Houston Chronicle Says Texas Failed To Build In Energy Efficiency To Plan For Climate Extremes

[RV_]

From the Houston Chronicle. This came out before the recent firing of officials.

Excerpt:

"What Caused The Blackout In Texas?

Forbes decries the energy crisis in Texas as “an unmitigated disaster on all fronts.” A long list of factors caused the February blackouts across Texas.

• Cold weather increased demand for natural gas for both heating and electrical generation well above projected requirements.
• The natural gas system in Texas is based on fracking, shale oil, and just-in-time delivery.
• The natural gas system in Texas isn’t winterized and allows high water content natural gas to flow through pipes, which subsequently froze in many places.
• Gas generation facilities weren’t winterized, and multiple failure conditions occurred in multiple plants due to icing of instruments and the like.
• Coal piles were drenched, then froze, preventing some of the remaining coal plants from operating, where they too weren’t suffering from iced instruments.
• One of Texas’ nuclear reactors, a quarter of the nuclear generation in the state, went offline, dropping an instant loss of 1,300 MW onto a straining grid.
• The rolling blackout grid structure hadn’t been well designed, solid operational processes weren’t in place, and it hadn’t been tested well.
• Texas’ ERCOT has very light transmission links to the rest of North America, having made a decision in the 1930s to have a separate grid with no federal oversight.

How Energy Efficiency Policies Could Have Made A Difference In Texas

Energy efficiency creates resilience while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Energy efficiency upgrades to homes and buildings reduce consumption by as much as one-third to one-half.

If Texas homes and buildings were more energy efficient, their demand on the system could have been reduced up to 50%, resulting in less severe outages.

More weather-proof buildings would be warmer during outages. Better-insulated homes, schools, and offices would have been more comfortable.

There would have been fewer burst pipes.

Resultant water shortages and contamination would have been minimized.

Energy efficiency improvements could have reduced stress on the grid."

More in the full article written by Texans who could also look out their window:

https://cleantechnica.com/2021/02/28/houston-chronicle-says-texas-failed-to-build-in-energy-efficiency-to-plan-for-climate-extremes/

[NamMedevac 70]

Great info from the Chronicle. Thanks RV.  I am extremely glad I moved from Texas 10 years ago to Northern Nevada and California border.  When I did live in TX for many years we had some very close calls with bad icing but nothing like what just occurred.  It was just a matter of time and the DA were not prepared.  Situation Normal with the crowd in charge of things as in (Lazy).  As I recall energy prices before we left were pretty steep. Not so much out here. Winter months my energy bill runs average 60-65 dollars a month and summer time I rarely use AC as fans only are comfortable. No humidity and no cock roaches. 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by NamMedevac 70