By Jason Isaac
As Texans reel from ongoing blackouts at the worst possible time, during a nationwide cold snap that has sent temperatures plummeting to single digits, the news has left people in other states wondering: How could this happen in Texas, the nation’s energy powerhouse?
But policy experts have seen this moment coming for years. The only surprise is that the house of cards collapsed in the dead of winter, not the toasty Texas summers that usually shatter peak electricity demand records.
The blackouts, which have left as many as 4 million Texans trapped in the cold, show the numerous chilling consequences of putting too many eggs in the renewable basket.
Fossil Fuels Aren’t to Blame
There are misleading reports asserting the blackouts were caused by large numbers of natural gas and coal plants failing or freezing. Here’s what really happened: the vast majority of our fossil fuel power plants continued running smoothly, just as they do in far colder climates across the world. Power plant infrastructure is designed for cold weather and rarely freezes, unlike wind turbines that must be specially outfitted to handle extreme cold.
It appears that ERCOT, Texas’s grid operator, was caught off guard by how soon demand began to exceed supply. Failure to institute a managed rolling blackout before the grid frequency fell to dangerously low levels meant some plants had to shut off to protect their equipment. This is likely why so many power plants went offline, not because they had failed to maintain operations in the cold weather.
Yet these operational errors overshadow the decades of policy blunders that made these blackouts inevitable. Thanks to market-distorting policies that favor and subsidize wind and solar energy, Texas has added more than 20,000 megawatts (MW) of those intermittent resources since 2015 while barely adding any natural gas and retiring significant coal generation.
Increased Reliance on Unreliable Renewables
On the whole, Texas is losing reliable generation and counting solely on wind and solar to keep up with its growing electricity demand. I wrote last summer about how ERCOT was failing to account for the increasing likelihood that an event combining record demand with low wind and solar generation would lead to blackouts. The only surprise was that such a situation occurred during a rare winter freeze and not during the predictable Texas summer heat waves.
Yet ERCOT still should not have been surprised by this event, as its own long-term forecasts indicated it was possible, even in the winter. Although many wind turbines did freeze and total wind generation was at 2 percent of installed capacity Monday night, overall wind production at the time the blackouts began was roughly in line with ERCOT forecasts from the previous week.
We knew solar would not produce anything during the night, when demand was peaking. Intermittency is not a technical problem but a fundamental reality when trying to generate electricity from wind and solar. This is a known and predictable problem, but Texas regulators fooled themselves into thinking that the risk of such low wind and solar production at the time it was needed most was not significant.
Special Breaks Helped Cause the Blackouts
The primary policy blunder that made this crisis possible is the lavish suite of government incentives for wind and solar. They guarantee profits to big, often foreign corporations and lead to market distortions that prevent reliable generators from building the capacity we need to keep the lights on when wind and solar don’t show up.
Research by the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Life:Powered project found that more than $80 billion of our tax dollars have been spent on wind and solar subsidies in the last decade, in federal subsidies alone. Texans are also charged an average of $1.5 billion a year in state subsidies for renewable energy.
All that cash hasn’t materially changed our energy landscape. Wind and solar still provide just 4 percent of our energy nationwide. The promise that subsidies would kickstart renewable energy technology remains unmet after more than 40 years.
Renewable advocates will be quick to point out that fossil fuels also receive subsidies from the federal government. That’s partially true, but solar companies receive 75 times more money and wind 17 times more per unit of electricity generated. Nevertheless, the best solution for Texans, and all Americans, would be to eliminate all energy subsidies and allow the free market to drive our energy choices.
As politically popular as wind and solar energy are, no amount of greenwashing can cover up their fundamental unreliability and impracticality for anything other than a supplemental energy source. Yet our government — even in the oil country of Texas, home of Spindletop and the Permian Basin — is designed to incentivize renewable energy projects.
Keep This from Happening Again
This week’s blackouts should be a wakeup call to politicians. Overconfidence in renewables led us uncomfortably close to total grid failure — and when the going gets tough, few things really matter to voters as much as access to electricity. Without it, scrambling for the barest necessities like food, water, and warmth becomes expensive, stressful, and all-consuming.
The consequences are potentially deadly. For all the talk of climate change, cold is far deadlier than heat, responsible for 20 times more deaths. Although the cold itself may not kill you — you might not literally freeze to death — it has devastating potential to exacerbate preexisting conditions and make otherwise minor illnesses life-threatening.
It’s a reality far too many know firsthand, as a recent study found increasing natural gas utility prices led to an increase in wintertime deaths as they force families to choose between putting food on the table and paying the heat bill. In this health-conscious era of the COVID-19 crisis, this should be enough to pause any policy discussion that might inhibit electricity access.
Texas is truly becoming California more and more every day.
I had such high hopes…
Texas is run by Republicans so media has been spinning this disaster as a Republican made disaster.
Did you know in Texas only Republican business people invest in Green Energy?
Me neither.
But that’s the spin……
All these power outages are the fault of Republicans trying to get rich off of wind and solar.
Not one word about how GREEN Texas was trying to go.
Not one word about all the liberals who pushed for this.
All the fault of Republicans.
My wife and I stuck it out in our home. It’s been well below freezing (except for one day) for almost two weeks, so when the snow came, it all stuck. But the temperatures was the struggle. We lost power the first time Tuesday, early morning. It came back on, then went off again, staying off for 5 hours. I still had a 20-cup percolator from our tent and tent-trailer days and used it to make coffee in our 5th wheel, with the propane stove. I had forgotten the taste of percolated coffee.
My wife began fixing breakfast on the electric stove and we lost power; I finished that in the camper. Power was out until around 2:30 that afternoon. It came back on, and went off again at 5:30. We then went dark for 12 hrs.
I had kept from building a fire in the fireplace until we needed it, but I quickly ran out of firewood. I began scavenging in a pile of wood from a torn down fence from the lot next door I recently sold. I hated burning that stuff in the fireplace, but it was the only way to keep the temperature from dropping below freezing. I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for supper.
Across town, my daughter and son-in-law never lost power. They wanted us to come over, but I felt I needed to make sure no pipes burst. The kerosene and Coleman lantern out of the camper provided light. The temperature got only as low as 47 before power came back on… for a couple of hours. Then off again.
Many had it far worse. I know some who haven’t had power for three days. Some suffered burst pipes and damage. I was very fortunate.
Power came back on yesterday afternoon around 5:30 and has stayed on.
I’ve never seen temperatures this cold for this long in Texas. But, it gives us a preview of what we have to look forward to on a regular basis under the left’s green agenda. Except I probably won’t have a 5th wheel to fall back on; won’t be able to afford to pull it anywhere.
@Deplorable Me: If you need to bug out drain your pipes, shut off supply valve open the drain valve and then turn on all the faucets. (dont forget to drain and shut off the water heater) basics from those that have summer cabins up north.
In the mean time allow water to drizzel . Is your 5th wheel winterized?
pass it around plumbers and copper pipe replacement is expensive you cant trust a single soldered joint after pipes freeze, there are tons in the walls, Pex is worse.
WTH dont you have a generator didnt you get one for Y2K?
Wish I was closer after the storm we had 2 years ago I have about 15 to 20 cord of chunk oak and another 15 yet to chunk we lost many of my tall oak from camp and a camper under a 75 footer. Will be renting a back hoe to bury the uprooted stumps this summer. Stay safe and warm my FA brother.
@kitt: I drained all the water (except for the water heater) some time back. I have also installed a series of light bulbs, one on the water heater, one on the pump and one on the toilet flush valve, that comes on at 34 degrees. Of course, that doesn’t work well when the power goes off. So, I fired up the water heater (till it got daylight), then removed the anode rod and drained it. I’ll pressure it up next week to see if everything survived.
Almost bought a generator a couple of months ago. I blame Trump and Republicans for me not buying one. Of course, my concern is keeping the fridge and freezer going in the event of losing power in the summertime… THIS now simply NEVER happens in Texas.
@Deplorable Me: Many years ago my mom worked at where they made garage door openers, they got a new manager from Texas, his first winter here he sent every one home when there was a snow. All the girls all went to the bar 2 blocks away and had themselves a good laugh,needless to say he was cued in and the next 3 inch snow they had no more girls day drunks.
Nothing shuts down here until 10″ plus, and we dont give those snowfalls names.
Its all what you are accustomed to. Just about every 1 6 year old dents the car thier first winter learning how to handle slippery roads, unless the cop is a prick they dont get a ticket.
Tip make sure your shoes are free of snow getting into the car, the melt will freeze the gas pedal in such cases just mash it hard a few times it will then idle correctly.
I expect radiator shops will be doing a brisk business as you people may not winterize your cars.
Sure just Blame Trump for you not being prepared 😉
@kitt: 40 degrees now. I think we lived through it. I’ve never had an issue driving on the ice; it’s the other idiots I worry about. I had to drive about 20 miles to work and usually went in on ice days; I liked the quite. One morning, after I had let off the gas to cross a bridge, there was a Cadillac sliding across the bridge, perpendicular to the road, bouncing off one curb, then the other. I couldn’t hit my brakes until I get to the other side, where there was some dry road.
I made the mistake of resetting a couple of clocks (I haven’t reset them since the power came back on day before yesterday; seemed like a waste of time). As soon as I did, the power went off, but came back on seconds later. I’ll wait till it hits 60 degrees before I reset any more!
@Deplorable Me: My sis in law said in her area in AR there was a plea for sleds, FFS dont you people have innertubes? A good big piece of cardboard sprayed with canvas waterproofing or spraywax?
Seems they are more worried about Cruz escourting his kids to cancun than trips of the elite to Epstiens island.
I might suggest you dont get an electric powered generator.
@kitt: @Deplorable Me:
We were blessed compared to some of our friends. We lost power just once for a few minutes. And the breaker supplying the gas furnace went out but fortunately, a friend who owns a HVAC company had one. Bam!!! Back to heat and warmth. Our natural gas comes from a clean coal plant in a neighboring county and not once did it go down. Friends who have electric heat/cook stoves are the ones that really suffered.
Our biggest concern was the well house and the outside kitties’ house. Heat lamps in both and when it got down to 6 degrees, propane heaters on both. Thank goodness all the propane tanks were over half full. House pipes froze up one night but not bad and were quickly defrosted and are now wrapped in R-30.
On Wednesday, the Wal-Mart in the neighboring town shut down, totally. The Dollar Store closed; HEB shelves are bare, no milk/bread to be found anywhere.
I am proud of how my county seemed to be “friends helping friends” on steroids. No one was left unchecked. We had “warming” centers and those that could provided food for those that had to leave their homes. Once again, the churches stepped up to the plate and did more than their fair share.
Luckily we have a 4-wheet drive truck and some left over tire chains from years ago (never get rid of anything you may have to use) so we were not home bound and could check on the ranch daily.
@kitt: @retire05: Oh, there are plenty here that have had it far worse. Longer blackouts, lots of damage. We don’t have to boil water. We had some leftovers we could warm up in the microwave quickly when we had power. We wanted to go get some fast food when we couldn’t cook, but they were all closed. We might venture out to see if there is any food to be had at the stores.
Maybe Democrats will send some interpretive dancers down to help.
@retire05: You may want to look into heat tape I keep forgetting there are not many basements down south. https://www.thespruce.com/heat-tape-2718680
They have banned chains and studded tires here they cause to much damage to the roads.
I was worried about you 2 we up here dont even think about not being ready for winter its just part of life.
Gates is funding weather modification, darkening the sun.
@kitt: Heard a climate Nazi’s explanation of the impossible winter storm; it’s so warm at the Arctic that the cold air had to come down here, like it is some blob of stuff instead of solar energy. So, that cold air, that cannot be warmed, had to go somewhere, so it came down here. Sheesh, those lemmings simply don’t give up no matter how stupid they look.
@kitt:
Our house is on pier and beam. The heat vents runs below the house and I never thought about heat tape which I am familiar with.
Since this kind of artic front is so very unusual in Texas, chains are still allowed. It’s how our utility workers get around.
It’s kinda like living in the desert and preparing for a hurricane.
Gates is a fruitcake with way too much power. It used to be, in days of old, that robber barons spent their money on charitable things; libraries, universities, museums, hospitals. No more. They spend their money on Socialistic ideals and election rigging.
Idiotic meme of the day: Texas’s Blackouts Are The Result Of Unreliable ‘Green’ Energy
Texas blackouts are, in fact, the result of the state’s own regulatory incompetence.
Somebody didn’t want to pay the additional costs of making certain the natural gas system feeding generating stations would continue to function in unusually cold weather, and politicians didn’t establish regulations requiring them to do so in return for campaign contributions and, in some cases, higher profits on their own investments.
The same special interest also don’t want renewable energy sources reducing the demand for their own products.
@Greg: Wellllll…. we could have used that 25% of our capacity. Lots of money has been invested in a source that is only good in fair weather. Of course, the same people that sold us on “renewable” energy also told us cold weather… particularly cold weather where there has not BEEN cold weather (snow on Galveston beach)… was long gone. The left’s climate agenda is stocked with nothing but lies.
@Greg:
As if, those like Al Gore haven’t gotten rich pimping “green” energy while they buy homes on the Atlantic coastline.
This is like listening to abused wives seconding the excuses made by their abusers.
@Greg:
Seems like you are the one making excuses for the abusers, like Al Gore who abuses the entire nation with his “green” energy scam that seemingly only made him rich.
If he is such a believer, let him build his wind/solar farms and donate them to the state where he builds them. He can get a lot of money for his multiple homes and learn to live in a house that is less than 2,000 sq. ft.
Hell, even John Kerry said that commercial air travel is not convenient for people like him. Why not? Is he so special he can contribute more to “global warming/climate change” and not be held accountable for his crime?
But then, John Kerry has been a grifter since he was in his early 20’s.
Joke of the day:
Want to hear another?
If Abbott’s blame-shifting doesn’t work, Texas may become a blue state by the next election.
Laugh if you’re so inclined.
@Greg: Yeah, excuses are like assholes and we have a stupid one for president*. Getting hit by a once-in-a-lifetime winter storm and suffering hardships is no shock, particularly in a warm-weather state. But, that’s the double whammy; we’ve been sold this unreliable solar and wind energy because of the condition of the climate that precludes such cold weather. It’s now all clearly a farce.
@retire05:
Before I could respond that the rubber/glue crew would be accusing Greg of making excuses for the abusers, a page refresh proved I was too late.
@Deplorable Me, #20:
Yep. This is once-in-a-lifetime winter cold in Texas—assuming you were born sometime after 1989:
A Full List of All The Record Cold Texas Temperatures
The point being that extremely cold temperatures are unusual in Texas, but predictably happen. Regulatory standards should take that into account for critical infrastructure. They didn’t, and the events of this week have been the result. It isn’t all because of renewable energy sources.
Austin
Sunday: High of 30°, low of 13°
Second-coldest low temperature for Feb. 14 (record: 10° in 1899)
New record cold high temperature for February 14 (old record: 33° in 1951)
Coldest daily high temperature since Feb. 6, 2014
Coldest temperature since Jan. 7, 2014 (12°)
Wind chill dropped to -4°
Monday: High of 25°, low of 8°
New record low temperature for Feb. 15 (old record: 38° in 1909)
New record cold high temperature for Feb. 15 (old record: 20° in 1909)
Wind chill dropped to -7°
Tuesday: High of 26°, low of 7°
New record daily low temperature for Feb. 16 (old record: 40° in 1900)
New daily record low temperature for Feb. 16 (old record: 20° in 1903)
Coldest temperature since Dec. 23, 1989 (6°)
Wind chill dropped to 1°
One day of below teens temperature in Texas is not unusual, but a week of it damn sure is.
You’re an idiot, Comrade Greggie.
@Greg: How many innocent, defenseless elderly have these people murdered?
Ted Cruz: 0
Cuomo: 15,000
Where is more liberal outrage focused? If you are looking for a joke, look no further than your own immoral ideology.
@retire05: Greggie just loves dancing on the graves of the people that have died like the power situation was their fault he is one sick F**k. You know they didnt want federal control so they deserved it.
@retire05, #23:
So there was no need for state regulators to require an infrastructure that wouldn’t freeze up when it happens?
I don’t know how suggesting that they should have done makes me the idiot.
I wouldn’t even have commented, had the irresponsible parties that allowed this to happen not begun throwing out bullshit claims that it was all because of wind turbines.
Texas Was Warned a Decade Ago Its Grid Was Unready for Cold
@ Greg
I worked in the electric utility industry for almost 40 years. This portion of the industry was part of my job responsibilities for the last 10 years.
Greg’s #14 is analogous to the conspiracy theorists who used to claim the ‘100 MPG Pogue carburetor’ was suppressed by the automobile/oil company ‘special interests’ to protect their industries.
I have a copy of the patent that I easily found online (which BTW, expired years ago, so is now public domain and anybody that wants can build one), so BS on that one.
Also, bovine excrement to anyone who claims that in the face of state mandated (yes, even Texas!) renewable portfolio standards – a regulatory mandate that requires a certain amount of electricity in the state to be generated from renewable sources – there exists a ‘cabal’ capable of suppressing the construction of renewables.
T. Boone Pickens – an oil tycoon – was a big supporter of wind power. You know why? Wising up and/or reforming in his old age? Not hardly.
Self interest. Wind has a typical capacity factor (the amount of time it actually produces its rated output) of around 30%. So, the majority of the time, your mandated ‘renewable’ energy is being provided by a parallel (because it has to have enough capacity to fully back up the system when the wind isn’t blowing) generation system of natural gas generation.
It’s actually even worse, because to ‘load-follow’, the backup is provided by less efficient single-cycle combustion turbines, rather than the more typical (for stand-alone natgas systems) combined cycle turbines, so the emissions for the doubly expensive parallel ‘renewable’ grid are only marginally less than just building a simple gas turbine system.
Guess who owned a LOT of gas wells?
Regulatory standards?
Simplified, the ‘grid’ requires reserves, which consist of:
In the good old days, the ‘standard’ generation reserve for a transmission balancing authority (such as ERCOT for Texas) was 5 to 7% based on the generation mix and layout of the transmission system.
As wind began to be introduced to the grid, engineers (when they were allowed input into maintaining a system that actually worked) slowly upped the reserve requirements to the range of 15% (yeah, double) to maintain system adequacy.
And, because wind output can drop dramatically in a very short time frame, more of it has to be spinning reserves, actually INCREASING emissions as wind is added to the grid.
Oops, so the academics figured out that sooner or later this would lead people to find out that wind was not the panacea it was claimed to be.
Which led to tripe such as this:
Read it if you want (it’s a slog for someone versed in the industry), but after a bit of hand-waving, lo and behold!
So, regulatory standards used to take it into account.
Until they were changed to make it MORE favorable for wind, by reducing what was up until that point industry standards for reserves to maintain system adequacy and reliability.
It may not be ALL due to renewable energy, but sure as sh*t a significant portion of it is DIRECTLY due to changing the rules to make it less expensive to add wind to the system.
That’s funny, Greg.
When CA had all those wildfires it blamed them on the various electric companies in the affected parts of the state.
Not the fact that CA outlawed upkeep of fire breaks.
Not the fact that CA outlawed cutting down bore beetle infested forest.
Not the fact that CA outlawed cutting away dead trees from near homes.
Not the fact that preferred to pour fresh water into the Pacific than water dry land for pasture, orchard, dairy or other farming.
But now CA is punishing its own residents with regular blackouts because the wind is blowing.
And, again, they blame the electric companies for it.
Texas tried to diversify its energy but ended up straining its grid as people’s solar panels sent juice the opposite way from how these lines were designed.
Wind turbines are so intermittent that fossil fuels MUST always be at the ready to fill in for their every megawatt.
Liberals have a nasty habit of blaming business for trying to clean up after the liberal pols’ messes.
@Greg:
Because it doesn’t happen for weeks at a time in Teas. Besides, all the people who want to put those who will not believe them in jail have been telling us cold weather is no more. Why spend billions to prepare for something that won’t happen?
@Nan G: Texas tried to play the climate Nazi’s game and shut them up. This is the result. Hell, without fossil fuels you can’t even BUILD the green energy grid.
Obviously it does happen. In case they somehow missed the likelihood that at some point it actually would, federal regulators warned them.
@Greg: Yeah, when you accept that your global warming bullshit is bullshit, it damn sure does happen and will probably happen again.
@Greg:
According to you, since there were single digit temperatures in Texas in 1909, we should have seen it coming again.
Odd, I never read you applying that philosophy to Hurricane Katrina since we had seen hurricanes even more deadly before.
Every time you try to do a “one up”, you come off looking even more idiotic than you already do.
@Deplorable Me:
Looks like Beijing Biden is really repeating the Obiden administration disasters:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_2009_North_American_ice_storm
Buckle your seat belt, it’s going to be a really bumpy ride although I’m sure you’re impressed that Beijing Biden has sent Texas 60 generators.
@retire05:
Yes.
@Greg: How many millions were left without electricity and running water in 1909? Were there many multi-car pile-ups? How long did that cold snap last?
You must have all these answers as you set up the debate on being prepared for this.
Only fossil fuel technology is reliable the green tied into the grid failed to meet demand placed on it by the storm, Texas should remain an independent grid, since Biden is allowing China now to be involved. poison dog food poison paint on childrens toys the kung flu nothing China does is good.
To add to the main article here.
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/02/an_insider_explains_why_texans_lost_their_power.html
Texas is simply an example of what replacing reliable energy with renewable looks like. The US has been reducing its carbon output due largely to fracking and the widespread use of natural gas, but the left wants to end fracking, end production and end exploration in favor of renewable (UNreliable) sources.
Texas was able to BE that example because the climate change/global warming religion was totally exposed for the farce it it. The left has been scrambling to get their environmental dictatorship in place before an event like this could happen because the public acceptance and belief in this scam has been waning.
@Greg: Hey asshole. Respond to Jay’s post #27. He destroyed your argument and I want to see what bullshit you can conjure rather than let you just be silent like the non-rational coward you are.
You exemplify the whole issue in the world: posting online has given un-worthy cucks like you the impression your voice means something.
It doesn’t.
Run on home, boy.
I sure would like t o see Hollywood get hit by a Blackout while making another dumb liberal movie about Global Warming/Climate Change
@Curt:
You’d think that Ted Cruz was responsible for sentencing 15,000 seniors to death by forcing them into a China flu environment.
You’d think that Ted Cruz, in a thoughtless act, stood in front of a $10,000.00 Sub-Zero fridge showing it filled with designer ice cream.
You’d think that Ted Cruz told everyone to stay home and stay safe while he dined out on a multi-thousand dollar dinner at the French Laundry.
@retire05: You’d think Cruz did anything wrong besides, in the left’s eyes, being a Republican.
Texans Froze To Death Because Biden Admin Ordered ERCOT To Throttle Energy Output By Forcing It To Comply With Environmental Green Energy Standards
An Emergency Order from the Biden administration’s Department of Energy shows Texas energy grid operator ERCOT was instructed to stay within green energy standards by purchasing energy from outside the state at a higher cost instead of creating and using their own low cost energy, throttling power output throughout the state ahead of a catastrophic polar vortex.
This article shows the actual orders. Not one mainstream media reported about this and it’s a big deal, people died!
@Nan G: So, to prevent global warming, exceeding federal emissions standards during a massive winter storm is forbidden. Yeah, that makes about as much sense as anything else liberals promote.
There is a People of Texas VS ERCOT/Oncor Energy Facebook group and I tried to post this article, but apparently it goes against some phony “standard” Facebook pretends to have when convenient. However, if you simply search “texans froze to death because Biden order ERCOT” (NOT on Google; they won’t bring it up), you can get the article. Such censorship bullshit.
@Nathan Blue, #38:
The more obvious it becomes that some people are wrong, the angrier and ruder their comments become.
@Jay, #27:
There’s nothing “analogous” about it at all. It was an accurate observation.
Renewable energy sources have nothing whatsoever to do with crackpot patents for 100 MPG carburetors or miracle pills that turn water into gasoline.
The fossil fuel industries have spent millions on disinformation campaigns and lobbying in an effort to confuse the public about climate and environmental issues. They’ve managed to convince the public that planetary-scale industrial activity has no effect on climate, and that non-renewable resources which humanity is consuming at ever-increasing rates are inexhaustible. It’s all about protecting their revenue streams and profit margins.
Fossil fuel political giving outdistances renewables 13 to one
Indeed. When the wind is blowing, enormous quantities of non-renewable fossil fuels are not being burned to generate heat. Improved storage technologies will extend the savings even more, both by holding energy from renewable sources for use when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, and by storing energy from fossil fuel sources when the amount generated at any point exceeds the current demand.
A proper system would maximize efficiency across the board. That renewable energy vs. fossil fuels is an either/or proposition is actually a straw man argument.
I believe that mandating an increased percentage of renewable sources in the mix is necessary to offset the fact that the profit motive alone won’t encourage enough current research and development, so long as fossil fuels can do the job more cheaply. The profit motive often doesn’t look far enough into the future. Even without factoring in the growing costs of climate and environmental issues attendant on the increased burning of carbon-based fossil fuels, there’s going to be increased competition from newly industrializing nations for non-renewable energy resource that will inevitably become less plentiful.
My own impression is that the current disaster in Texas has a lot more to do with an energy infrastructure that simply wasn’t adequately winterized. Politicians who likely share in the blame have been quick to figuratively order the rounding up of their usual suspects. I don’t think that’s going to stand for long, as fact-finding investigations are a certainty. I guess we’ll see what comes out over the next few months.
@Greg:
So not only to you want Americans to have to rely on unreliable energy sources, you want us to continue to pay for them since all wind/solar projects now require U.S. government subsidies?
Again, do you have solar panels on your home that you are completely reliant on? And who is going to make your next computer that is basically made from (yep) fossil fuel products? What about your telephone? Your vehicle? Willing to give those things up? What about the contribution to “global warming/climate change” you contribute to by being on line and using a computer/cell phone to transmit your stupid posts?
Physician, heal thyself.
@retire05, #46:
No. Do you have a natural gas well in your basement?
@Greg:
Nope. I don’t have a basement. The well’s in the pasture.
@Greg:
You still seem to miss the irony of this entire situation. Or simply refuse to acknowledge it.
Provide the argument that has been made for that.
Again, in the warming world, why spend billions “winterizing”, particularly where extreme cold is not even normal? Oh… that’s right. You are completely comfortable with ignoring or suspending reality to support your ideology.
@retire05:
Doubtful. I saw a post on Facebook of a guy up on his frozen roof trying to sweep off his solar panels so he could get something out of them. Could be hazardous to your health.
@Greg: Please brother the ignorance, in TX basements, most homes are now built on slabs or have crawl spaces, so little heat needed I am guessing electric heat, we use space heaters here where a good 5 months of freezing weather is normal, we dont heat our houses that way. What are the greenies going to do to Northern states? 61 lousy generators were sent. Linemen from across the country will go assist putting up copper that snapped due to ice weight.
Plumbers will make a fortune. It will take months just to restore clean water.
The Army corps should be sent to help repair and replace the mains, Tx isnt the only state affected. What is this admin doing?
Im sure there were mistakes on both sides, the blame game is a democrat tactic.
Getting er done does not seem to be a democrat thing, just doubling down on mistakes and blaming others. We will be watching Mindless Joe on how he handles this crisis. Start making up excuses now.
Greg #45
It’s completely analogous to someone claiming that efficient technologies are being suppressed by the modern day equivalent of a (or a group of) James Bond megalomaniacal villan(s).
And, FYI, as a reading comprehension check, I said nothing about the magic pills…
And the folks who make substantial amounts of money creating studies that ‘prove’ that whatever-we’re-calling-the-supposed-global-catastrophe-this-week will end life as we know it within 10 years! (starting in 1970),
or that glaciers will be gone from Glacier National Park by 2020 (https://www.kpax.com/news/local-news/flathead-county/glacier-national-park-to-remove-all-glaciers-will-be-gone-by-2020-signs#:~:text=GLACIER NATIONAL PARK — Glacier National,glaciers would recede by 2020. )
or that ‘Snowfalls are a thing of the past’
are completely altruistic and would never, never, ever misrepresent things in order to “protect their revenue streams and profit margins”?
Of course, the Left *IS* the home of the current ‘requiring the correct answer in a math problem is racist’ blather – which kind of undermines the entire premise of ‘Hidden Figures’, does it not?
But, I digress…
Seriously? You either have the attention span of a goldfish, significant memory issues, or industrial strength cognitive dissonance! Pretty much every politician on the Left is pushing the complete elimination of fossil fuels.
And that’s just the first few from a quick Google search.
Again, either industrial strength cognitive dissonance, the inability to do a Google search – or willful ignorance.
And, as they say on TV, But wait! There’s More!
You mean large scale battery production isn’t environmentally benign?
Again, the whole ‘Google is your friend’ thing… It’s so cute that your great idea about what Texas should do only lags real life by 20 years or so…
I’ve heard it said that opinions (or in this case, your impression) are like a certain universal portion of human anatomy…everyone has one – and they all stink!
You are certainly entitled to your impression about what shoulda/woulda/coulda been done.
However:
Last, but not least, reliability of the ‘grid’ far more regulated than your impression seems to allow for. It isn’t subject to the whims of state politicians, or the local utility managers. Say hello to NERC:
The second link is to all 2,101 pages of NERC enforceable reliability standards, punishable by monetary fines if the annual audits don’t find the utilities in compliance.
Tell me again how ‘standards’ would have prevented this from happening?