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Considering that this lack of regulation resulted in Texas being only ”seconds and minutes” from a months-long blackout in 2021, I disagree that it is a good id

Considering that this lack of regulation resulted in Texas being only ”seconds and minutes” from a months-long blackout in 2021, I disagree that it is a good idea. https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/18/texas-power-outages-ercot/ https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/18/texas-power-outages-...

chrisco255 3y ago
You shouldn't take hyperbole at face value. There was never, ever going to be a months-long blackout.
- tehwebguy 3y ago
  I don’t know that, but the hyperbole does take focus away from the couple hundred people who died as a result
- jackson1442 3y ago
  Maybe “months-long” was hyperbole, but the (former) CEO of ERCOT has stated that it would take weeks, if not longer, to do a black start of the grid. I’m inclined to believe that as a baseline since statements like that make him personally look bad. https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2021-08-05/if-the-texas-power-grid-had-gone-down-it-would-need-a-black-start-how-long-would-that-take https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2021-08-05/if-the-tex...
vorpalhex 3y ago
Having lived on the east coast with blackouts lasting up to a week with some regularity and in Texas with one major blackout from a historical event.. I'll stick to Texas. https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/pepco-week-long-restoration-effort-in-dc-region/ https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/pepco-week-long-resto...
- ceejayoz 3y ago
  Texas has a lot more than the one blackout. Large storms cause any energy provider problems. For example: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/18/east-texas-power-outages/ https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/18/east-texas-power-out... > More than 160,000 of their customers in East Texas and Louisiana remain without power as of 4 p.m. Sunday. Some Texans may have to wait for full restoration until June 23 — a week after losing power, the provider said.
  - vorpalhex 3y ago
    > An Enhanced Fujita-1 tornado measuring a half-mile wide caused severe damage to homes in Panola County in East Texas on Friday before moving to northwest Louisiana. The tornado had winds up to 110 mph with a 7.78-mile path length, according to estimates from the National Weather Service. Are you expecting Texas to roll out Tornado proof lines?
    - ceejayoz 3y ago
      > Are you expecting Texas to roll out Tornado proof lines? No, I'm expecting Texas to be just as vulnerable to severe weather damaging lines requiring a week's repairs as DC.
- toast0 3y ago
  I don't think the problem there is regulation, but scope of storms and suitability of undergrounding transmission lines in the local geography. Maybe a bit of regulation there, although it's at the state level: under WA law, my utility has to charge affected users the additional costs related to installing wires underground and must gather their consent, unless there are special circumstances that allow them to pay for it out of general funds. This usually means not a lot of undergrounding, because people usually don't want to pay the costs.

chrisco255 3y ago

You shouldn't take hyperbole at face value. There was never, ever going to be a months-long blackout.

tehwebguy 3y ago
I don’t know that, but the hyperbole does take focus away from the couple hundred people who died as a result
jackson1442 3y ago
Maybe “months-long” was hyperbole, but the (former) CEO of ERCOT has stated that it would take weeks, if not longer, to do a black start of the grid. I’m inclined to believe that as a baseline since statements like that make him personally look bad. https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2021-08-05/if-the-texas-power-grid-had-gone-down-it-would-need-a-black-start-how-long-would-that-take https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2021-08-05/if-the-tex...

vorpalhex 3y ago

Having lived on the east coast with blackouts lasting up to a week with some regularity and in Texas with one major blackout from a historical event.. I'll stick to Texas. https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/pepco-week-long-restoration-effort-in-dc-region/ https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/pepco-week-long-resto...

ceejayoz 3y ago
Texas has a lot more than the one blackout. Large storms cause any energy provider problems. For example: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/18/east-texas-power-outages/ https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/18/east-texas-power-out... > More than 160,000 of their customers in East Texas and Louisiana remain without power as of 4 p.m. Sunday. Some Texans may have to wait for full restoration until June 23 — a week after losing power, the provider said.
- vorpalhex 3y ago
  > An Enhanced Fujita-1 tornado measuring a half-mile wide caused severe damage to homes in Panola County in East Texas on Friday before moving to northwest Louisiana. The tornado had winds up to 110 mph with a 7.78-mile path length, according to estimates from the National Weather Service. Are you expecting Texas to roll out Tornado proof lines?
  - ceejayoz 3y ago
    > Are you expecting Texas to roll out Tornado proof lines? No, I'm expecting Texas to be just as vulnerable to severe weather damaging lines requiring a week's repairs as DC.
toast0 3y ago
I don't think the problem there is regulation, but scope of storms and suitability of undergrounding transmission lines in the local geography. Maybe a bit of regulation there, although it's at the state level: under WA law, my utility has to charge affected users the additional costs related to installing wires underground and must gather their consent, unless there are special circumstances that allow them to pay for it out of general funds. This usually means not a lot of undergrounding, because people usually don't want to pay the costs.