment was to highlight that green has it's downside. The fact that natural gas has jumped in price on the wholesale big block value indicates those people that now are having electrical grid problems may soon have 3000 dollar bills if the numbers for natural gas are correct that I am looking at. But hey I am off grid, use less than 10 gallons of propane a month, and am only an observer.

I do think we should look at policy and speak out though.

 

[Chuggs]

You guys crack me up...

Humans will fail. It’s inevitable. The real question is...do we learn from our mistakes?

When a tidal wave took out the Fukushima Nuclear Plant...it was caused by a lack of foresight. After the disaster...every Nuclear Plant in America had an engineering review. They expanded the envelope of what a natural disaster might be. Earthquake, tidal wave, drone attack, 9/11 type aerial attack...what can the plant withstand? What improvements are necessary to protect the plant from such a failure?

Texas is getting a lesson. It, hopefully, will be a moment of learning. And they will rethink their strategy for the energy grid.

Most of these companies are free market to an extent...yes, there is government regulation...but it’s not really a political thing. The government may persuade a direction thru incentives...but free market will still decide.

I am amazed that we have a contingent of people, that must spend every waking hour, trying to spin everything into a US vs THEM political finger pointing session. I’m embarrassed for us as a country. The rest of the world can sit and watch the great USA Jerry Springer Show...and marvel in our ability to destroy our nation from within.

When I served in the Military...we didn’t play any blame games. There were no excuses. Did we make mistakes? Well anyone that has ever kept up their assignment of manuals knows, we are constantly revising our methods based on past experiences. If it is a new Caution...something probably got bent. If it is a Warning, there may have been a hull loss, injury, or loss of life. But we own the mistakes...and move forward to remedy them. We don’t blame them away on a Democratic or Republican agenda.

People...as a nation we have to start owning Up to the challenge...know where the buck stops...and move in a unified direction without spending all of our time, wasting it on finger pointing and blame games.

Texas has learned a tough lesson. The problem is a lack of redundancy, and failure to foresee a weather event such as the one that just occurred. I love the Aviation related comments. It has taken time...but we have gone from four engine airplanes to three engine airplanes to two engine airplanes. We didn’t do it overnight. We did it based on records of operational reliability. We still seem to be expanding our envelope...less physical separation between aircraft, lower fuel reserves...as our positioning and reporting technology...our weather services technology...aircraft self-reporting of winds, temperature, turbulence...traffic management. It all means there is less slop in the system. We can more accurately predict the outcome of a flight before we leave the gate. Like an Airplane...two or more of everything...Engines, Hydraulics, Flight Controls, Electrical Generators and Busses, Flight Instruments, Oxygen, you name it...we don’t put all of our eggs in one basket. Texas has too many eggs in one basket. They aren’t tied, like many other regions, to grids elsewhere in the country. No one technology can support their entire grid...so they fail...and don’t have an alternate airport in their flight plan. I think they will be spreading their eggs out better in the future. And planning on having an alternate. Green energy still has a place in the puzzle. Lowering fossil fuel emissions, less reliance on foreign oil, cleaner air and water, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It’s just another engine on the wing...

I am least glad that when we have an issue in Aviation...we aren’t sitting around blaming Biden or some politically aligned policy. It still isn’t always pretty (IE...737MAX)...but it eventually gets enough brain trust involved to find a solution.

Wasting time debating issues based on partisan politics is a first world problem. It’s just great that we have the luxury. But the more we dwell on it...the faster we may find ourselves havin third world, or worse, performance.

That’s just my perspective on it. I fully support and would defend your right to have your own opposing view. In no way does it mean I like you any less.

 

[WonderMore]

WRT the EVs and special charge times, wait for the other shoe(s) to drop. My predictions are:

1. A premium charge for non-compliance of charge time.

2. Since part of the taxes at the pump “go to highways” EVs will be required to pay a road use tax when revenues drop of from gas/diesel sales. Politicians have never met a revenue stream they wouldn’t tap.

 

[Gizmo]

I'm in southern Texas and the wind turbine are not going round and round in our area. Democrats are pointing at Republicans' leadership and Republicans are pointing fingers at Democrat policies. Rumors about them being frozen, storage batteries are frozen, to ice on the blades. The fact still remains that we were without power for 4 days and the turbine blades are not going around and around with are in the 15 to 25 MPH winds.

 

[RAMmer-Jammer]

A whole lotta fact-less rumor mongering went on about the TX power problems. I hope those that jumped online and posted in a hurry early on have since informed themselves and know better now.

 

[DHudson]

The BIGGEST problem in Texas, is the EPA regulated a lot of the Coal fired plants out of business. The EPA and "concerned" citizens have killed new Nuclear and gas fired plants from being built.
"Green" makes up nearly 25% of our energy. Just in the last 10 years there have been 4 coal fired (BIG) plants shut down within 50 miles of Corsicana. The "green" replacement did not make up the difference. A friend of mine that has worked for ONCOR 20+ years said today, that if we have a HOT summer, there is not enough power to supply the needs, because of all the "lost" production.
It's all politics and greed. Receiving subsidies for a business model that does not make sense.
This last week has cost my business at least $15,000.00 and I fear I may not be able to pay my bills. There are thousands of small business in the same boat. And the damage created by this I'm sure will be in the High BILLIONS.

And no one has to answer for it.