Tucker Carlson: Green energy means a less reliable power grid. Why do our leaders deny that?

Frozen wind turbines hamper Texas power output, state’s electric grid operator says

Credit:  Historic winter storm freezes Texas wind turbines | Brandon Mulder | Austin American-Statesman Feb. 14, 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.

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.

As of Sunday morning, those iced turbines comprise 12,000 megawatts of Texas’ installed wind generation capacity, although those West Texas turbines don’t typically spin to their full generation capacity this time of year.

Fortunately for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the state’s electric grid, the storm’s gusty winds are spinning the state’s unfrozen coastal turbines at a higher rate than expected, helping to offset some of the power generation losses because of the icy conditions.

“This is a unique winter storm that’s more widespread with lots of moisture in West Texas, where there’s a lot of times not a lot of moisture,” said Dan Woodfin, Senior Director of System Operations for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. “It’s certainly more than what we would typically assume.”

Wind power has been the fastest-growing source of energy in Texas’ power grid. In 2015 winder power generation supplied 11% of Texas’ energy grid. Last year it supplied 23% and overtook coal as the system’s second-largest source of energy after natural gas.

In Austin, wind power supplies roughly 19% of the city’s energy demands, all of which is passed from producers to consumers across the state grid. The city began adding several megawatts of wind energy capacity to its renewable energy portfolio in the 1990s from both West Texas and Gulf Coast wind farms.

The frozen turbines come as low temperatures strain the state’s power grid and force operators to call for immediate statewide conservation efforts, like unplugging non-essential appliances, turning down residential heaters and minimize use of electric lighting.

Electric demand is expected to exceed the state’s previous winter-peak record set in January 2018 by 10,000 megawatts. And peak demand expected for Monday and Tuesday is forecasted to meet or exceed the state’s summertime record for peak demand of 74,820 megawatts.

“Typically the ERCOT system peaks in the summer because of the air conditioning load, but we’re seeing forecasts of overall demand being that high in the next few days,” Woodfin said.

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Comment by Kenneth Capron on February 17, 2021 at 12:29pm

The images of this cold spell on the local TV are impressive as they relate to the amount of land suffering freezing temps. You could almost visualize the outline of the last ice age. The ice age must have turned much or most of the water on Earth into ice and snow glaciers two miles thick. And what was left of the oceans must have been very salty. So - renewables wouldn't work well in an ice age. We could start a counter-warming revolution.

Comment by mm domach on February 17, 2021 at 11:02am

If < 50% of 15.7% percent collapses a grid (0.4*15.7% = 6.2%), then it's the system whether you like or dislike wind.  TX does not (i) winterize anything, (ii) power share, or (iii) maintain adequate reserve.  The coal plants couldn't be started up with frozen fluids. When they are, it takes days to gain capacity.  With zero wind and solar generation in TX, they would be in the same situation with the smallest reserve, frozen everything, and no power sharing.  Basic engineering system analysis vs wishful narrative building via information omission. 

Comment by Willem Post on February 17, 2021 at 9:10am

THE WISCONSIN SPIKE


THE MICHIGAN SPIKES

Comment by Willem Post on February 17, 2021 at 9:03am

CALIFORBIA

 

Electricity Short-Falls During Heat Waves with Simultaneous Wind Lulls in California

  

Typically, California imports about 30% of its electricity from nearby states to cover any electricity short-falls. This mode of operation sufficed, until the US Southwest had a major, multi-day, heat wave; during heat waves winds are minimal. As a result, electricity supplies to California were curtailed by the exporting states.

 

California had multiple days with rolling black-outs, i.e., tens of millions of people with no air-conditioning during periods with temperatures up to 115F. Living conditions were made even worse by the smoke of large-scale forest fires.

 

Hopefully, California learned an expensive lesson, due to over-reliance on weather-dependent, season-dependent, wind and solar electricity, and some battery systems.

 

Closing Down Power Plants: Prior to the heat wave, as a part of poorly planned climate-change fighting, California had unwisely closed down 15 of its 19 high-efficiency (up to 60%), gas-fired power plants, on the Pacific coast.

 

Those plants had not been kept in reserve, i.e., staffed, fueled and kept in good working order, to immediately provide electricity, just in case of a major heat wave and minimal wind.

 

Those plants had been operating at high percentages of rated capacity to produce reliable, not variable, not intermittent, low-CO2, low-cost electricity, 24/7/365, regardless of weather or season.

 

GERMANY

 

Typically, in the middle of winter, Germany has periods of up to about 7 days, with minimal solar, because panels are covered with snow, and, simultaneously, minimal wind. Coal plants have to be operated at 100% capacity to keep the economy going.

“Break-their-will”, anti-fossil zealots are pushing New England in the same direction as Germany.

https://notrickszone.com/2021/01/28/berlin-on-the-brink-blackouts-l...

 

In case of Germany:

 

- Whenever it has excess wind and solar electricity (which has high, subsidized costs/kWh), it usually spreads the excess into grids of nearby countries at very low, even negative, wholesale prices (excess supply lowers the price).

 

- Whenever Germany has very little wind and solar electricity, these countries sell to Germany at higher wholesale prices (shortages increase prices). That procedure avoids having utility-scale battery systems, which would be off-the-charts more expensive.

 

- Solar imposes the greatest threat to the stability of the grid, due to ever-larger DUCK-curves, as has happened in southern Germany and southern California. The more solar, the larger the DUCK-curves.

 

Wind Solar Lulls

 

Sometimes wind/solar lulls occur lasting 5 to 7 days, when their combined output is less than 15% of normal. Such lulls occur at random throughout the year in Vermont, and all of NE (and in Germany, the UK, etc.).

 

If solar and wind were each 22.5% of annual supply to the NE grid by 2025, and suddenly both would be just 0.15 x 45% = 6.75%, where would the other 38.25% come from for SIX DAYS?

 

Here is an example of a 6-day summer lull.

http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/analysis-of-a-6-day-lul...

 

Here is an example of a multi-day winter lull.

https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/wind-plus-solar-plus-s...

 

Winter Snowstorm in UK, Netherlands and Germany, February 6

 

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2021/02/07/winter-storm-threatens-germa...

 

https://worldnewsera.com/news/startups/germanys-green-energy-failur...

 

https://stopthesethings.com/2021/02/09/coal-comfort-total-collapse-...

 

https://berlinspectator.com/2021/02/06/germany-braces-for-extreme-w...

 

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-winter-storm-wreaks-havoc-in-north-an...

 

TEXAS

 

Nearly 50% of Texas' installed wind power generation capacity has been offline because of frozen wind turbines in West Texas, according to Texas grid operators. 

Wind farms across the state generate up to a combined 25,100 megawatts of energy. Most of those wind turbines are located in west Texas, the Panhandle.

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.

As of Sunday morning, those iced turbines comprised 12,000 megawatts of Texas' installed wind generation capacity, although those West Texas turbines don't typically spin to their full generation capacity this time of year.

Texas power outages:

Rolling blackouts possible amid record demand for energy

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/14/texas-weather-rolli...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/winter-storm-forces-rolling-power-outa...

Fortunately for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which manages the state's electric grid, the storm's gusty winds are spinning the state's unfrozen coastal turbines at a higher rate than expected, helping to offset some of the power generation losses because of the icy conditions. 

"This is a unique winter storm that's more widespread with lots of moisture in West Texas, where there's a lot of times not a lot of moisture," said Dan Woodfin, Senior Director of System Operations for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. "It's certainly more than what we would typically assume."

Wind power has been the fastest-growing source of energy in Texas' power grid. In 2015 winder power generation supplied 11% of Texas' energy grid. Last year it supplied 23% and overtook coal as the system's second-largest source of energy after natural gas.

The frozen turbines come as low temperatures strain the state's power grid and force operators to call for immediate statewide conservation efforts, like unplugging non-essential appliances, turning down residential heaters and minimize use of electric lighting. 

Almost 50% of Texas Wind Turbines Were Out-of-Service, Due to Icing in West Texas

 

“Wind systems in Texas have a total capacity of about 25,100 MW.

Unusually moist winter conditions in West Texas, where most of the wind turbines are located, brought on by the weekend’s freezing rain, and historically low temperatures, have iced many of those wind turbines to a halt,” the Austin American-Statesman reported.

 

“As of Sunday morning, those iced turbines comprised 12,000 M of installed capacity.

 

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/02/16/nearly-half-of-texas-win...

Of the 25,000-plus megawatts of wind-power capacity normally available in Texas, some 12,000 megawatts was out of service as of Sunday morning “due to the winter weather event we’re experiencing in Texas,” ERCOT spokeswoman Leslie Sopko said.

Wind generation ranks as the second-largest source of energy in Texas, accounting for 23% of state power supplies last year, behind natural gas, which represented 45%, according to ERCOT figures.

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/02/15/icy-weather-chills-texas...

 

 

 

Comment by Thinklike A. Mountain on February 16, 2021 at 10:46pm

Biden Is in Wisconsin Tonight for Highly Scripted CNN “Town Hall” – Will Anyone Ask Him About the IMPOSSIBLE Spike in Ballots on Election Night that St*le Wisconsin from Trump?
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/biden-wisconsin-tonight-hi...

P.S. - Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself, two planes didn't bring down three steel skyscrapers and Joseph Robinette Biden did not win the election.

Comment by Willem Post on February 16, 2021 at 10:39pm

Carlson has it absolutely correct regarding the overall wind solar picture.

California had black-outs during a widespread multi-day heat wave. 115F for several days and nights and no air conditioning 

Wind generation was minimal, because there are no winds during heat waves, as is well known by all.

On top of that, 15 of 19 Pacific coast, highly efficient, gas plants had been closed by RE idiots, led by the Dem/Prog Governor, who soon will be recalled, by petition. 
Surrounding states had made up shortages in the past, but this time, their own users needed the electricity.

Germany and surrounding countries got hit by a major snow and cold, which covered solar panels, and covered wind turbines, plus they got hit by no wind at the same time, in Germany and elsewhere.

Major panic and blackouts occurred all around. It was largely covered-up by the US Media.

It hard to cover up a similar major power-outage event in Texas.

I predict this will get much worse in these same locations, and that the disease will spread to other locations, like a pandemic 

The storage systems to prevent it would cost TENS OF $TRILLIONS

Maine RE idiots and Mass RE idiots and Vermont RE idiots, of whom very few have any energy systems analysis experience, should finally start getting out of their RE echo chambers, and pay attention to the REAL WORLD, AND STOP THEIR IDIOT IDEAS OF GETTING RID OF FOSSIL FUELS, and replacing them with always-unreliable, often-not-available, very expensive, wind and solar.

Comment by Robert Powers on February 16, 2021 at 10:21pm

Want to be a little more surprised?   FOLLOW THE MONEY$  The Wind power (and solar) investment "tax credits" are used to attract the "Investors" in the development or re-development/build of the projects!  There are many institutional, corporate and individual investors (many international investors/groups).  SOME of these "investors" will "buy out" the projects AFTER construction & licensing. Some projects are sold several times!  Follow the money and who/what is getting the "incentive" credits...

The information should be available for an investigative type(s).

Comment by Art Brigades on February 16, 2021 at 8:11pm

One of Carlson's better rants.

Comment by Art Brigades on February 16, 2021 at 7:38pm

The fraud of wind energy exposed. As of 12/31/2019 Texas had 28,100 MW of wind capacity. On an annual average, it generates energy at 35% Capacity Factor with higher levels in winter versus summer. As of 6:00 AM yesterday (local time), wind was providing just 4,612 MWs of energy (CF of 16%) and it was dropping fast (per ERCOT). 

From a local news station:

"Power grid regulators are expecting demand for electricity in the coming days to hover just below the record demand typically seen in the summer, when Texans crank their air conditioning to cool off. But the Texas electricity market is set up for summer electricity demand. It is not set up for the winter, experts say. Extra generators — such as natural gas plants — are up and running to support the heightened power demand during the Texas heat. Some of those energy sources are offline during the winter, when electricity demand is not usually rivaling that of the summer months, according to Hirs, the energy economist. And freezing temperatures have left many farms of wind turbines dormant as operators deal with idling icy blades."

Comment by Thinklike A. Mountain on February 16, 2021 at 4:31pm

Green Utopia: Texas Woman, Child Die from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning While Trying to Stay Warm After Power Outage From Cold Snap

According to reports nearly half of the wind energy is down in West Texas after the turbines froze, hurting the state’s power supplies.

The is the green utopia that Joe Biden and the Democrats want for all states.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/green-utopia-texas-woman-c...

 

Maine as Third World Country:

CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power

 

Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.

Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT

******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********

(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/

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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law

Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future

"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."

https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/

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