The blackouts that were initated this winter in Texas were at about 60% of the peak load they delivered last summer.
The on line capacity varies due to maintenance and availability, and wind.
The redline is approximately 2000MW between available capacity and load.
When it gets that close, that’s when you start seeing these media alerts.
It’s not the total amount, it’s the margin, and the unpredictable capacity fluctuations.
The load’s pretty predictable on time of day and temperature.
All I know is this: It’s 6:20, it’s 103 degrees here, and I still have electricity.
It’s a good day.
14 minutes ago
Just a few weeks ago, the state’s electricity grid manager assured Texans that ample power was available to get through the hot days of summer.
But that forecast was calculated merely on the routinely brutal Texas temperatures, not the hellish chain of record-setting 100-degree-plus days
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20110804-editorial-texans-save-energy-now-or-pay-a-steeper-price-later.ece
Texans, save energy now or pay a steeper price later
Sounds like a threat....
Of course, once everyone starts conserving, they'll jack up the rates anyway.
My employer was put on notice early today that this might happen. I guess all large consumers got the same notice. We have plenty of generator power available but took extra precautions and reduced consumption in the facility where possible. Now I’m at home and keeping my fingers crossed they don’t have to start the rolling blackouts. It happened here during that extreme cold spell in the winter. This is the worst heat I can recall in the last 20 years.
Hate to sound DUish...but I bet some of those black outs will never touch Highland Park Dallas...
8:}
“Texas grid says risk of power outages rises amid heat (Possible rolling outages)”
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Well no sh!t!!!
When you are trying to cool the homes of legal citizens PLUS one and a half million invaders from ME-HEE-CO....
***The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, ERCOT, warned there was a high risk of rolling outages as the state’s power reserves were nearly wiped***
Well, Tex, all those coal fired power plants you were going to build a few years ago should be ready to come on line now, IF YOU HAD BUILT THEM instead of caving to the greenies.
So get your politicians out to the windmills and debate wind power there. The hot air should keep the wind power going for a while! ;-D
There IS a downside to having independent grids, like Texas does.
Exactly what Hussein's Energy czar is heavily proposing for the entire country.
All the better to control another enormous segment of the Nation's critical infrastructure.
Not too subtle, are they.