Posted on 06/25/2023 8:41:40 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
The punishing heat dome that has settled over Texas is putting unprecedented strain on the state's electricity system, leaving officials scrambling to keep the lights on and the air conditioners cranking.
State officials are increasingly turning to an unexpected technology: giant batteries.
These Mack truck-size systems, which can quickly spew stored electrons onto the grid when power plants sputter, played a crucial role in avoiding outages over the past week, as scorching temperatures shattered records across Texas. And they are renewing debate about the role of clean energy in stabilizing the Texas grid, as the batteries are ideal for harnessing wind and solar energy.
Power system operators across the country are watching closely to see how Texas manages this crisis. While the perilous combination of prolonged triple-digit temperatures and overstressed power plants and transmission lines is plaguing Texas at the moment, it could hit most any region at any time. Changes in the weather and the deteriorating condition of regional power grids make the entire nation increasingly vulnerable to outages for longer stretches of the year.
“Texas is experiencing what everyone in the country is going to be going through in some form or fashion in the years ahead," said Aaron Zubaty, the CEO of Eolian, which owns and operates large energy storage projects. "All the systems are not necessarily designed for operating in these types of prolonged events at the edge of design and engineering specifications . . . These are the types of weather events that can cause weird things to occur that no one has ever thought about at all types of plants."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Stop using renewable energy. That’s the answer.
No
Gee if Texas only had some energy source like petroleum……
If only there were forms of energy storage that could be stored without significant loss until needed, perhaps in a tank of some sort, or even in a big pile on the ground. I hope someone invents such a thing soon, because batteries aren’t all that great.
Natural gas.
I have seen nat gas peakers go in in three-four months.
*if Texas only had some energy source like petroleum……*
u r funny. Red state-no excuses. the problem is Republicans.
As long as slave children in other countries have do dig with their bare hands to make the batteries, I’m in. (sarcasm)
Quit LYING about 'man-made climate change'!
Quit pretending the Perpetual Motion of 'renewable energy' is a thing.
Be honest about the cost of wind and solar energy and our inability to store the energy necessary for it to be considered "reliable".
To supply one kwh from a solar panel or from a battery costs about the same.
In a multi-day heat wave, the solar panels will produce more electricity but the battery will be drained after day 1.
Now they want us to use batteries. Lots of batteries.
Have you ever tried to dispose of a used battery, as per the EPA and TCEQ guidelines? Nope, can't do it - must be sent to a battery disposal center. And stop throwing away used rechargeable batteries, Y'all.
Here is a short brochure:
Batteries are expensive (higher utility bills).
A certain amount of energy is wasted when charging a battery, especially when it’s cold.
Batteries have a limited number of charging cycles before they will need to be replaced.
Many batteries and components to make batteries come from China.
Just build a super capacitor the size of Texas.
As a Texan and sadly, you are exactly right.
Just build a super capacitor the size of Texas.
Unprecedented? I seem to remember Texas having a month or more of temps over 100 for more than a month about 20 years ago or so. How did their grid handle it then ?
Oh My God! It is hot in Texas! In the Summer! We are all going to die!
The answer???
DRILL, BABY, DRILL.
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