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The Other Green-Energy Grid Crisis
WSJ ^ | 6/5/23 | Allysia Finley

Posted on 06/05/2023 10:44:04 AM PDT by CFW

Empty dirt lots are scattered across American cities where developers once planned to build new homes. The problem isn’t that builders can’t find workers or obtain permits. They lack the electric transformers required to connect homes to the grid.

“We were so concerned about things like lumber and appliances, and those all help. But then all of a sudden it was this power transformer—you can’t get them,” a home builder in Greenville, S.C., told a Fox affiliate in March. “We have 106 town-home sites and so we’ve only been able to get the first six going.”

Transformers step up or step down electrical power that passes through transmission and distribution lines. According to the American Public Power Association, 1 in 5 housing projects has been delayed or canceled owing to shortages. The pandemic dearth of semiconductors, appliances and cars eased as demand ebbed and supply increased, but don’t expect this one to let up anytime soon.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; construction; electricity; homes; housing; shortage; transformers
Paywall free article is here:

https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fthe-other-green-energy-grid-crisis-transformers-distribution-steel-outage-china-4029ed43%3Fmod%3Dopinion_lead_pos5

1 posted on 06/05/2023 10:44:04 AM PDT by CFW
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To: CFW
“electric transformers “

could it be because they are made in ....... China ?

I’m not sure on the numbers ... but I know some of the biggest .... most critical ones are made in ....... China.

Could it really be so hard to get some thing we need from ............. China?

2 posted on 06/05/2023 10:48:18 AM PDT by 1of10 (be vigilant , be strong, be safe, be 1 of 10 .)
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To: 1of10

From the article:

“Thank President Biden’s green-energy policies, which are increasing demand for transformers and the specialized electrical steel to manufacturer them while creating enormous market uncertainty. The lack of transformers is exacerbating the country’s housing shortage and causing longer and more-frequent power outages.”

Also,

“Demand for transformers is growing worldwide as low-income countries develop their power grids and wealthier ones go green. The U.S. now finds itself in the difficult position of having to compete with other countries for transformers and electrical steel at the same time as the Inflation Reduction Act subsidies supercharge demand.

But forget about building out the grid. We can’t even maintain the one we have. An Energy Department report last year warned that most large power transformers will soon need to be replaced. The average age is 40 years, and normal life expectancy under ideal conditions is 20 years. Aging transformers “cause higher failure risk,” the report notes.”


3 posted on 06/05/2023 10:58:15 AM PDT by CFW (old and retired)
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To: 1of10

Further:

“The Biden administration plans ensure that such problems can and will get worse. The Energy Department in January proposed efficiency standards for distribution transformers that would require an “amorphous steel” not readily available in the U.S. Climate activists lobbied for the new standards because they say more-efficient transformers will reduce power losses and the need for fossil-fuel generation.

That’s debatable. What isn’t is that the standards “would upend the market and manufacturing process” for electrical equipment, as automakers, utilities and home builders noted in a May 22 letter to Mr. Biden. As a result, “plans to expand domestic steel capacity and manufacturing of critical electrical equipment, such as transformers, are now in flux.””


4 posted on 06/05/2023 10:59:28 AM PDT by CFW (old and retired)
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To: CFW

Sounds like a government control issue that can be controlled by the government. Has this community been receptive to our cause? oh no? well its gonna be a cold winter, no lights no electric stoves and your car is dead because you cant charge it ha ha ha ha ha ha ha


5 posted on 06/05/2023 11:14:23 AM PDT by ronnie raygun
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To: CFW

““The Biden administration plans ensure that such problems can and will get worse”

wow ....that line just says so much.

What about all the cars and simi-trucks we are going to be plugging in ?

I wonder if there is some guy sitting in a room some where ....
with a copy of the WHOLE plan for destroying the U.S..... Like a stack of specs for a construction site.


6 posted on 06/05/2023 11:15:04 AM PDT by 1of10 (be vigilant , be strong, be safe, be 1 of 10 .)
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To: ronnie raygun
"ha ha ha ha ha ha ha"

hate to interrupt here but I think the correct term is ... ... BWA ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

... or maybe not,
I just learned the font thing from an other FReeper ... so....

7 posted on 06/05/2023 11:22:49 AM PDT by 1of10 (be vigilant , be strong, be safe, be 1 of 10 .)
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To: ronnie raygun

“Sounds like a government control issue that can be controlled by the government. Has this community been receptive to our cause? oh no? well its gonna be a cold winter, no lights no electric stoves and your car is dead because you cant charge it ha ha ha ha ha ha ha”


I think you are correct. They will check the results of the last election in each city or county. If the vote results were overwhelmingly for the republicans, then very little electricity will be provided for that area.


8 posted on 06/05/2023 11:30:10 AM PDT by CFW (old and retired)
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To: 1of10

Let’s review electrical transformers boys and girls..... They work hard all day and get HOT transforming electricity do to demand which equals the load on the transformer. A night time the transformer COOLS off with the lower demand (load). This is a design feature to help transformer last longer. Well here comes EV’s and their charging at night, ie more load, more HEAT! So the life span of a transformer is decreased meaning some one needs to build more transformers which have lots of copper which is getting expensive and scarce...... see a problem boys and girls?


9 posted on 06/05/2023 11:32:40 AM PDT by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
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To: CFW

I’d order a whole-house generator and keep going, adding it to the price of the house. When the transformers come in they can be put in.

I’d pay extra to have one. In fact, it’s on my wish list for the near future.


10 posted on 06/05/2023 12:30:17 PM PDT by John Milner (Marching for Peace is like breathing for food.)
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To: Lockbox

” some one needs to build more transformers which have lots of copper which is getting expensive and scarce...... see a problem boys and girls?”

hmmmmm .........
Copper inventories at the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell to under 135 thousand tonnes in May, the lowest this year, and those at the London Metal Exchange were under 60 thousand tonnes, the lowest since 2005. Also, Chile said this year’s output is estimated to sink as much as 7% after the 10.6% decline in 2022.

mmm........ no .... I got nothing ... just don’t see it ....
..no clue ... drawing a blank here bud ...


11 posted on 06/05/2023 4:09:42 PM PDT by 1of10 (be vigilant , be strong, be safe, be 1 of 10 .)
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To: 1of10

https://www.energy.gov/policy/articles/doe-actions-unlock-transformer-and-grid-component-production


12 posted on 06/05/2023 4:38:40 PM PDT by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
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