Winter Storms, Summer Heat, and our 3rd World Electric System

[Chop]

What have they been doing since 2021? waiting for us to give them money via Prop 7?

Government is 95% reactive, not proactive.

 

[Chop]

Sounds like our State is ready for this big cold snap.

More gas well and facilities have been inspected. More hardening of the infrastructure. Plus, this shouldn’t be anything like the Snowmeggedon event.

Anyways, stay warm. Have some Hot chocolate, hot coffee, chicken soup, chili, whatever floats your boat.

 

[mchammer]

Sounds like our State is ready for this big cold snap.

More gas well and facilities have been inspected. More hardening of the infrastructure. Plus, this shouldn’t be anything like the Snowmeggedon event.

Anyways, stay warm. Have some Hot chocolate, hot coffee, chicken soup, chili, whatever floats your boat.

Also more solar during the day to help if wind ain’t blowing.

 

[Gylcomer]

How do conclude from that graph that we need more solar? Look at those huge dips in the solar curve. People still need power during that dip and the dip starts WAAAY before the temperature starts going down. I have heard industry professionals talk about this being a huge problem with solar. Batteries are way too expensive to be a solution too. The only answer is deployable affordable natural gas, coal, and then nuclear. If all the capacity existing today was from deployable sources ERCOT would have no concern about meeting demand.

Anything other than 0 MWh of wind and solar added to the grid is betrayal of the people of Texas. Get ready to be betrayed.

Texas has excellent Stored Hydropower potential according to the Southwest Research Institute. The potential is in West Texas and the Panhandle…where there are the required 1,300 foot elevation drop offs enabling industrial scale hydroelectric power generation.

That would help the with some of the peak hour demands at sunset and early evenings when use is highest.

And there is a way to do it by building only one reservoir but only in the Panhandle

 

[ViperHorn]

Also more solar during the day to help if wind ain’t blowing.

No sun for 24 hours and the wind is calmed to the point that the turbines are barely turning.

Abbot needs to figure out a way to bus cold air.

 

[Monahorns]

Just focus on natural gas turbines and unleash the nuclear power industry.

 

[Gylcomer]

Just focus on natural gas turbines and unleash the nuclear power industry.

Funny that just 2 years ago the EU declared that natural gas is a green fuel…and that natural gas is an essential part of the energy mix of the future.

 

[Chop]

Funny that just 2 years ago the EU declared that natural gas is a green fuel…and that natural gas is an essential part of the energy mix of the future.

They sure did. It's official: Natural gas is a green fuel. Clean burning natural gas has always been a good alternative to burning liquid petroleum products for electrical generation.

 

[Chop]

ERCOT says power grid is prepared for cold blast

Overall, there shouldn't be too much trouble. Tuesday and Wednesday morning will be the tightest for power supply/demand with solar and wind weak at that time.

 

[Chop]

Meanwhile, up North...

The Buffalo Bills are hiring fans to shovel snow before its game against the Steelers

 

[Driver 8]

^ I can't believe people go to football games in that weather

 

[Horn6721]

So any Buffalo fan wanting to shovel snow has to present a valid photo ID
But can't ask for valid ID from someone voting?

 

[Gylcomer]

ERCOT says power grid is prepared for cold blast

Overall, there shouldn't be too much trouble. Tuesday and Wednesday morning will be the tightest for power supply/demand with solar and wind weak at that time.

Only the liberals are fantasizing it will go down. They are jealous of Texas, our low rates and the grid.

 

[horninchicago]

^ I can't believe people go to football games

FIFY

 

[horninchicago]

Meanwhile, up North...

The Buffalo Bills are hiring fans to shovel snow before its game against the Steelers

What sort of loser do you have to be where you are at a point in life that this makes sense to you? Again, goes along with attending nfl games in the first place.

 

[Gylcomer]

^ I can't believe people go to football games in that weather

There’s a famous Norwegian saying, “ There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.” One could go dressed as a snowmobiler and be fine.

 

[theiioftx]

Sunny and 63 here in the redneck riviera.

 

[Chop]

Only the liberals are fantasizing it will go down. They are jealous of Texas, our low rates and the grid.

I like our State, but our rates aren't the lowest. We're lower than average. Much of the electricity rate in Texas depends on the current natural gas price--which obviously varies up and down quite a bit.

The lowest rates are found in:

1. Louisiana
2. Washington
3. Idaho
4. Utah
5. Kentucky
6. Tennessee
7. Nebraska

The Worst States for electricity (highest electricity rates):

50. Hawaii
49. California
48. Connecicut
47. Massachusetts
46. Rhode Island
45. New Hamster
44. Maine



Electricity Rates by State | January 2024 | ChooseEnergy.com®
.

 

[Gylcomer]

I like our State, but our rates aren't the lowest. We're lower than average. Much of the electricity rate in Texas depends on the current natural gas price--which obviously varies up and down quite a bit.

The lowest rates are found in:

1. Louisiana
2. Washington
3. Idaho
4. Utah
5. Kentucky
6. Tennessee
7. Nebraska

The Worst States for electricity (highest electricity rates):

50. Hawaii
49. California
48. Connecicut
47. Massachusetts
46. Rhode Island
45. New Hamster
44. Maine



Electricity Rates by State | January 2024 | ChooseEnergy.com®
.

Could you post the European rates. Sadly illiterate here.

The current rate difference between the US rates and Europe is terrifying the Europeans. Their industry is moving here. Half of the huge Dutch greenhouses cant afford to heat them and are moving south to Greece and Spain. They should move to Texas..Texas has huge untapped horticultural potential.

And the huge BASF German chemical plant they are constructing in Louisiana is another example.

Same thing here. Industry is moving out of blue, high costs states to red, low energy cost states.

Washington and Idaho have the cheapest source of energy…abundant hydropower. Tennessee has the Tennessee Valley Authority..huge infrastructure investments not likely to be repeated.

Texas sell’s energy to Mexico..or it might be cheaper.

 

[Horn6721]

How many of the top 7 have a state income tax? Not directly related But it all factors into cost of living when you pay bills

 

[mb227]

Just focus on natural gas turbines and unleash the nuclear power industry.

I can see the signs now...This natural gas station brought to you by Taco Bell

 

[Chop]

Half of the huge Dutch greenhouses cant afford to heat them and are moving south to Greece and Spain. They should move to Texas..

There has been a substantial immigration of Dutch dairy farmers to the U.S., especially to Texas. Around Stephenville/Dublin, and now some of the new truly massive dairy farms (3,000-5,000 + dairy cows) in the Panhandle are owned and farmed by Dutch immigrant dairymen.

The other big group putting together these new mega-dairy farms in the Panhandle have moved from California--many of whom are Portuguese immigrants or their descendants. Cheaper land, labor, water, feed, transport, energy, and less onerous regulation. And NO state income tax!

 

[Gylcomer]

There has been a substantial immigration of Dutch dairy farmers to the U.S., especially to Texas. Around Stephenville/Dublin, and now some of the new truly massive dairy farms (3,000-5,000 + dairy cows) in the Panhandle are owned and farmed by Dutch immigrant dairymen.

The other big group putting together these new mega-dairy farms in the Panhandle have moved from California--many of whom are Portuguese immigrants or their descendants. Cheaper land, labor, water, feed, transport, energy, and less onerous regulation. And NO state income tax!

Texas is the natural center of the world for Horticulture and all its magnificent savings in water, fertilizer and pesticides. Then there’s the 10-1 ratio in production difference with greenhouse over open field. You can grow an organic spinach crop every 45 days year round.

The Dutch, who invented modern greenhouse technology, should move their greenhouses, that they can’t afford to heat anymore, to Texas instead of Greece, Spain and Africa as planned.

Surprisingly the Dutch are the second largest exporter of agricultural products, after the US, in the world. Now that they don’t have cheap Russian gas they are in serious trouble.

 

[Gylcomer]

Government is 95% reactive, not proactive.

You’ve been reading Robert Heinlein?

 

[Chop]

You’ve been reading Robert Heinlein?

Nope. Just an observation.

I enjoyed most of the movie Starship Troopers, but for fantasy/sci-fi literature, I much prefer his nemesis Michael Moorcock--who has moved from England to the Austin, Texas area (Bastrop lost pine forest) here in his later years. Michael Moorcock is one of the only fiction writers who comes up with actual original ideas. I saw his imprint all over Game of Thrones. Just about anything with dragons in it draws on Moorcock. Same with any story where the character is resurrected in some other time and universe (the "eternal champion" concept). He's rather critical of both Heinlein and Tolkien. And now he's a Texan. Probably the greatest living Texas author of fiction. And much of the heavy metal crowd really digs this guy.

Starter books - Elric of Melnibone, Stormbringer
Way out there book - Sailor on the Seas of Fate

His universe is not a battle of good vs evil, but rather a battle of law vs chaos, or really a struggle to maintain the right balance of law and chaos.

 

[Gylcomer]

Nope. Just an observation.

I enjoyed most of the movie Starship Troopers, but for fantasy/sci-fi literature, I much prefer his nemesis Michael Moorcock--who has moved from England to the Austin, Texas area (Bastrop lost pine forest) here in his later years. Michael Moorcock is one of the only fiction writers who comes up with actual original ideas. I saw his imprint all over Game of Thrones. Just about anything with dragons in it draws on Moorcock. Same with any story where the character is resurrected in some other time and universe (the "eternal champion" concept). He's rather critical of both Heinlein and Tolkien. And now he's a Texan. Probably the greatest living Texas author of fiction.

Starter books - Elric of Melnibone, Stormbringer
Way out there book - Sailor on the Seas of Fate

thanks I’ll look into Moorcock. With that last name, you gotta be good. But he sounds more fantasy than hard science fiction. And Heinlein was world renowned for his future vision..even before his death.

Science Fiction was a juvenile genre in its 50’s beginnings and so it was more fantasy. But Heinlein was one of the first to write science fiction for adults. Of course his later writings aren’t even suitable for children and became lessons in government, sociology, psychology, science, sexuality and libertarian values…on and on…wrapped in the future. He figured that if you had something to teach people and get on a soapbox, then everyone will throw tomatoes at you. But if you can wrap what you know in a story everyone will sit around and listen.

 

[Gylcomer]

Sunny and 63 here in the redneck riviera.

It was 65 today in the Mountains of West Texas. It’s cold and windy now, so don’t worry the windmills are spinning like mad out here.

 

[Monahorns]

thanks I’ll look into Moorcock. With that last name, you gotta be good. But he sounds more fantasy than hard science fiction. And Heinlein was world renowned for his future vision..even before his death.

Science Fiction was a juvenile genre in its 50’s beginnings and so it was more fantasy. But Heinlein was one of the first to write science fiction for adults. Of course his later writings aren’t even suitable for children and became lessons in government, sociology, psychology, science, sexuality and libertarian values…on and on…wrapped in the future. He figured that if you had something to teach people and get on a soapbox, then everyone will throw tomatoes at you. But if you can wrap what you know in a story everyone will sit around and listen.

The Moon Is Harsh Mistress is my favorite Heinlein. I have read several of his books. It was super original. Anyone criticizing that book is clout searching.

 

[Driver 8]

thanks I’ll look into Moorcock.

This is a softball right over the plate but I'll leave the bat on my shoulder

 

[Chop]

More than 90 dead after fierce US winter storms

More than 90 dead after fierce US winter storms

The deaths include at least 25 in Tennessee and 16 in Oregon