Texas officials warn of winter rolling blackouts; unreliable energy sources, population boom, all factors

The organization that operates Texas’ electric grid has warned of potential forced power outages this year if temperatures drop to below freezing like they did last year.

According to The Dallas Morning News, “when Texas’ power demand outstrips available supply,” the organization — the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) — “is forced to shut off power to some customers to maintain the stability of the grid.”

The Morning News reported on Thursday that ERCOT has predicted there’s a 14.4 percent chance that these controlled outages — known as rolling blackouts — will be required this year if temperatures drop to the levels seen last year.

By January, the risk will reportedly rise to 16.8 percent.


“The hour of 8 a.m. is when ERCOT has predicted the greatest chance for blackouts. The reason mornings in the winter are the most troublesome is because that is when people begin waking up and using more electricity. The temperatures remain near daily lows, so heaters are more likely to be operating while people begin heating water and cooking meals,” according to the paper.

“Add to that a typically lackluster amount of renewable energy production during the winter, and it creates a morning spike in power demand that typically does not coincide with increases in energy production,” the paper added.

As to what’s exacerbating the risk, it’s reportedly the increase in the state’s population, which reportedly has grown 20 percent since 2010 and hit 30 million last year.

“That can be seen in energy usage. This summer, electricity demand broke all-time records 10 times. Monthly demand records also are being set routinely, according to data from ERCOT,” the Morning News notes.

Also affecting the chances of forced outages are the state’s investments in renewable energy.

“While the amount of electricity being used continues to grow at rates that outpace population growth, the amount of new generation being added to the grid has kept pace mainly in renewable energy,” according to the Morning News.

Texas has especially seen gains in wind and solar energy, both of which have been shown to be less reliable than traditional fossil fuels. Indeed, both were largely to blame for the rolling blackouts that were necessary in 2021.


“Nearly half of Texas’ installed wind power generation capacity has been offline because of frozen wind turbines in West Texas, according to Texas grid operators,” the Austin American-Statesman reported on Feb. 17th, 2021.

“Wind farms across the state generate up to a combined 25,100 megawatts of energy. But unusually moist winter conditions in West Texas brought on by the weekend’s freezing rain and historically low temperatures have iced many of those wind turbines to a halt,” the paper added.

Conversely, the state’s fossil fuel systems worked just fine. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board noted at the time that, far from failing, the state’s fossil fuels jumped into overdrive to hold off the crisis as long as possible — all as nearly 100 percent of the state’s wind turbines failed.

“Between 12 a.m. on Feb. 8 and Feb. 16, wind power plunged 93% while coal increased 47% and gas 450%, according to the [Energy Information Administration],” the board wrote.

“Yet the renewable industry and its media mouthpieces are tarring gas, coal and nuclear because they didn’t operate at 100% of their expected potential during the Arctic blast even though wind turbines failed nearly 100%.”


Dovetailing back to the present, ERCOT is trying to prevent problems this year by weatherizing facilities.

“After the deadly February 2021 freeze, the Legislature put in place weatherization standards for power plants. ERCOT has conducted widespread inspections of power plants to ensure those rules are being followed,” the Morning News notes.

“The grid operator also created an incentive program that pays power plants for keeping a backup supply of fuel on-site. The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, has also created some weatherization standards for gas wells and pipelines. And both ERCOT and the Railroad Commission have created a map of critical infrastructure,” according to the paper.

https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/11/24/texas-officials-warn-of-winter-rolling-blackouts-unreliable-energy-sources-population-boom-all-factors-1414884/?utm_campaign=bizpac&utm_content=Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Get%20Response&utm_term=EMAIL

Texas officials warn of winter rolling blackouts; unreliable energy sources, population boom, all factors

The organization that operates Texas’ electric grid has warned of potential forced power outages this year if temperatures drop to below freezing like they did last year.

According to The Dallas Morning News, “when Texas’ power demand outstrips available supply,” the organization — the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) — “is forced to shut off power to some customers to maintain the stability of the grid.”

The Morning News reported on Thursday that ERCOT has predicted there’s a 14.4 percent chance that these controlled outages — known as rolling blackouts — will be required this year if temperatures drop to the levels seen last year.

By January, the risk will reportedly rise to 16.8 percent.


“The hour of 8 a.m. is when ERCOT has predicted the greatest chance for blackouts. The reason mornings in the winter are the most troublesome is because that is when people begin waking up and using more electricity. The temperatures remain near daily lows, so heaters are more likely to be operating while people begin heating water and cooking meals,” according to the paper.

“Add to that a typically lackluster amount of renewable energy production during the winter, and it creates a morning spike in power demand that typically does not coincide with increases in energy production,” the paper added.

As to what’s exacerbating the risk, it’s reportedly the increase in the state’s population, which reportedly has grown 20 percent since 2010 and hit 30 million last year.

“That can be seen in energy usage. This summer, electricity demand broke all-time records 10 times. Monthly demand records also are being set routinely, according to data from ERCOT,” the Morning News notes.

Also affecting the chances of forced outages are the state’s investments in renewable energy.

“While the amount of electricity being used continues to grow at rates that outpace population growth, the amount of new generation being added to the grid has kept pace mainly in renewable energy,” according to the Morning News.

Texas has especially seen gains in wind and solar energy, both of which have been shown to be less reliable than traditional fossil fuels. Indeed, both were largely to blame for the rolling blackouts that were necessary in 2021.


“Nearly half of Texas’ installed wind power generation capacity has been offline because of frozen wind turbines in West Texas, according to Texas grid operators,” the Austin American-Statesman reported on Feb. 17th, 2021.

“Wind farms across the state generate up to a combined 25,100 megawatts of energy. But unusually moist winter conditions in West Texas brought on by the weekend’s freezing rain and historically low temperatures have iced many of those wind turbines to a halt,” the paper added.

Conversely, the state’s fossil fuel systems worked just fine. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board noted at the time that, far from failing, the state’s fossil fuels jumped into overdrive to hold off the crisis as long as possible — all as nearly 100 percent of the state’s wind turbines failed.

“Between 12 a.m. on Feb. 8 and Feb. 16, wind power plunged 93% while coal increased 47% and gas 450%, according to the [Energy Information Administration],” the board wrote.

“Yet the renewable industry and its media mouthpieces are tarring gas, coal and nuclear because they didn’t operate at 100% of their expected potential during the Arctic blast even though wind turbines failed nearly 100%.”


Dovetailing back to the present, ERCOT is trying to prevent problems this year by weatherizing facilities.

“After the deadly February 2021 freeze, the Legislature put in place weatherization standards for power plants. ERCOT has conducted widespread inspections of power plants to ensure those rules are being followed,” the Morning News notes.

“The grid operator also created an incentive program that pays power plants for keeping a backup supply of fuel on-site. The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, has also created some weatherization standards for gas wells and pipelines. And both ERCOT and the Railroad Commission have created a map of critical infrastructure,” according to the paper.

https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/11/24/texas-officials-warn-of-winter-rolling-blackouts-unreliable-energy-sources-population-boom-all-factors-1414884/?utm_campaign=bizpac&utm_content=Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Get%20Response&utm_term=EMAIL

Texas officials warn of winter rolling blackouts; unreliable energy sources, population boom, all factors

The organization that operates Texas’ electric grid has warned of potential forced power outages this year if temperatures drop to below freezing like they did last year.

According to The Dallas Morning News, “when Texas’ power demand outstrips available supply,” the organization — the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) — “is forced to shut off power to some customers to maintain the stability of the grid.”

The Morning News reported on Thursday that ERCOT has predicted there’s a 14.4 percent chance that these controlled outages — known as rolling blackouts — will be required this year if temperatures drop to the levels seen last year.

By January, the risk will reportedly rise to 16.8 percent.


“The hour of 8 a.m. is when ERCOT has predicted the greatest chance for blackouts. The reason mornings in the winter are the most troublesome is because that is when people begin waking up and using more electricity. The temperatures remain near daily lows, so heaters are more likely to be operating while people begin heating water and cooking meals,” according to the paper.

“Add to that a typically lackluster amount of renewable energy production during the winter, and it creates a morning spike in power demand that typically does not coincide with increases in energy production,” the paper added.

As to what’s exacerbating the risk, it’s reportedly the increase in the state’s population, which reportedly has grown 20 percent since 2010 and hit 30 million last year.

“That can be seen in energy usage. This summer, electricity demand broke all-time records 10 times. Monthly demand records also are being set routinely, according to data from ERCOT,” the Morning News notes.

Also affecting the chances of forced outages are the state’s investments in renewable energy.

“While the amount of electricity being used continues to grow at rates that outpace population growth, the amount of new generation being added to the grid has kept pace mainly in renewable energy,” according to the Morning News.

Texas has especially seen gains in wind and solar energy, both of which have been shown to be less reliable than traditional fossil fuels. Indeed, both were largely to blame for the rolling blackouts that were necessary in 2021.


“Nearly half of Texas’ installed wind power generation capacity has been offline because of frozen wind turbines in West Texas, according to Texas grid operators,” the Austin American-Statesman reported on Feb. 17th, 2021.

“Wind farms across the state generate up to a combined 25,100 megawatts of energy. But unusually moist winter conditions in West Texas brought on by the weekend’s freezing rain and historically low temperatures have iced many of those wind turbines to a halt,” the paper added.

Conversely, the state’s fossil fuel systems worked just fine. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board noted at the time that, far from failing, the state’s fossil fuels jumped into overdrive to hold off the crisis as long as possible — all as nearly 100 percent of the state’s wind turbines failed.

“Between 12 a.m. on Feb. 8 and Feb. 16, wind power plunged 93% while coal increased 47% and gas 450%, according to the [Energy Information Administration],” the board wrote.

“Yet the renewable industry and its media mouthpieces are tarring gas, coal and nuclear because they didn’t operate at 100% of their expected potential during the Arctic blast even though wind turbines failed nearly 100%.”


Dovetailing back to the present, ERCOT is trying to prevent problems this year by weatherizing facilities.

“After the deadly February 2021 freeze, the Legislature put in place weatherization standards for power plants. ERCOT has conducted widespread inspections of power plants to ensure those rules are being followed,” the Morning News notes.

“The grid operator also created an incentive program that pays power plants for keeping a backup supply of fuel on-site. The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state’s oil and gas industry, has also created some weatherization standards for gas wells and pipelines. And both ERCOT and the Railroad Commission have created a map of critical infrastructure,” according to the paper.

https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/11/24/texas-officials-warn-of-winter-rolling-blackouts-unreliable-energy-sources-population-boom-all-factors-1414884/?utm_campaign=bizpac&utm_content=Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Get%20Response&utm_term=EMAIL

Could "DC" run strictly on "wind power"..they should try that, I think it would work.