5 ms·

We'll see how that holds up, especially since the Texas power grid seemed especially strained in the last little while.

b3nji 5y ago
Not many people seem to know that the power grid issue wasn't to do with the power grid... I think Texas will do well with crypto from what I understand. http://adam.curry.com/art/1613521813_mxdUgmnT.html http://adam.curry.com/art/1613521813_mxdUgmnT.html
- ryanfreeborn 5y ago
  Your source is a Texas-secessionist rant with no citations? Do you have any actual objective reviews of why the power grid issue happened?
- mikeyouse 5y ago
  That’s straight nonsense from some bizarre “Texit” secession advocate. https://energy.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/UTAustin%20%282021%29%20EventsFebruary2021TexasBlackout%2020210714.pdf https://energy.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/UTAustin%20%28... Texas lost 30,000 MW of thermal power plants due to thermal maintenance and thermal forced outages (Page 18). In the face of unprecedented (but not unpredicted) demand, they had to load shed like crazy to save their grid. It’s not a complicated story and has literally nothing to do with EPA clean air regulations. Page 34 gives the breakdown by power plant type.. poorly prepared natural gas pipelines and power plants were essentially entirely responsible for the outage.
- mindslight 5y ago
  tldr - blames federal regulations limiting (coal) pollution that easily travels across state borders. skips any examination of why Texas doesn't have enough plants meeting modern pollution standards.
walrus01 5y ago
It's OK, if it gets too cold in Texas you can always fly to Cancun for a while, as shown by the example of some notable local politicians who espouse a "the free market will fix everything" philosophy.
- ameminator 5y ago
  Haha I don't live in Texas and it always did seem strange to have key infrastructure privatized in the way that they did. To be fair, however, almost no community is ready for the effects of climate change (despite the reporting). In fact, most people have trouble with statistically rare events, so it doesn't surprise me. It's hard to say whether a government-managed endeavor would have been more prepared if I'm being completely honest.
  - twalla 5y ago
    Pretty sure I've made this comment before but one of the main reasons Texas runs its own grid is to avoid the need to meet federal regulations, which ironically and also unsurprisingly, contain winterization guidelines.
    - ameminator 5y ago
      I did not know that! Very interesting! Although, I do think that having some differentiation makes sense. For example, I'm sure Vermont's winterization needs would look very different than Texas'.
scotty79 5y ago
If you can place a bitcoin miner next to a wind turbine then state of the grid is not an issue.

Not many people seem to know that the power grid issue wasn't to do with the power grid... I think Texas will do well with crypto from what I understand. http://adam.curry.com/art/1613521813_mxdUgmnT.html http://adam.curry.com/art/1613521813_mxdUgmnT.html

ryanfreeborn 5y ago
Your source is a Texas-secessionist rant with no citations? Do you have any actual objective reviews of why the power grid issue happened?
mikeyouse 5y ago
That’s straight nonsense from some bizarre “Texit” secession advocate. https://energy.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/UTAustin%20%282021%29%20EventsFebruary2021TexasBlackout%2020210714.pdf https://energy.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/UTAustin%20%28... Texas lost 30,000 MW of thermal power plants due to thermal maintenance and thermal forced outages (Page 18). In the face of unprecedented (but not unpredicted) demand, they had to load shed like crazy to save their grid. It’s not a complicated story and has literally nothing to do with EPA clean air regulations. Page 34 gives the breakdown by power plant type.. poorly prepared natural gas pipelines and power plants were essentially entirely responsible for the outage.
mindslight 5y ago
tldr - blames federal regulations limiting (coal) pollution that easily travels across state borders. skips any examination of why Texas doesn't have enough plants meeting modern pollution standards.

walrus01 5y ago

It's OK, if it gets too cold in Texas you can always fly to Cancun for a while, as shown by the example of some notable local politicians who espouse a "the free market will fix everything" philosophy.

ameminator 5y ago
Haha I don't live in Texas and it always did seem strange to have key infrastructure privatized in the way that they did. To be fair, however, almost no community is ready for the effects of climate change (despite the reporting). In fact, most people have trouble with statistically rare events, so it doesn't surprise me. It's hard to say whether a government-managed endeavor would have been more prepared if I'm being completely honest.
- twalla 5y ago
  Pretty sure I've made this comment before but one of the main reasons Texas runs its own grid is to avoid the need to meet federal regulations, which ironically and also unsurprisingly, contain winterization guidelines.
  - ameminator 5y ago
    I did not know that! Very interesting! Although, I do think that having some differentiation makes sense. For example, I'm sure Vermont's winterization needs would look very different than Texas'.

scotty79 5y ago

If you can place a bitcoin miner next to a wind turbine then state of the grid is not an issue.