No, Wind Farms Aren't the Main Cause of the Texas Blackouts

[SummerMadness]

No, Wind Farms Aren't the Main Cause of the Texas Blackouts

The state's widespread electricity failure was largely caused by freezing natural gas pipelines. That didn't stop advocates for fossil fuels from trying to shift blame.

As his state was racked with a huge electricity blackout crisis that left millions of people without heat in frigid temperatures, the governor of Texas took to the television airwaves to start placing blame.

His main target was renewable energy, suggesting that when wind and solar power failed, it led to a systemwide collapse.

However, wind power was not chiefly to blame for the Texas blackouts. The main problem was frigid temperatures that stalled natural gas production, which is responsible for the majority of Texas’ power supply. Wind makes up just a fraction — 7 percent or so, by some estimates — of the state’s overall mix of power generation.

causing widespread power outages, freezing temperatures, slippery roads and weather-related deaths, Governor Abbott’s voice was among the most prominent in a chorus of political figures this week to quickly assert that green energy sources such as wind and solar were contributing to the blackouts. The talking points, coming largely from conservatives, reinvigorated a long-running campaign to claim that emissions-spewing fossil fuels are too valuable a resource to give up.

 

[ViaCrucis]

No, Wind Farms Aren't the Main Cause of the Texas Blackouts

The state's widespread electricity failure was largely caused by freezing natural gas pipelines. That didn't stop advocates for fossil fuels from trying to shift blame.

I haven't decided if people like this underestimate the intelligence of the American people, thinking we're too dumb to figure out that they're lying; or if they have accurately estimated the stupidity of the American people, because enough actually do believe the obvious lies they tell.

It's probably both column A and column B.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Tinker Grey]

From Clay Jenkins, Dallas County Judge (analogous to mayor of a city or governor of a state, elected position):

Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins

Power generation is stubbornly staying at 47k Megawatts. It reached 50k yesterday but then declined. The problems stem from two main sources: A lack of winterization packages on generator plants and units and a lack of gas line modernization being required by state leadership.
Gas lines are regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas. This is a three member commission elected statewide. Generators are regulated by Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC), which is a board appointed by Office of the Governor Greg Abbott.

They, not the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), made the policy decision to not require the needed winterization and modernization standards required in the other 49 states.
In an effort to provide the lowest cost energy to large commercial users, they failed to ensure enough protection for residents in their homes. We need a system with the lowest prices that ensures reliability in completely predictable situations like this. It happened around the Super Bowl in 2011 and it will happen again. We know extreme weather happens here and we know weather patterns are getting worse due to climate change. The Governor has called for a review of ERCOT. That should be expanded to the PUC and the Railroad Commission.

ERCOT’s job is to manage the load. The railroad commission’s job is to require a safe, efficient and effective gas delivery system that doesn’t freeze on its way to the gas plants. Most offline gas plants during this crisis have been off because the gas lines going to their plants are frozen.
Some plants are tripping off when they try to start up due to lack of winterization. Wind units, which normally make up 25k Megawatts got down to 5k. @PUCTX didn’t require the winter weather packages on any of these required in the other 49 states.

When regulators make a knowing decision to not require a safety apparatus, they are telling companies not to spend money on that apparatus because businesses won't be reimbursed. It’s not reasonable to expect companies to do things that are not required and put them at a disadvantage to their competitors in the state’s scheme.
​

 

[Paulos23]

It is more complicated than that, gas is just the start of the issue.

At least one of the nuclear power plants has been shut down due to a safety issue. And the Texas power grid is not connected to the rest of the grid so they don't have to deal with federal regulation, so power can't come in from outside the state.

I have friends that are freezing in Texas, this is no joke. People who do have generators are running out of gas, as well as the town gas station. People who don't and don't have a working wood fireplace are stuck. If they are lucky they are finding a room at a hotel with heat.

And while I don't blame them for not being winterized (it is Texas, who knew it would get to bellow zero) the state of the power grid for not taking in outside power is on the government people voted in.

 

[Michael]

No, Wind Farms Aren't the Main Cause of the Texas Blackouts

The state's widespread electricity failure was largely caused by freezing natural gas pipelines. That didn't stop advocates for fossil fuels from trying to shift blame.

I love how the the misinformation starts flying because nobody wants to admit that privatizing the power grid in Texas, and disconnecting it from the US power grid was a bad idea. Even with all the various plant failures that Texas experienced, were they still connected to the US power grid, they'd be up and running and toasty warm right now. But thanks to privatization and bad planning, they're leaving their residents freezing in the dark and trying to blame it all on 'green' energy. What an unethical misinformation campaign. I'm betting the misinformation came from Ted Cruz.

'I got no defense': Ted Cruz on his tweets mocking California

 

[Elliewaves]

*gasp* but Tucker Carlson assured me it was true!

Next you'll tell me that the windmills AREN"T going to cause widespread cancer after they freeze everyone!

 

[Michael]

I should point out that here in California, the rolling blackouts have had *nothing* to do with our ability to generate power or acquire power. The blackouts here have been caused by infrastructure limitations like wires and transformers which limit how much power can be delivered to specific areas. During extremely high temperatures, the LA basin cannot bring in enough power to serve all of it's AC needs, even though the state has plenty of excess power. A few other rolling blackouts have been related to high winds where power was temporarily shut off to areas with very high winds to prevent fires. None of our blackouts here in California have been related to a lack of energy.

 

[TLK Valentine]

 

[Michael]

Ted Cruz might not have a defense, but the cause of the Texas blackouts this week is blatantly obvious. They're directly related to their *privatization* of their power grid and their decision to isolate themselves from the rest of the US power grid to avoid any federal regulations. That's the *real* reason why Texans are freezing to death right now. If they were still connected to the US power grid, I guarantee you that California would fire up everything it has in terms of power production to make damn sure that Texans weren't suffering right now. Instead, all we can do now is pray and hope like hell that the private owners of the Texas power grid get their act together quickly.

 

[Dave G.]

No the real reason is their system is not properly winterized and they got real winter like they are not used to. Big national grids can go down too. Granted in this case the National grid may have backed them up. Hey we were down for a week here where I live about 4 years ago ( some areas not far from me were down for two weeks), we even have a power plant that feeds the grid lol. So the argument could be said if we were on our local plant lines we wouldn't have gone down. The problem here was the grids trunk line feeding us got devastated and it was in un maintained access or not properly maintained. Once they finally cleared the way it took two days to repair the main line then a couple days for the local outages of which I wasn't on . But that danged local power plant is less than a mile from my house and all it's power goes off to the national grid.

But see, I have generators ! I feel bad for those folks who don't in the midst of the mess they're in.

 

[trunks2k]

And while I don't blame them for not being winterized (it is Texas, who knew it would get to bellow zero) the state of the power grid for not taking in outside power is on the government people voted in.

They went through a similar, though not as severe, situation in 2011. Recommendations were made back then on how to prevent the issue from happening again. If they had been listened to, they wouldn't be in this situation. So they had an issue, didn't do anything about it, and ten years later the problem happens again, but worse.

 

[Paulos23]

They went through a similar, though not as severe, situation in 2011. Recommendations were made back then on how to prevent the issue from happening again. If they had been listened to, they wouldn't be in this situation. So they had an issue, didn't do anything about it, and ten years later the problem happens again, but worse.

True, at the state level.

For the individual, I wouldn't expect them to start winterizing at that level since most couldn't afford it.

 

[rambot]

I try to not get too into schaedenfreude but I am REALLY REALLY relishing the dozens and dozens of comments about how global warming would be great because "we'd get to spend more time on the beach".




tastey words.... I wonder if they're eating them.

 

[timothyu]

Astounding that Texas temps got to -298F in order to freeze the gas. If that was the case I'd say they have more trouble than rotating the power grid to make up for the loss of 10% of their green power sources failing.

 

[Dave G.]

Astounding that Texas temps got to -298F in order to freeze the gas. If that was the case I'd say they have more trouble than rotating the power grid to make up for the loss of 10% of their green power sources failing.

It probably froze pumping stations etc not the gas.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

The state's widespread electricity failure was largely caused by freezing natural gas pipelines. That didn't stop advocates for fossil fuels from trying to shift blame.

...that's where I really wish energy policies (and the extraneous issues surrounding it like the climate) weren't such a partisan issue.

The way the Texas power retailer market is structured also complicates the issue.
Bloomberg - Are you a robot?


I have no doubt that the green energy advocates and fossil fuel advocates are casting barbs at one another in terms of where the blame should be...that's not surprising, they both have reputations to uphold in the public eye.


The real underlying issue is that climate changes (caused by humans) is creating weather patterns that are creating scenarios that certain regions are totally unprepared for because they've never had to deal with them before.

For instance, if weather patterns ever shifted to the degree that Miami got 4 inches of snow (according to weather records, Miami only has one recorded snow flurry in 1977), they don't have the infrastructure to address that (salt trucks, plows, etc...) like a Michigan or Minnesota would.

Likewise, areas in the Northern Minnesota would likely be ill-prepared for a scenario where there were 4 days in a rows at near 100 degrees, and everyone in town were running air conditioners non-stop trying to keep cool at the same time.

At a certain point, the politics needs to be set aside and there needs to be a real plan put in place for how to address it, but while ensuring a smooth job transition for people who work in the existing industries.

Right now, the only two voices in the room seem to be:
"Person who thinks climate change is a liberal hoax to gain control"
and
"Person who wants to ban straws and has an irrational fear of nuclear power"


Or another way of putting it... if we were actually taking this issue seriously, the debate on how to address it wouldn't be a republican senator holding a snowball on the senate floor, claiming that it debunked climate change, vs. a kid reciting lines her father gave her and saying 'how dare you!'.

 

[timothyu]

It probably froze pumping stations etc not the gas.

Are they that flimsy?, They don't freeze on the northern plains or even Alaska

 

[Paulos23]

Are they that flimsy?, They don't freeze on the northern plains or even Alaska

Because those ones are winterized, something the Texas power board didn't want to pay for.

 

[Michael]

Astounding that Texas temps got to -298F in order to freeze the gas. If that was the case I'd say they have more trouble than rotating the power grid to make up for the loss of 10% of their green power sources failing.

We're talking *natural* gas, not gasoline. As I understand it the water vapor in the gas lines can start to freeze below 32 degrees and it can interfere with the movement of the gas through the pipelines.

U.S. Cold Blast So Extreme Gas Pipes Are Starting to Freeze
https://asgmt.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf-docs/2011/1/T06.pdf

I think the power plants are also competing with private homes in terms of who's getting the gas.

 

[SkyWriting]

No, Wind Farms Aren't the Main Cause of the Texas Blackouts

The state's widespread electricity failure was largely caused by freezing natural gas pipelines. That didn't stop advocates for fossil fuels from trying to shift blame.

Any dependency on wind farms and solar energy should include methods for storing energy. Also energy diversity should become the norm instead of hoping for one source of power or heat.