This is not The Onion or any form of spoof. This is real life, and it is happening today.
Amid a heatwave throughout most of Texas, The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, is urgently asking Texas residents to conserve electricity because “it has projected a shortage in energy reserves Monday “with no market solution available.” Voluntary conservation is needed between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Monday.”
The problem, as the Texas power authorities have identified it, is outlined via NBC News:
According to ERCOT, factors driving the need for this important action by customers:
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- Record high electric demand. The heat wave that has settled on Texas and much of the central United States is driving increased electric use. Other grid operators are operating under similar conservative operations programs as ERCOT due to the heatwave.
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- Low wind. While solar power is generally reaching near-full generation capacity, wind generation is currently generating significantly less than what it historically generated in this time period. Current projections show wind generation coming in less than 10 % of its capacity.
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Conservation notifications are issued when projected reserves may fall below 2300 MW for 30 minutes or more, according to ERCOT. (link)
Pres. Trump jokes about windmills in speech on energy: "All of a sudden it stops, the wind and the televisions go off, and your wives and husbands say, 'Darling, I want to watch Donald Trump on television tonight, but the wind stopped blowing." https://t.co/JsAo4rT8TM pic.twitter.com/H3ERYkZ5CR
— ABC News (@ABC) August 13, 2019
I don’t suppose the doofus(es)? who placed Texas under the “Green Umbrella”, are going to turn off THEIR air conditioning, etc.
I would expect this insanity in a blue state like CA, NY, or CT but not in an oil/gas rich state like Texas. They already had the energy crisis a year ago in the winter. Why don’t they learn from their mistakes?
What happened to “All of the Above” energy policy? Why is ANY Power Utility ANYWHERE in America rationing power? Isn’t it their #1 JOB to PROVIDE energy? ALL the energy we NEED?
There’s NO excuse … other than global Warming bullshit (if Trump can use the word … so can I)
Sure but we’ll be fine when we switch to all electric “green” energy.
We can’t even keep the AC on as it is.
No heat in the winter, and no A/C in the summer.
Much less have the power to charge the electric vehicles they want us to have.
The EPA places outrageous demands for coal generation to be in compliance. Who wants to spend 450 MILLION to have stronger stand-by power supply?
This is the Covert way EPA forces shutdowns.
Texas Natural Gass producers lobby against coal. These fans call for NG turbines as a back up power supply
San Diego Power (SEMPRA) bought ONCOR. They shut down surplus capacity to save money.
San Diego has most expensive cost per KWH in the country.
My sport is sailing. The wind sucx after Memorial Day in TX.
People know there is a long list of hindrances to reliable power in TX.
They WANT 1st world America knocked off its high horse … down to 3rd world status.
This wasn’t a problem for Texas last summer. What’s changed? Oh, election year……
It’s been 107 for 3 straight months
Abbott did nothing to change the energy grid these windmills are a disaster
They are trying to “1984” the USA so we are equal with the rest of the world’s misery
Darlin, lets watch tv tonight. Oh, I’m sorry dear, there’s no wind tonight so we can’t.
Darin, do you think I can take a hot shower tomorrow? Sorry, no sun tomorrow, it is going to rain.
People seriously better start thinking about bicycle generators.
And Texas, of all states. Shameful. Shame on Abbott.
Abbott belongs to NATO: No Action, Talk Only. A consummate RINO who is only 6 points ahead of Beto.
I see literally millions of these wind mills all over the country as I travel. This effort to wean the public off of fossil fuels has destroyed the beauty of the countryside in many areas. Someone please explain this to me.
These ugly things seem to be everywhere. And now they aren’t even doing what they are designed to accomplish.
Are we all crazy?
They are so ugly! And, also, the noise they generate have literally made some people crazy who live around them. They are simply awful.
and kill lots of birds (including eagles).
where are the PETA people?
California dumps much of its scarce water into the ocean to protect a few re-introduced salmon IIRC. So where are the ‘conservationists’?
I guess people who like to cut up babies at (and after) 9 months to kill them, don’t mind a large bird kill?
I drove through a section of (supposedly conservative) Idaho … with the countryside COVERED in a wind factory. Funny … I’ve never actually seen a coal strip mine … but if I did … I’m sure it wouldn’t be as UGLY and repulsive as these wind factories.
Clinton County, NY:
Other NY state wind farms:
https://www.newyorkupstate.com/northern-ny/2016/08/wind_farms_in_upstate_ny_13_places_to_see_the_massive_windmills_photos.html
No, we aren’t all crazy. But we Let The Crazy Ones get in charge.
It’s not us. It’s the government that’s crazy. Or just plain evil.
All shipped in from Chyna.
“It comes from Chi-Na”
— PresTrump in answer to a press question “why do you keep calling it the China virus?”
And they are probably made in China.
Actually, believe it or not, the huge blades that catch the wind are made using petroleum products. In fact, much of the mechanism is made with the use pf petroleum. We just toured
an oil drilling rig and I was astounded at the numerous products made from petroleum. I believe most are made in Germany.
All this mess is not lisstening to rational engineers and listening to greenie weenies.
( my company had a contract with Enron to design blades for turbines, (now GE wind))
Our daughter has PhD EE in power systems. The grid construction executive I spoke with last week says our grid doesn’t match the supply chain and is 10 years away from adequate.
Wind and solar…not ready for prime time players.🤦♀️
Wind and solar are the energy sources of the future, and they always will be.
Nope. The future is nuclear and natural gas. Always has been.
This is the same issue that caused blackouts/brownouts during the 2021 freeze. Texas has to much dependence on “green energy” wind energy! Prove me wrong!
The thought that TEXAS would succumb to the globalist agenda, as a Texan terrifies me. 2 years ago temps of 114+ were not an issue or a strain on the grid, now temps of 100-104 are a crisis for the electrical grid. I am not the crazy one here, this is a normal N.E. Texas weather pattern. Prove me wrong!
It’s definitely worse than normal but Abbott is a huge failure
Who could have seen this coming?
Only everyone with a brain and common sense, which evidently leaves out 1/2 of the US population.
In a state with plenty of oil and natural gas this is the height of absurdity.
How did this nonsense happen in Texas? Throw the damn RINOs out.
Think the primary is over and Texas is stuck with voting RINO again in Nov.
Play stupid games win stupid prizes. Remember when Trump made that joke at a MAGA rally about not being able to watch tv because the wind wasn’t blowing?
In a related story, The Biden Administration has ordered the Department of Defense to convert America’s submarine Fleet to wind and solar power.
What, and not use the McDonald’s french fry frying fat advertised to make the DoD green, while defending us against Russia and China?
Pretty much everyone I know that uses renewable energy use solar panels.
Has absolutely nothing to do with saving the environment or going “green”.
Has everything to do with not being connected to a grid that is prone to mechanical failure and ransomeware attacks as well as having personal energy independence in case they’re ever in a SHTF situation and “the grid” goes down. Texas has already had a recent grid failure and I believe two LNG plants caught fire this year as well.
I lived in Texas until fairly recently and didn’t even realize they were setting up ‘wind farms’ as a source of energy connecting to “the grid” and I regularly kept up on the news there. Seems like they tried to sneak it in behind the scenes, not a lot of fanfare about it, at least in the DFW area.
Texas is flat, that’s a fact, in the summer it’s hot, it’s like that every year there. This time of year 10o+ temps are not uncommon, you do your outdoor work in the early morning or late afternoon to stay out of the heat.
I can’t think of a worse place to set up a wind farm. The wind doesn’t blow much in the summer, never has. In the spring and fall when temperatures start to vary, sure, but in the heat of summer, not so much.
Not very bright whoever came up with the idea.
It’s called “kickbacks”.
Rest assured the government immigrant camps won’t have to conserve
I am surprised that this administration has not enlisted Peleton to generate electricity.
No lesson learned last winter. I thought Texans were smarter than this but if you depend on fairy dust & dreams instead of oil & gas it’s on you.
And NO one could see this coming???????
Where’s the climate genius’s????? Certainly they have ALL the answers, right????
Bwa,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha.
During heat waves before AC, people slept in public parks.
https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/how-nyers-endured-unbearable-summers-before-ac
How will people travel with the electric car and no electricity? What to do???
They need to permanently install windmills on cars so that when you’re driving the windmills will recharge the batteries. On cloudy days or at night we can shine sun lamps directly at the solar panels. I don’t know why I should have to explain these things. It’s common sense!
TX has a reputation for not doing stupid things. But they have unreliable power in spite of vast energy resources, and a border invasion, and they don’t do anything about either. All hat and no cattle?
2 or 3 months ago Abbott was saying they’d purchase the unused and rusting wall segments and finish building the wall
then radio silence, hasn’t been mentioned recently
Governor Hot Wheels, Cornyn, Cruz, Eyepatch McCain – this state is embarrassing.
Here in Houston its basically a third world country with pockets of civilization sprinkled in. Not unlike Brazil in the regard. Austin has much better demographics, but I don’t have to remind you off all the rest of it’s problems.
I guess rural Texas is the appeal of the state? I can’t find much good to say and never really have.
“Austin has much better demographics…”
If you like libs, nose-rings and dreadlocks on white guys. Rural TX is probably all that’s left. Same in FL btw.
Austin’s homeless problem is a smaller version of LA’s, where they are rounded up into hotels during the big SXSW conference as well as when F1 comes to town to race at COTA. Roadways are purposely kept undersized in order to dis-incentivize driving.
I responded to their email that if they hadn’t decommissioned so much generation capacity and replaced it with “wind” that is now running at 10%!!!!!! of capacity this would not be happening.
Then I told them to get stuffed and turned my thermostat down.
“dude ………”
I drove through west Texas recently and was absolutely stunned at the number of wind generators. All I could think about was the absolute wastefulness and stupidity of the Texas energy sector brain trust. They seem to have put all their eggs in the wind and solar basket. It has bitten them before, it’ll happen again.
I have lived in Texas all my life. It is always hot in the summer and the wind does not blow that much during these months, not that the windmills turn that much in the wind anyway. I am appalled at the number of these stupid windmills that litter our beautiful countryside. I have observed a coal operation that dug up many acres of land and now the land looks almost like it did before all the digging took place. Texas has been sold a bill of goods by outsiders and policies from our federal government seems to me. I am disgusted by the lack of leadership from our governor. All talk, no action.
F-king Abbott
He learned nothing and is just lining his pockets
I wouldn’t be surprised if the power went out in November and they had to use drop boxes.
That means you can’t charge your Tesla, either. Fools!
electric cars that won’t run without a charge from green energy grids that won’t generate energy
genius
Everyone can see what’s coming. The JFK left still will vote that way thinking they have the moral upper hand. It won’t be until pain is felt and 200+ Texans dying in the winter didn’t change their minds.
Well folks, you let it happen.
I work in the automotive industry. Back in May, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) held its first ever Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Conference (https://www.sae.org/attend/electric-vehicle-charging-infrastructure-conference/program). This Webinar was a series of presentations from public policy wonks & Academia. Some of the “important” topics included
I kid you not, that one of the “benefits” of Electrifying a company’s Fleet of Delivery Vehicles, was that their batteries could charge the power grid overnight! Thankfully, the chat lit up with comments to the effect of “wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of having your fleet fully charged to make deliveries to your customers?”
First the brutal winter. Now this. Why don’t Texans hold people accountable in government for these decisions?
“You’re killin’ me Smalls.”
This is what happens when a Bushie like Abbott runs the state…..unfortunately too many members of the GOP house are in the same boat. Texans had a chance to change in the recent primary……blew it. There are far worse than Abbott, but for too long and too often he’s been all hat, no cattle……..a quick flash in the pan policy that aims to do good……but these policies all too often have a very…..very short shelf life.
Greg Abbott, crony capitalist (the other half of the China model of governance that leads us to globalism) marches us back to the 7th C. Don’t blame me, I voted for Allen West!
President Trump was VERY PRESCIENT on this!!! Cannot believe that ppl actually BELIEVE that wind will solve their problems…just like electric cars!!!!!!!
The WHOLE World is getting a very big case of “stupid” and people are waking up to the realities…Hope enough wake up to get rid of this “junk science”!!!!! WOWZA!!!!
Who in the great state of Texas implemented these preposterous energy solutions?? And how are they at the pinnacle of policy decisions? It seems that it is time to implement our own policies, which will req. us to re-build the failing climate hoaxers plans for a “greener” utopia..every energy worker should just go help the invasion at the Rio Grande defense while they lie in its cooling waters, after disconnecting the proles in Austin from the grid.
The green agenda is not about climate. It’s about bringing down the USA. The constant attack on President Trump proved that.
Our energy future is hydrogen. Both with fusion and hydrogen cells. I probably won’t see it in my lifetime but it will happen.
We know how to do the cells but we need economies of scale and distribution to make it affordable.
If the greenies were really serious about climate instead of political control and cronyism they would be all over this.
Texas is run by the GOP.
Lots of oil money there.
What gives?????
It’s all planned. BBB – throw money and don’t create actual long term energy policy. GOP are in in it too, don’t be fooled.
AOC says to just plug the bigly bladed thingey into a wall socket.
Well, ERCOT is ran by a Jenny Granholm flunky that resides in Michigan…
We Texans did this to ourselves by not paying sufficient attention to the “Republicans” for whom we voted. The state government subsidized windmills, with investments following the handouts thus leaving reliable energy behind. We reap what we sowed.
First and Foremost ERCOT is a joke. I live in Texas, in fact, CPS Energy is the provider for San Antonio and the surrounding area. The liberalization of the energy industry is becoming a national security issue. Coal & natural gas are more efficient and more reliable forms of fuel. CPS energy had at one point 12 to 15 plants online to maintain the demand in the city. We would sell the excess. Now that we are in ERCOT we have had nothing but bumbling & stumbling with maintenance and demand issues. These energy management organizations are all mismanaged. They attempt to bandaid the symptom instead of dealing with the real issue, which will always be the increased demand for power. Energy producers need to build more production, is it supply and demand. The Federal Government is NOT allowing the construction of coal plants. CPS Energy has divested itself from coal to solar and wind. Yesterday it was 108 in San Antonio, how many people dying from heat-related illness will it take for the City of San Antonio & CPS energy to start doing their jobs and provide power? ERCOT is a miserable failure!
Texas has a bunch of coal fired plants 🪴 sitting idle.
Heads should be rolling, literally.
And natural gas here in Texas is still being burnt off at well heads instead of being a source of electricity grid support.
No energy shortage just a shortage of will.
“I want more power sources PERIOD. More nuclear, oil, gas, natural gas, solar and wind. Let the consumer decide which they want.”
Is what the next POTUS should run on.
(LINK): Nearly 90% of Texas Republican delegates support a vote for independence
66% of Texas voters want a Texit.
Thanks a lot, governor Abbott, for allowing the Texas energy grid to be larded up with useless wind and solar energy. It was a disaster during the great deep freeze the year before last, and we’re having a 40 year super-hot summer this year.
Abbott and Bush Republicans in Texas must share the blame for this fiasco. That the situation has not improved since the deep freeze is ridiculous.
I am not a Texas resident but I am willing to bet that this took years if not decades. I’d also submit that both parties have their hands dirty.
Someone care to prove to me that this isn’t true?