China Posted December 23, 2022 Author Share Posted December 23, 2022 ‘Ready and reliable’: Texans assured power grid can handle coming cold despite 2021 failings Officials in Texas assured residents Wednesday that the state’s power grid is ready to handle the arctic blast that will overtake much of the country this week. With people scurrying around the State Operations Center in the background, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news conference that officials from all levels of state and local government have been preparing for the coming cold that will plunge most of the state into a deep freeze by Friday morning. News of the extreme cold has some Texans nervous, recalling a 2021 winter storm that crippled the state’s power grid. Millions across the state were left without electricity for days as temperatures dropped to their lowest levels in a decade. More than 200 people died because of what some now call the Great Texas Freeze. An investigation by federal energy regulators blamed the grid failure on frozen equipment at power plants and natural gas facilities. More than 20 power plants in Texas did not have any winterization plans despite standards recommending they do so, investigators found. This time around, state leaders are relying on changes implemented after the storm to ensure the lights stay on. Peter Lake, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, said those regulations have led to more fuel in reserve and more power available than ever before. "The grid is ready and reliable," Lake said. Lake said power plants and power companies alike had rescheduled planned equipment and line maintenance so that everything is available to meet the expected demand. Click on the link for the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Wiggles Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 As a Texas resident, my power company had a reported power outage due to downed wires. Luckily not my area. So I'm not convinced that the power companies are prepared. Preparation cuts into profits. I think the co-ops are more prepared because profit isn't their be all end all. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted December 23, 2022 Author Share Posted December 23, 2022 Texas power grid holds amid record winter demand, but test isn’t over As freezing temperatures enveloped Texas late Thursday and into Friday morning, demand for electricity shattered the grid operator’s peak expectations for the maximum amount of power people would use to stay warm this winter. Luckily, the state’s grid held, but the resiliency test isn’t over: High demand is forecast to continue into Saturday while power supplied from wind, which has been offering a significant boost during the blustery Arctic blast, will likely drop off. Electricity demand hovered around 74,000 megawatts Friday morning and was projected to decrease as the day warms. That far surpassed the previous winter record of 69,871 megawatts during the 2021 storm. But that record demand doesn’t account for how much power Texans might have used then because blackouts hit much of the state. Officials Thursday had predicted Friday morning demand would be closer to 70,000 megawatts. The difference between reality and expectation was even starker overnight, with electricity use at some points more than 10,000 megawatts higher than officials predicted. Click on the link for the full article 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted December 23, 2022 Share Posted December 23, 2022 (edited) The winds have been wicked since yesterday morning, bringing the severe cold. It got to 24, and it's expected to stay under freezing until Sunday afternoon. And that's just the start of this winter. I hope it gets warmer. Our water heaters are outside so we have let water drip in the kitchen/bathroom. Edited December 23, 2022 by LadySkinsFan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted December 26, 2022 Author Share Posted December 26, 2022 Texas power prices spike more than 400% in one day as bomb cyclone sends energy demand soaring Forecasts for below-freezing temperatures in Texas sent power prices surging more than 400% in the span of just one day. In some parts of the state, prices for power to be delivered on Friday evening more than quintupled from the prior day, topping $500 per megawatt-hour, according to Bloomberg. On Friday night, temperatures in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio are expected to dip below 20 degrees. Meanwhile, Houston will reach the low 20s, and even south Texas will be in the mid 20s. Current expectations project electricity usage will climb to 70.9 gigawatts on Friday, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, surpassing the previous record of 69.8 gigawatts. Put into context, one gigawatt is enough energy to power roughly 200,000 homes. The cold spell is a callback to February of 2021, when a power grid meltdown killed 200 people in the state while outages forced some Texans to burn furniture in their fireplaces to stay warm. Officials remain confident that the power grid can handle the increased demand. But the grid has already come under strain. Outage data showed roughly 53,000 Texas residents were experiencing a loss of power on Thursday night. Click on the link for the full article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted December 26, 2022 Share Posted December 26, 2022 Temperatures went down to 11 on Thursday night and stayed below freezing until Saturday afternoon for about 4 hours when it quickly dropped to 15. At 9:30 am Sunday morning, it went above freezing and I haven't run my faucets since then except for everyday use. It's supposed to reach the 70s sometime later this week. My power company did report outages due to the high winds until Saturday. This didn't affect me. So hoping to get out of this year successfully. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooked Crack Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 Does anyone have eyes on Ted Cruz? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simmsy Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 You had your chance, Texas. This is what you chose, you got it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llevron Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 They like this ****. Its some kinda weird kink for them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD0506 Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 I know someone 70+ down there, it isn't even a little bit amusing 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 I watched a bit of Abbott saying he's got everything under control, this was yesterday. My daughter's power is out since this morning. Mine's on. Unsafe to drive. Abbott's a creep and just keeps talking non-sense. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD0506 Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 34 minutes ago, LadySkinsFan said: Abbott's a creep and just keeps talking non-sense He's talking out his ass and the chair muffles it 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 Just pointing out? Kinda tough to blame a politician for ice bringing down power lines. It happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Wiggles Posted February 1, 2023 Share Posted February 1, 2023 (edited) I blame the power companies for being to cheap to bury the lines. 🤑 Edited February 1, 2023 by Captain Wiggles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD0506 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 1 hour ago, Larry said: Just pointing out? Kinda tough to blame a politician for ice bringing down power lines. It happens. It's happened before, people died, they did jack**** about protecting the grid other than upholding the insane overcharges 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 1 hour ago, Larry said: Just pointing out? Kinda tough to blame a politician for ice bringing down power lines. It happens. Abbott has lots of friends in the energy industry plus the state legistrature is controlled by Republicans who overtly favor corporations over people. The people without power can blame the voters who voted for these fascists. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 So, Abbot opposed mandating that all power companies use ice-proof power lines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Larry said: So, Abbot opposed mandating that all power companies use ice-proof power lines? Upgrades cut into profits. My daughter is still without power. Creeps Edited February 2, 2023 by LadySkinsFan 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan since a Fetus Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) . Edited October 24, 2023 by Fan since a Fetus 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD0506 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 I willingly admit that I am cranky and crotchety and this morning kinda creaky but I have a hard time convincing myself that the basis of so many of these issues is that Texas (and many other places) has so many goddam dumb ****ers. The same people that were howling about freezing, apoplectic over losing power for days and genuinely having their lives threatened by it for the last couple winters anyway turned right around and voted R every damn time. I'm exhausted by it, my compassion is exhausted from it, I am being boiled down to some gnarly root that just mutters "Then die from the stupid you dumbasses". And it pisses me off that I am being pissed off by proxy here, that other people in other places spoil my mood and my 'tude when I have to hear what suffering du jour is being inflicted by the unwavering march of the greedocracy. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Sorry. My attitude is that not everything is caused by the political party in power. Sometimes, it is. If Texas intentionally disconnected themselves from the rest of the country, and then when a cold snap hits, there aren't enough generators in Texas, to power Texas, then yeah, blame the folks who came up with that idiocy. But if the story is "power lines come down because of heavy ice storm", it's a leap to go to "blame Republicans". Just like it's not Pete Butigeg's fault that Southwest uses a system that should have gone away in the 80's, to tell their employees that their flight's been rescheduled, and go here instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan since a Fetus Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) On 2/2/2023 at 7:10 AM, LD0506 said: I willingly admit that I am cranky and crotchety and this morning kinda creaky but I have a hard time convincing myself that the basis of so many of these issues is that Texas (and many other places) has so many goddam dumb ****ers. The same people that were howling about freezing, apoplectic over losing power for days and genuinely having their lives threatened by it for the last couple winters anyway turned right around and voted R every damn time. I'm exhausted by it, my compassion is exhausted from it, I am being boiled down to some gnarly root that just mutters "Then die from the stupid you dumbasses". And it pisses me off that I am being pissed off by proxy here, that other people in other places spoil my mood and my 'tude when I have to hear what suffering du jour is being inflicted by the unwavering march of the greedocracy. . Edited October 24, 2023 by Fan since a Fetus 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LD0506 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Honestly, I get that, it is a hostage situation in some ways but a lot of the prisoners keep voting for the warden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llevron Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) 41 minutes ago, Larry said: Sorry. My attitude is that not everything is caused by the political party in power. Sometimes, it is. If Texas intentionally disconnected themselves from the rest of the country, and then when a cold snap hits, there aren't enough generators in Texas, to power Texas, then yeah, blame the folks who came up with that idiocy. But if the story is "power lines come down because of heavy ice storm", it's a leap to go to "blame Republicans". Just like it's not Pete Butigeg's fault that Southwest uses a system that should have gone away in the 80's, to tell their employees that their flight's been rescheduled, and go here instead. The reason they get the blame is because they have been the party in power since 1995. Around that time ERCOT got even more power Texas became the first (only?) state with completely independent power. That means the party in power has always been the Republicans. Its not a situation where one party gets power, thing happens, and then next party gets power and the same thing happens. This has literally only happened under Republicans. Thats ignoring all the other things. ERCOTs board of directors is basically (yes, not directly, but one step away) approved by the Republican Gov, Lt. Gov and house Speaker. Abbots office also apparently control the public statements that come from ERCOT. This info is from the Texas Tribune and from 2021 so it could be dated now. Probably is. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/10/texas-power-grid-ercot-ceo-greg-abbott/ Quote The board of directors, installed by a group of three people who are appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker, and a contracted search firm have presented CEO candidates to Abbott for final say, according to three sources who spoke to the Tribune on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issues. The governor has already vetoed Steve Berberich, a Texan who was vice president of Irving-based TXU Energy and later became CEO of California’s power grid operator and who appeared to have strong support from both the power industry and ERCOT’s board of directors, two people familiar with the matter said. “The only explanation we got was because he came from California,” said a power industry source familiar with the discussions about Berberich. “Obviously California has its share of problems, but you can’t argue with his qualifications.” Berberich declined to comment for this story. Quote “The governor is not just reviewing and editing [ERCOT’s public statements]. He’s telling ERCOT whether or not they can release grid information at all,” said a former senior ERCOT employee who spoke candidly about the matter on the condition of anonymity. The source said “it means information is potentially not getting where it needs to go, and that means Texans aren’t hearing what they need to hear.” Point is, people have good reason to blame Abbot. Its not just because he's in power (which is a pretty good ****ing reason, honestly) but because he has been personally involved and continues to be. Edited February 2, 2023 by Llevron 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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