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One genuine question: part of the issue, as I understood it, that TX had is that they were on their own grid. But CA isn't. They're part of the Western Intercon
by elicash 4y ago
One genuine question: part of the issue, as I understood it, that TX had is that they were on their own grid. But CA isn't. They're part of the Western Interconnection. And while I learned from a google search that California has "Independent System Operators" -- shouldn't being connected to half the United States give them more stability here?
Anyway, we clearly need to make grid improvements.
- pwarner 4y agoLook at temperatures in the greater West...
- msandford 4y agoThat was the same problem in Texas. Everyone went on and on about how dumb these dumb Texans are for being so stupid to not be connected to one of the national grids like smart adults are. But there were big problems in OK and KS because the weather doesn't end at the grid boundary and the grid doesn't have an infinite carrying capacity. Just because there might be extra generation available somewhere doesn't mean that the lines between generation and consumption have the capacity to carry it.
- newaccount2021 4y ago
- elicash 4y agoI certainly never implied Texans were "dumb." It is the case that Texas' unique situation makes them LESS connected, and therefore less stable, right? As far as everybody else, I think the calls for updating the grid for everyone have been around for a while and that's why Congress set aside a bunch of money for it? Because it was needed and everybody agrees? No need to make this partisan. I think everybody favors a more robust grid, even folks who voted against the legislation for other reasons.
- 404mm 4y agoDepends on situation, I suppose. Winter 2 years ago, it was a total cluster-f caused by generators not being properly weatherized (the owners chose to pay ridiculously small fines rather than weatherizing the equipment), extremely low temp and high demand. In that case the was grid less stable than it could have been by own doing. We also had a shortage a few months ago when solar farms were not producing enough because of cloud coverage in west Texas, along with wind turbines not being propelled enough - and brutally high temperatures. That other time a “help” from other grids would come in handy and there was not much TX could have prepared on its own.
- pmalynin 4y agoMy understanding was that the interconnect was at capacity and we couldn’t import more power.
- rossdavidh 4y agoTX does have its own grid, but it is able to import power from the eastern grid (not the western that CA is on, though). Moreover, in the middle of the winter, what was equally important was that the natgas pipeline capacity was shared with other states (and Mexico), and that's what had the biggest failure, because many others were using record amounts of natgas at the same time TX needed it, in part to fuel electrical plants. Unlike, for example, coal, where you have a big mound of it next to the plant, and sure it's brought in by train but it's not expected to show up just-in-time. All of which is to say, being on a larger grid only helps if everyone else isn't peaking at the same time you are.
- hedora 4y agoAlso, they didn't (and still don't?) pay to winterize plants, so if it gets mildly cold by northern US standards (which happens about once a decade) a bunch of their plants (and unwinterized windmills) shut off.
- scioto 4y agoThe only power import/export TX has is through DC ties, which transfer a small amount of power. Check out [1], and look at the DC Ties numbers at the bottom. -- [1] https://www.ercot.com/content/cdr/html/real_time_system_conditions.html https://www.ercot.com/content/cdr/html/real_time_system_cond...
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]