Posted on 07/18/2022 9:07:28 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
As searing Texas heat drives power demand to record highs, the state’s grid operator is ordering plants to run at a historic pace, often forcing them to put off maintenance to keep cranking out electricity. That’s helped keep the lights on, for now, but the short-term focus is putting even more stress on a system that’s already stretched near the limit.
Twice in the past week, officials have called on Texans to limit electricity use during scorching afternoons as demand inched perilously close to overwhelming supply. Now, there are growing concerns over how long power plants can maintain the grueling pace as they run nonstop, according to Michele Richmond, executive director of Texas Competitive Power Advocates, a generator industry group.
“Things are going to break,” she said. “We have an aging fleet that’s being run harder than it’s ever been run.”
The situation underscores that the Texas grid is relying on short-term solutions for what’s poised to be a long-term problem. The state is contending with a population boom that’s driven demand higher. Crypto mining has also taken off in the past year, bringing with it the industry’s power-intensive operations. Meanwhile climate change has made extreme weather events that drive up electricity use more likely to occur and more severe - creating situations like a deadly February 2021 freeze that caused blackouts across the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at expressnews.com ...
https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/14/us/texas-energy-record-solar-wind-climate/index.html
Point you snake tongue at the EPA forcing Texas to shutdown a dozen or so coal fired plants.
How long will the plants take to restart is anyones guess. Now that the EPA has been castrated by the USSC.
When Trump gets elected, Texas should build nuke plant. Destroy the restrictions and let us BUILD. Same goes for refineries
And we will secede. It is on the ballot during the ‘24 cycle.
If you can afford the propane or diesel to keep it up. Also plenty of motor oil on hand. That propane is vicious.
Hadn't heard that. Figured TX was just going for the fed bucks to make the swap to wind/solar.
Texas has shut down 6 coal fired plants over the recent years. It has 14 up and running. Coal plants are not being shut down, they're being converted to gas fired plants because natural gas is cheaper.
Texas is on it's own power grid. This limits the ability of the EPA to regulate because the grid is within state borders. Texas's problem keeping the lights on and the AC running is her own fault.
The price of NG is low now but when it was $14/mmcf, coal was cheap compared
These power plants should never convert but put in infrastructure to be duel fuel
Our coal plant is down. Biggest tax entity in county now poooooof, gone
Bull crap the EPA forced our county coal generation plant to shudder their doors. Citing that it needed upgrades to meet FEDERAL EPA REQUIREMENTS!!!
It has been a while since I was on solar. What kind of inverter and batteries? A 19 year warranty? Wow. I would only take mine down to 50% and they would only last about 6 years. Are they glass matt?
Mine is natural gas. It’s just for power emergencies so I doubt it runs all that much beyond the regular checks.
We love the nuclear plant objective here-so does the gov of this state and most southern ones-but the EPA-that-should-not-exist has strangled off building nuke plants for a few decades in all states. there is hope that now that the supreme court has slapped the f’ing EPA around a bit, we can all get back to our sensible nuclear plant plans, as well as other sensible, clean energy and water solutions that don’t involve unicorn farts and sugar sprinkles...
Not this “old” person-not going anywhere, and I want secession very much. I’m owner and operator of a one person construction related business-I’m a complete naturalist-no extra weight, no drugs of any kind, no processed food-I’d be delighted to have something cheaper than mediscare for a primary insurance to go with my TriCare secondary-since I’m paying for something I don’t use, at least let it be cheaper-by the way-there are a lot of “old” healthy workers/business owners around here just like me-careful who you call non-productive and medicare-dependent...
Thank you for pointing that out-I did, too...
Here in Arizona, we turn the thermostat down to the low 70s between noon and 3PM to supercool the house, and then turn the A/C off from 3PM to 6PM when rates are highest. It saves us money and the state as a whole uses less electricity.
It’s a win/win for everybody.
Thanks for the ping!
We lost power at 4pm and they have moved the restoration time up several times. Now 845pm.
Has been for a while. Power companies all over the country are converting to gas for years.
These power plants should never convert but put in infrastructure to be duel fuel
Is that even feasible? The process for burning coal would be a whole lot different from natural gas.
Yet to meet a Texan who doesn’t blame someone else for their own mistakes. Texas has its own grid and problems with it are their own fault.
And the powers-who-be do not want to invest any money in upgrading the system! But they do not suffer. Guess who suffers!
Hey if Texit works for you, that’s great.
But it will displace a lot of old people and that’s a big plus for the future by reducing costs, thus lower taxes and making housing more affordable.
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