Texas Power Prices Surge 6,000% as Grid Operator Asks Residents to Reduce Energy Usage Due to ‘Low Wind Generation’

Gateway Pundit ^ | Aug. 19, 2023 | Cristina Laila

[zeugma]

The basic problem in Texas, is that the democrats and rinos band together to make sure we don’t have actual conservative leadership in the Texas House and Senate. Another issue is that normally Abbott, who really doesn’t have a whole lot of power as Governor is normally pretty Rino-ish as well. I’m actually surprised he’s done anything at all about the illegals invading our southern border since he’s been successfully re-elected. Of course most of his actual actions have been largely symbolic.

[PGalt]

Informative thread BUMP! Thanks to all posters.

[353FMG]

Don’t you know that the entire US is in a self-destruct, apocalyptic mode?

[Round Earther]

6%

[JZelle]

Thanks. Texas has been kind of a bellwether for me. I really hate seeing this happen.

[Hambone 1934]

Enjoy your new reality

[DoughtyOne]

They should use the small units that have been touted
over the last few years.

As I understand it, they can be online in a few short
years, not the 10+ years it takes to get the large
plants online.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

If only they had 100 times more windmills, all would be well. Or maybe 1,000 times more windmills.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Does this impact the entire state or metro areas like Austin?

[Al B.]

The wind turbines were polluting the land around Amarillo in 2016 long before Biden came into power. It was a decision made in Texas years ago and politicians there were in majority Republican.

According to an Aug. 2022 Texas Tribune article, there are 11,000 wind turbines in the Texas Panhandle that are basically unavailable to the Texas grid due to lack of transmission capability.

Why the Texas grid causes the High Plains to turn off its wind turbines

Brilliant minds at work in the "Green Energy Dept." down here.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Not only that, but when the temps hit 20 below zero (F), they windmills can’t run AND they have electric heaters in them to keep them from totally freezing up. So not only do they not produce any power, they suck juice from the grid to avoid self-destruction.

[fruser1]

Rolling blackouts are rolling power away from you and to the government.

[chopperk]

That’s what wind generators offer; no power when you need it most and kills birds.

[healy61]

I have always called it, “The dog days of August.” No wind, and lots of heat. Who didn’t know about this in Texas?

[Reverend Wright]

So Georgia Democrats build nuclear power plants that Texas Republicans are too asleep to build?

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You got it !

[musicman]

BTTT!!!

[Reverend Wright]

“...windmills can’t run AND they have electric heaters in them to keep them from totally freezing up.”

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Brilliant, so Texus Swamp Repubs have come up with an energy source that has even more risks for the Texas climate than it does for the CA climate.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

You wrote "We Texans did not vote for wind and solar power. It was forced upon us under the fed green agenda."

That is only partially true. The feds created the "Renewable Portfolio Standards" (RPS) which set renewable requirements. But how that gets implemented is left up to the states. The RPS puts a requirement on retail electric suppliers to supply a minimum percentage or amount of their retail load with eligible sources of renewable energy. The RPS are typically backed with penalties of some form; often are accompanied by a tradable renewable energy certificate (REC) program to facilitate compliance; and are never designed the same in any two states. Some states have voluntary renewable electricity goals that exceed the federal goals.

Today, RPS policies exist in 30 states and Washington DC that apply to 58% of total U.S. retail electricity sales. Texas was an early and ambitious adopter of RPS. It is interesting that a few states have not updated their RPS in some years: TX, WI, MT, and IA. Note that the gray states apparently do not have a RPS in place (I don't know how they get away with that). But Texas could have followed the path set by those gray states and ignored RPS; instead, TX decided to go along with the federal program.

In 1999, the Texas State Legislature passed Senate Bill No. 7, which requires that the state install an additional 2,000 megawatts (MW) of new renewable energy capacity by the year 2015 for a cumulative net capacity of 5,880 MW of energy. The RPS compliance schedule included the following cumulative renewable energy capacity deadlines:

• 2,280 MW by January 1, 2007
• 3,272 MW by January 1, 2009
• 4,264 MW by January 1, 2011
• 5,256 MW by January 1, 2013
• 5,880 MW by January 1, 2015

Using its statutory authority to implement the bill, the Public Utility Commission of Texas in 1999 adopted a rule setting the state's RPS. The commission also set a voluntary target of generating 10,000 MW from renewable sources by the year 2025. Eligible sources of renewable energy include solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, wave energy, and tidal energy. In 2009, Texas surpassed its 2025 renewable capacity target. In addition, Texas had approximately 13,359 MW of renewable energy capacity in 2013, 95 percent of which came from wind energy.

I've included the first page of the "Order Adopting New §25.173 as Approved at the December 16, 1999 Open Meeting and published in the Texas Register on January 7, 2000" below:

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION OF TEXAS SUBSTANTIVE RULES. CHAPTER 25. ELECTRIC

The Public Utility Commission of Texas (commission) adopts new §25.173 relating to Goal for Renewable Energy with changes to the proposed text as published in the October 22, 1999 issue of the Texas Register (24 TexReg 9142). This section is adopted under Project Number 20944. Section 25.173 will implement the legislative goal for renewable energy development in the state of Texas as set forth in Senate Bill 7 (SB 7), Act of May 21, 1999, 76th Legislature, Regular Session, chapter 405, 1999 Texas Session Law Service 2543, 2561 (Vernon) (to be codified as an amendment to the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA), Texas Utilities Code Annotated §39.904).

In adopting this rule, the commission's objective is to establish a renewable energy credits trading program (trading program) and define the renewable energy purchase requirements for competitive retailers in Texas. This rule will (1) implement the statutory mandate in PURA §39.904 to promote the development of renewable energy technologies; (2) encourage the construction and operation of new renewable energy projects at those sites in Texas that have the greatest potential for capture and development of environmentally beneficial renewable resources; (3) reduce air pollution in Texas that is associated with the generation of electricity using fossil fuels; (4) respond to customer preferences that place a high value on environmental quality and reflect a willingness to pay a higher price for "clean" energy acquired from renewable resources; (5) increase the amount of renewable energy available to supply electricity to consumers in Texas; and (6) ensure that all customers have access to energy from renewable energy resources pursuant to PURA §39.101(b)(3).

Texas possesses a vast amount of untapped renewable resources, perhaps more than any other state. The Legislature recognized that economic and environmental benefits would accrue to Texas citizens from the development of those resources by enacting §39.904, which mandates that an additional 2,000 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity from renewable technologies be installed in Texas by January 1, 2009.

The Legislature's commitment to development of the state's abundant renewable resources is derived from the preferences expressed by Texas consumers in favor of renewable power. The integrated resource planning process required that utilities assess customer values and preferences and consider these preferences in their resource plans. In an effort to assess customer values and preferences, utilities across the state polled their customers. Statistically significant samples representing about two-thirds of retail electric customers in Texas indicated a willingness to purchase electricity that was generated by renewable energy resources to improve air quality in their communities and across the state.

Texas Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies are Solar Water Heat, Geothermal Electric, Solar Thermal Electric, Solar Photovoltaics, Wind (All), Biomass, Hydroelectric, Geothermal Heat Pumps, Landfill Gas, Tidal, Wave, Ocean Thermal, Wind (Small). The Texas RPS regulations apply to Investor-Owned Utility and Retail Suppliers. They set goals of 5,880 MW by 2015 and 10,000 MW by 2025. The 2025 goal has already been achieved. Texas uses the ERCOT Credit Trading and Tracking System.

[Nuc 1.1]

Ditch the “Green” Con!

[TomGuy]

I heard a lot of democrats back in the 90s in Texas switched to calling themselves republicans when it became apparent democrats weren’t going to get elected. That true?

It does cause one to wonder where all of the southern democrats went, as many of the southern states seem to have turned Repubican.

[I have suspected for a long time that party labels are only for public consumption and the uniparty controls both.]