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HN is obsessed with the TX power grid....why?

by newaccount2021 4y ago

mjevans 4y ago
A large number of fabs and other manufacturing facilities exist there. Texas has had several power failure related disasters in recent years; which have cost many lives and much value, as well as caused shocks to the rest of the US. Much of the rest of the US does not have those issues, or has them in only very small predictable circumstances, mostly caused E.G. by huge windstorms (trees), earthquakes, fires, other 'natural disasters'. Climate generally not regarded as a natural disaster since it's something that should theoretically be planned for. Even the windstorm example, for metro areas power should not go out. It's only poorly managed rural areas that tend to go off the grid.
viraptor 4y ago
It's an interesting case of one area trying to stay independent and deregulated, then failing in basic areas like low costs, and maintenance, leading to serious issues in recent winters. With certain media trying to turn the management failures into an anti-wind campaign thus not making things better. Honestly it's an interesting trainwreck to observe from far away. Shame that it affects real people locally. In case you're not familiar with Ercot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_of_Texas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_o...
- philshem 4y ago
  Direct link to the 2021 Texas power crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Texas_power_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Texas_power_crisis
- briandear 4y ago
  Those failures didn’t happen until they started shifting to so called “green” energy. And compared to California’s power woes, Texas is a model of efficiency. With natural gas and nuclear, there would never be a power shortage in Texas. But for some reason people are obsessed with ugly, bird killing windmills and giant solar farms.
  - elbelcho 4y ago
    That's factually incorrect. They've been suffering severe power outages due to poor maintenance and planning as far back as at least 2011 https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/texas-power-outage-causes-2011 https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/texas-power-...
  - viraptor 4y ago
    Here's a fun and well sourced video about the source of failures: https://youtu.be/PmYvkCXXI4E https://youtu.be/PmYvkCXXI4E Or if you don't like fun: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/17/texas-energy-wind-power-outage-natural-gas-renewable-green-new-deal/6780546002/ https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/17/texas-energy... > These failing sources largely included nuclear plants, coal plants and thermal energy generators. Frozen wind turbines were a factor, too, but Woodfin said wind shutdowns accounted for less than 13% of the outages. That's ERCOT Senior Director of System Operations Dan Woodfin. So no, it definitely would've happened with just gas and nuclear.
dx034 4y ago
It's one of the larger ones in the world (same GW as the largest European countries), there's a lot of data available and it's the only one that recently collapsed. I cannot remember a similar collapse due to a mismatch of demand and supply in any other network that size, especially one where we get all the data for. I believe the CA power grid gets similar attention here whenever there's any news. A post for a dashboard would've probably attracted as many upvotes.
pjc50 4y ago
Texans can use HN as well?

HN is obsessed with the TX power grid....why?

A large number of fabs and other manufacturing facilities exist there. Texas has had several power failure related disasters in recent years; which have cost many lives and much value, as well as caused shocks to the rest of the US. Much of the rest of the US does not have those issues, or has them in only very small predictable circumstances, mostly caused E.G. by huge windstorms (trees), earthquakes, fires, other 'natural disasters'. Climate generally not regarded as a natural disaster since it's something that should theoretically be planned for. Even the windstorm example, for metro areas power should not go out. It's only poorly managed rural areas that tend to go off the grid.

viraptor 4y ago

It's an interesting case of one area trying to stay independent and deregulated, then failing in basic areas like low costs, and maintenance, leading to serious issues in recent winters. With certain media trying to turn the management failures into an anti-wind campaign thus not making things better. Honestly it's an interesting trainwreck to observe from far away. Shame that it affects real people locally. In case you're not familiar with Ercot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_of_Texas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_o...

philshem 4y ago
Direct link to the 2021 Texas power crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Texas_power_crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Texas_power_crisis
briandear 4y ago
Those failures didn’t happen until they started shifting to so called “green” energy. And compared to California’s power woes, Texas is a model of efficiency. With natural gas and nuclear, there would never be a power shortage in Texas. But for some reason people are obsessed with ugly, bird killing windmills and giant solar farms.
- elbelcho 4y ago
  That's factually incorrect. They've been suffering severe power outages due to poor maintenance and planning as far back as at least 2011 https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/texas-power-outage-causes-2011 https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/texas-power-...
- viraptor 4y ago
  Here's a fun and well sourced video about the source of failures: https://youtu.be/PmYvkCXXI4E https://youtu.be/PmYvkCXXI4E Or if you don't like fun: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/17/texas-energy-wind-power-outage-natural-gas-renewable-green-new-deal/6780546002/ https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/02/17/texas-energy... > These failing sources largely included nuclear plants, coal plants and thermal energy generators. Frozen wind turbines were a factor, too, but Woodfin said wind shutdowns accounted for less than 13% of the outages. That's ERCOT Senior Director of System Operations Dan Woodfin. So no, it definitely would've happened with just gas and nuclear.

dx034 4y ago

It's one of the larger ones in the world (same GW as the largest European countries), there's a lot of data available and it's the only one that recently collapsed. I cannot remember a similar collapse due to a mismatch of demand and supply in any other network that size, especially one where we get all the data for. I believe the CA power grid gets similar attention here whenever there's any news. A post for a dashboard would've probably attracted as many upvotes.

pjc50 4y ago

Texans can use HN as well?