Texans are Dying; Abbott is Lying
The 2021 Power Catastrophe was decades in the making, especially after 1999 when ERCOT with the PUC blessings established a “market based” power generation regime. Independent power producers (IPPs) are paid only for power they generate, not for investment in weatherproofing or maintenance. As a result, many plants simply shut down when it’s not economic to generate power, and shut down when the weather gets extreme as it has been this week. That’s exactly what happened this week; when fuel gas supply skyrocketed due to demand, power generation became uneconomic because most contract prices for power are fixed. Rather than operate at a loss, the IPPs shut down, knocking over 4 million Texans off the grid. That result is unacceptable, and everyone, including Greg Abbott and John Cornyn know it. Rather than take responsibility for the catastrophe that they helped create (along with Rootin’ Tootin’ Rick Perry) they immediately called for an “investigation” into their own goddam actions and decisions that they made. The other thing they did? They lied that the problem was caused by “frozen windmills” and solar panels. Cornyn even retweeted a picture of a helicopter deicing a wind turbine IN SWEDEN, claiming it was in Texas. Abbott got on Fox News, and told the same lie that renewables don’t work and the Green New Deal would destroy the economy. That’s correct – Cornyn and Abbott are politicizing a crisis where Texans are dying to score cheap political points. Cruz, of course, when called out for mocking California last summer during the wild fires, characteristically crawled back under his rock.
Here’s a map of current power outages nationwide. Have a look at this, knowing that the same weather that affected Texas also crossed the western United States and is currently moving into the eastern United States:
Notice anything interesting? There are no extended power outages outside of Texas in the areas managed by ERCOT. The line across the Appalachians is where the storm currently is and where power will be quickly restored. Texas, not so much. This is a massive failure in public policy caused by decades of mythological and magical thinking that the “free market” cures all ills and that the federal government is always bad. Neither has ever been true and never will be.
So, when your Republican friends start howling about “frozen windmills” stop them in their tracks and call bullshit. Because it’s bullshit.
Perhaps the governor et al can suggest Texans jump up and down while they shout Benghazi! or Unconstitutional! to help them warm up a little. Unfortunately, most who would benefit are in the dark so there’s no way to reach them.
It’s not the windmills, it’s the wingnuts.
1Ah the joys of living in a capitalist utopia. No corporations were harmed in making this catastrophe!
2And don’t forget Rick Perry who’s spouting that Texans would rather freeze than regulate! He needs to go back to whatever hole he’s been residing in and stay there!
3Same tricks with natural gas supplies in California.
However, windmills DO freeze.
Just read a Canadian report on it.
Snow doesn’t last on solar panels.
4Last night, on Houston’s ABC13, Gina Gaston was interviewing Abbott from Austin. He was raving about ERCOT, flapping his arms and was clearly very defensive. Gina finally cut him off, mid sentence. The guy next to Abbott, some functionary, had the look of a captive, heavily furrowed brow and stern look, undoubtedly wishing he were some place else.
5Then Abbott goes on Hannity to finish saying what he really was trying to say earlier, that nothing is his fault and he’s upset that somebody might hold him accountable.
So that’s what leadership looks like!
Rick @1,
“It’s not the windmills, it’s the wingnuts.”
The winner!
6The birth of a new bumpersticker!
“However, windmills DO freeze.
Just read a Canadian report on it.”
Engineers have winterizing packages that can be installed, say in Norther climes that mitigates if not prevents freezing. Can windmills freeze – yes. If spec’d properly – likely not.
7GeneB- that’s what repugnantican “leadership” looks like. Sounds a lot like Trumpf on coronavirus.
8In TX, looks like a leaderless ship. Hope when it sinks, Abbott is without a life jacket.
For anyone interested: the previous power snafu resulted in an extensive investigation, and a FERC report:
https//www.ferc.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/08-16-11-report.pdf
The recommendations start on page 197. As far as I can tell, none of them were implemented, especially the ones saying the power producers needed to winterize their ops.
9OT- Kentucky Qgop chair is calling for McConnell to resign because because his constituents are all Trumpfsters. I think the repugnantican party is blowing apart and it will be interesting to see where senate repugnanticans line up. Also, miss Lindsey is “worried about 2022”. They both are responsible for what’s happening to their grand old party.
10Do you have documentation for some plants shutting down rather than operate at a loss? That seems like a very serious thing if that’s what they did. It’s not that I don’t think the jerks running the state and generating plants are incapable of it. Far from it. I would just like to see that allegation nailed down, if possible.
11My wife told me about the Colorado City (TX) Mayor Tom Boyd:
ORIGINAL FACEBOOK MESSAGE (since deleted):
“Let me hurt some feelings while I have a minute!!
No one owes you are (sic) your family anything; nor is it the local government’s responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim it’s your choice! The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING! I’m sick and tired of people looking for a damn handout! If you don’t have electricity you step up and come up with a game plan to keep your family warm and safe. If you have no water you deal without and think outside of the box to survive and supply water to your family. If you are sitting at home in the cold because you have no power and are sitting there waiting for someone to come rescue you because your (sic) lazy is direct result of your raising! Only the strong will survive and the weak will parish (sic). Folks God has given us the tools to support ourselves in times like this. This is sadly a product of socialist government where they feed people to believe that the FEW will work and others will become dependent for handouts. Am I sorry that you have been dealing without electricity and water; yes! But I’ll be damned if I’m going to provide for anyone that is capable of doing it themselves! We have lost sight of those in need and those that take advantage of the system and meshed them in to one group!! Bottom line quit crying and looking for a handout! Get off your ass and take care of your own family!
Bottom line – DONT (sic) A PART OF PROBLEM, BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION!!”
12Colorado City is now down one mayor.
13Most everything I’ve seen says that a lot of the capacity went offline due to frozen sensors, frozen cooling intakes (one of Texas’ four nuclear plants), and knock-on effects from these.
Also a lot of drool from Texas papers noting that Texas wind installations aren’t producing their rated power… but ERCOT stats show they’re expected to produce about 19% of their rated (“guaranteed not-to-exceed”) power this time of year, and are actually producing somewhat more.
Correction: one of Texas’ four nuclear reactors. Texas has two plants and four reactors.
14The Colorado City mayor says people want something for nothing. I didn’t know Texans don’t pay for the power. How about water, natural gas, education? Oh and salaries of politicians like him and abbott. I guess rick perry is free right now.
15El Jefe, as Bobby Jindal said, “… stop being the party of stupid.” Sorry about Bobby’s luck, but the GOP has become the QOP doubling and tripling down on the stupid thus the death toll of unnecessary deaths has passed horrific.
Dubya and Cheney lied while people died. tRump killed over 500,000 with his lies.
Finally maybe, just maybe, the body count since Reagan has reached a proportion that even the semi-comatose inattentive vote against their own interests staunch Rs will finally wake the puck up.
16Everyone pretty much said it all. Me, I’m just happy you could charge your phone and let us know, by virtue of your posts, that all is good as can be right now for you and Bubba.
Now that damn front is on its way to Nicaragua and they forecast nights in the low 60s. Hope we survive. W
17e’re not tough like you Texans.
Seriously, do you have documentation of plants shutting down rather than operating at a loss? I really really really want to know.
18Oh, how “blessed” we are to be guided by the wise leadership of Greg Abbott and other members of the Texas Republican Party.
There are rumors that the junior senator from Texas has responded to this crisis by taking a flight to Cancun.
19“Viral Image Claiming to Show a Helicopter De-Icing Texas Wind Turbines Is From Winter 2014 in Sweden”
https://earther.gizmodo.com/viral-image-claiming-to-show-a-helicopter-de-icing-texa-1846279287?fbclid=IwAR36PF6T4PV9BJ9ZH2k7fT0CT7uE2jiVP2q6PsU7Z-Eh79vwTX7Zhdtlazo&utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark
20The nude eel is knot the problem. Really folks if it weren’t for the few Texans that populate this site, I would gladly favor cutting Texas off from the US: close the Army, Navy & Air Force facilities, close the ROTC programs, remove all federal inspectors and lab supervision, FBI, air traffic control (making Texas air space unsafe) and institute border control proc’s. I would slowly extend this version of the ‘Silent Treatment’ begun at USMA / West Point to all places that chose to practice the big lie: Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, etc. , until the Gophers & Ostriches decided to accept it isn’t a nude eel that saves humanity, but it is only democracy in our unique democratic-republic form that saves humanity from this insanity derived from trumplthinskin’s treasonous treachery and accelerated through the communities that support the big lie and still claim O’Bama (RollTide) is a Kenyan.
21Sorry! ” … nude eel that enslaves … “. poor proofing
22Lol must be the ghost of Enron.
Saw this on Facebook,
“I’ll vote for a Democrat when hell freezes over.” — Texas Republicans
“Deal.” — Mother Nature’
23I’m old enough to remember the time when a major Republican talking point was “better dead than Red.” Ironic, since the R’s are depicted as the red party. Who knew that they were warning us against themselves?
Today, they’ve updated to, better dead than:
Avoiding frostbite
Not running the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning
Having running water
Having clean water that doesn’t need boiling
Having pipes that are secure from freezing
And, apparently, having a government that keeps you from freezing to death —- so you’re dead anyway.
But hey — you’re not letting the Feds in to ruin your life, and that’s what matters, right?
24Vic @11 – Sure. The PUC issued an emergency order on Monday night raising the minimum price cap to $9,000 per MWH. That’s when power starting coming on, and, by the by, power retailers started shutting down and offering $100 rebates to get customers to cancel their contracts. Those customers without contracts are going to get a nice surprise in the bills this month when their rate goes from about 15 cents to $9.
25Did the good folks at Enron have any part in establishing that “Market Based” scheme? It sounds like something that the Big Crooked E would have lobbied for.
26El Jefe, or anyone else who knows the answer tooth’s: must electricity gained from panels be used immediately or it will “evaporate”? The pro-nuclear crowd in my area is insisting o this fragility with solar panels.
27maggie @27, The ” pro-nuclear crowd in my area” is feeding you the usual anti-alternative energy bullshit.
Of course solar power [PVs] isn’t going to solve all energy problems by itself, it’s just one sector of a group of solutions.
It’s also much more complicated than I’ll get into here, a start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_panel .
Solar panels first feed their output power to a “solar controller/inverter*” which regulates the actual power generated and available for use [when there is sufficient sunlight, which varies by time, weather, etc.].
If a solar panel is unconnected, or it’s controller limits it, the panel won’t produce anything [open circuit].
Like all electrical power [even nuclear generated], once generated, it must either be used, exported, stored [batteries, hydro, etc] or dissipated [EG: into a dummy load, producing heat] instantaneously. It has to go somewhere.
–A nuclear power plant’s control systems will vary the output power just like a solar panel controller will, within limits.
* solar controllers come in different sizes and designs, from ones of a few amps for a 20-300W panel, to ones of hundreds of amps for large arrays of panels; there are many configurations available.
I have several PV/solar panels doing different things supplying power to charge and maintain various batteries. I wish I could convert my whole house and vehicles to off-grid solar/wind power sources [have an ideal location for both] with a massive offpeak battery, but the initial cost of that is beyond me.
–Another drawback is that the Texas power lobby [and likely ERCOT] have put up huge barriers against individuals producing electrical power for sale to ‘the grid’! My own little coop municipal power company has greatly tightened the limits on small residential power production.
28This –constraint– of small distributed power production needs to become a major political issue! The times are clearly right for it now.
@Maggie – Your “pro-nuclear” sources are being misleading. See the following info how home solar panels and “net metering” with a local utility can save you money. If your home was entirely “off the grid,” there are limited ways you could store the excess solar panel energy, such as in the form of heat in a water heater. But nuclear also would be a complete nonstarter if you’re off the grid, unless you happen to have your very own nuclear reactor in your basement.
https://www.energysage.com/solar/101/net-metering-for-home-solar-panels/
29@Sandridge #28 – Exactly. +1.
30