Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #TexasPowerOutage
Most recents (16)
Hey #energytwitter, if you want to tune in to the Senate and House hearings on the #TexasBlackout, links are in next tweet. I'll tweet on it throughout the day on this thread.
Please tweet using #txlege and #txenergy, esp. if you have relevent info that could help going forward
Please tweet using #txlege and #txenergy, esp. if you have relevent info that could help going forward
Joint hearing House Energy Resources and State Affairs house.texas.gov/video-audio/
Senate Business & Commerce
senate.texas.gov/av-live.php
Senate Business & Commerce
senate.texas.gov/av-live.php
Every state in America interconnects their power lines to provide back-up in case of emergencies — except #Texas. To prevent federal regulation, Texas deliberately refused to connect its lines to other states. #TexasFreeze #TexasPowerOutage gregpalast.com/texas-gets-lay…
The federal government, which has restored a modicum of protection, can only police utilities that are connected to the national grid. So, Texas literally cut itself of from the rest of the USA’s electric system.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott blames windmills for this week’s deadly disaster. Some wind farms froze — but they manage to keep 'em going in the Antarctic! nsf.gov/news/mmg/mmg_d… 
For 100 years, electric prices were based on power company costs and “a reasonable profit.“ But in the 90s, a chuckling Chimp, Gov. Dubya Bush, dancing for his organ grinder Enron’s Ken Lay, created the “free“ market in electricity in Texas. thedailybeast.com/dollar5152-pow…
Back then, in a guide I wrote for the United Nations entitled “Democracy and Regulation,“ I warned that a free market would become a “freeze” market. This week is not the first electricity nightmare for Texas. amazon.com/Democracy-Regu…
You’ve only got one wire going into your house — what we economists used to call “a natural monopoly.” Now it’s an unnatural monopoly, where they’ve got us by the bulbs.
#TexasPowerOutage #TexasBlizzard2021 #TexasFreeze
thedailybeast.com/dollar5152-pow…
#TexasPowerOutage #TexasBlizzard2021 #TexasFreeze
thedailybeast.com/dollar5152-pow…
See the second page of @ERCOT_ISO's latest reliability assessment. ercot.com/content/wcm/li… Under the top table describing the reserve margins, they have a table labelled “Range of Potential Risks.” 1/10 @TPPF @Life_Powered_ #texaspoweroutage
Something between the 4th and 5th columns is what happened this week. Add 2,000 MW of demand above ERCOT’s adjustment here (they assumed a record of 67,200 MW) and 10,000 MW from planned thermal outages, likely for maintenance, going into the cold front. 2/10
Take out another 1,600-1,900 MW from lower wind production than in the baseline, and reserves are below 2,000 MW. That’s where Texas was Sunday night. 3/10
Texas still in crisis mode. And @ERCOT_ISO is still “load shedding” — a euphemism for cutting power via rollout blackouts. The problem is still systemic across Texas. Keep up to date on this site.
#TexasBlackout #texaspoweroutage #Texas
poweroutage.us/area/state/tex…
#TexasBlackout #texaspoweroutage #Texas
poweroutage.us/area/state/tex…
2) Meanwhile Texas leaders...
3) Here is what really went wrong.
TEXAS LEADERS FAILED—power outages raise fears that herds could run short of food and water. Some farmers are being forced to dump tankers of milk on fields because it can’t be processed, & livestock maybe euthanized if no water or food. #texaspoweroutage wsj.com/articles/texas…
2) “No feed, no water, and no heat doesn’t make for a good situation,” said Texas agriculture commissioner. Some areas had gone without power for >30 hours straight—while fielding calls from cattlemen losing calves to the cold & poultry farmers struggling with frozen water pipes.
3) Sanderson Farms Inc., one of the biggest U.S. chicken companies, estimated that as many as 200 of its approximately 1,900 Texas chicken houses were without power, & dozens have ruptured or frozen water pipes. Mills are struggling to make animal feed without access to power
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACE 🥳
Wish the 3-year-old Wonder Woman a warm birthday
She, her 2 brothers, mom & dad had 5 hours of power today.
For many, it means freezing temps and cold meals.
For her & her bro, it means no medications/breathing treatments to treat their cystic fibrosis.
Wish the 3-year-old Wonder Woman a warm birthday
She, her 2 brothers, mom & dad had 5 hours of power today.
For many, it means freezing temps and cold meals.
For her & her bro, it means no medications/breathing treatments to treat their cystic fibrosis.
They like many families have turned to their cars to stay warm, charge their electronics and get a warm meal.
#TexasPowerOutage
#TexasPowerOutage
Their food started spoiling because of the #TexasBlackout —
Robbie, their dad set their groceries outside in the snow to preserve them.
They admit 10 minutes of power didn’t give them enough time to cook or charge the kids medical equipment.
Robbie, their dad set their groceries outside in the snow to preserve them.
They admit 10 minutes of power didn’t give them enough time to cook or charge the kids medical equipment.
We’ve had a total of 4 hours of power in 2 1/2 days. Water is also contaminated across the county as a boil water is in effect. We’ve started taping windows and cardboard to cover the windows. It was 7 degrees last night, and will snow again tonight. #TexasWinterStorm2021
I used to live in Alaska and grew up in Colorado, but never have I experienced such cold with no heat, no clean water, and no food with a 3 1/2 month old baby, my wife, and 5 children - except for when I was homeless and alone. #TexasWinterStorm2021
Thankfully my winter skills from when I was growing up helped. Thanks Mom and Dad for the survival lessons, and thank you to the Native Americans from the Northern Alaskan tribes that trained me when I was 8 years old to survive in these conditions. #TexasWinterStorm2021
Dirty stuff went down:
📌Texas electricity ⚡️ power plants didn’t want absorb the cost of natural gas surge. So it cut the power.
📌Texas @ERCOT_ISO gets the rules changed so power company can price gouge consumers—
All while folks freeze & vaccines spoil.
#texaspoweroutage
📌Texas electricity ⚡️ power plants didn’t want absorb the cost of natural gas surge. So it cut the power.
📌Texas @ERCOT_ISO gets the rules changed so power company can price gouge consumers—
All while folks freeze & vaccines spoil.
#texaspoweroutage
2) A smaller grid allows them monopoly control of the local electricity market too.
3) and failure to upgrade wind turbines with cold weather winterization package also pretty derelict. We have turbines on top of snow covered mountain tops and in the Arctic too, explained in the 🧵.
Much misinformation out there about #Texaspoweroutage, @ERCOT_ISO, wind and solar power, and thermal generators (gas and coal). Let's review what we think we know right now. @TPPF @Life_Powered_ 1/10
Two problems in #Texas, one short term and exacerbated by the long term issue, and one long term. 2/10
The short term failure came at about 1 AM Monday when #ERCOT should have seen the loads soaring due to plummeting temperatures and arranged for more generation. 3/10
In our partisan world, I guess I shouldn't be surprised of the misinformation that is spreading like mad about the situation in TX. Yes, wind turbines that are frozen. No, this isn't the only cause of the outages and high prices. And no, this isn't a "renewables problem".
First, windmills can actually operate down to -30 degrees (see Sweden, Norway, Denmark, etc). Texas chose not to install the necessary equipment probably because it made sense not to invest in something that would be used once every 10-20 years.
Second, there has actually been a LARGER drop in NG, coal and nuclear generation than in wind generation. The NG side of things is due to the fact that we use NG for heating. So when it's cold there is a fight for the NG between heating and electricity.
How it started. How it’s going.
Maybe Texas leaders & @ERCOT_ISO should learn that for power grids, “sharing is caring”. #texaspoweroutage
Maybe Texas leaders & @ERCOT_ISO should learn that for power grids, “sharing is caring”. #texaspoweroutage
2) Most of the electric failure in Texas is due to thermal power outages.
3) Texas has a massive 21 GW deficit right now. Most isn’t from wind. Wind is down 2.6 GW from normal. But that is still small part of total deficit.
BREAKING: SPP back to Level 3.
This means we can expect rolling blackouts at any time.
Oklahoma leaders and @OGandE @OklahomaNatural said this change back to LEVEL 3 would force rolling blackouts.
Prepare now & let me know if your power goes out/location
#okwx #poweroutages
This means we can expect rolling blackouts at any time.
Oklahoma leaders and @OGandE @OklahomaNatural said this change back to LEVEL 3 would force rolling blackouts.
Prepare now & let me know if your power goes out/location
#okwx #poweroutages
Already hearing from some who have lost power in OKC.
@SPPorg just issued LEVEL 3 emergency meaning any of us could lose power now for rolling blackouts. Don’t wait to make your preparations.
#okwx #Oklahoma #WinterStorm #poweroutages
@SPPorg just issued LEVEL 3 emergency meaning any of us could lose power now for rolling blackouts. Don’t wait to make your preparations.
#okwx #Oklahoma #WinterStorm #poweroutages
BREAKING: @OGandE confirms WIDESPREAD controlled power outages for portions of the state. OG&E says the outages will last “approximately 2 hours.”
Again, prepare now if you still have power.
#okwx #Oklahoma #WinterStorm #poweroutage
Again, prepare now if you still have power.
#okwx #Oklahoma #WinterStorm #poweroutage
4 million without power—Texas could have invested in at least 3 things for its frozen wind turbines:
📌water resistant coating on blades
📌more de-icing drones
📌upgrades in heating packages
➡️If they can work atop snow-covered Alps. They can work in Texas.🧵 #PolarVortex
📌water resistant coating on blades
📌more de-icing drones
📌upgrades in heating packages
➡️If they can work atop snow-covered Alps. They can work in Texas.🧵 #PolarVortex
2) Yes there is a lot of reports on the wind turbine issue. Texas could have invested in more upgrades, but it didn’t. dallasnews.com/business/energ…
3) I’ve personally witnessed entire wind turbine farms operate normally in middle of snow storms atop several mountains in the Austrian 🇦🇹 Alps before. They build it on top of snow capped mountains. And they use it to power ski lifts 🚡 during winter!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_powe…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_powe…
#texaspoweroutage pro-tip from someone that survived 7 days in an ice storm outage.
Find every sheet and blanket you have.
Use lightweight blankets and sheets to hang in door ways of interior doors.
Saranwrap inside of windows
Move everyone into the most central room cont.
Find every sheet and blanket you have.
Use lightweight blankets and sheets to hang in door ways of interior doors.
Saranwrap inside of windows
Move everyone into the most central room cont.
Channel your inner child and build a fort, got camping gear, set up your tent, cuddle puddle like it is a kid's sleepover
Layer up, cover your head and feet well
And for the love of everything leave your generators and bbqs outside, carbon monoxide is no joke!
Layer up, cover your head and feet well
And for the love of everything leave your generators and bbqs outside, carbon monoxide is no joke!
Put rolled up towels at base of doors to slow drafts
Heck grab stuffed animals to surround yourself with to keep warm if need be
Heck grab stuffed animals to surround yourself with to keep warm if need be
