Texas grid fails to weatherize, repeats mistake feds cited 10 years ago

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Houston Chronicle

BUSINESS // ENERGY

Texas grid fails to weatherize, repeats mistake feds cited 10 years ago
James Osborne, Eric Dexheimer, Staff Writers

Feb. 16, 2021 | Updated: Feb. 17, 2021 8:40 a.m.

WASHINGTON - Ten years ago, plunging temperatures forced rolling blackouts across Texas, leaving more than 3 million people without power as the Super Bowl was played outside Dallas.

Now, with a near identical scenario following another Texas cold snap, Texas power regulators are being forced to answer how the unusually cold temperatures forced so much of the state’s power generation offline when Texans were trying to keep warm.

To start, experts say, power generators and regulators failed to heed the lessons of 2011 — or for that matter, 1989. In the aftermath of the Super Bowl Sunday blackout a decade ago, federal energy officials warned the grid manager, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas or ERCOT, that Texas power plants had failed to adequately weatherize facilities to protect against cold weather.

A federal report that summer recommended steps including installing heating elements around pipes and increasing the amount of reserve power available before storms, noting many of those same warnings were issued after similar blackouts 22 years earlier and had gone unheeded.

{snip}

Staff Writer Jeremy Blackman contributed to this report.

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Twitter.com/@osborneja

Written By
James Osborne
Reach James on https://twitter.com/osborneja
James Osborne covers the intersection of energy and politics from the Houston Chronicle's bureau in Washington D.C.

Written By
Eric Dexheimer
Eric Dexheimer began working in the Austin bureau of the Houston Chronicle in December 2018. Prior to that he worked for the Austin American-Statesman, alt-weeklies in Denver and Portland, and community daily and weekly newspapers in Upstate New York. He is originally from Batavia (Exit 48, NYS Thruway).

Read more: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/Texas-grid-again-faces-scrutiny-over-cold-15955392.php

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[RussBLib]

1. GOP in Texas has a real aversion to the Feds....

...until they need help.

[CountAllVotes]

2. Oh how they weep like babies

They need everything now, everything!

Sad situation isn't it?

[Rural_Progressive]

15. But only on their terms

and without any input or "interference" from the dread Federal Gov.

[rickyhall]

3. Name change: Electric UNreliability Council of Texas or EUCOT

[EarthFirst]

4. Infrastructure maintenance impacts profits...

...can’t have that.

Ten wet noodle lashes.

[Proud liberal 80]

5. No, you are wrong....

I heard it was AOC’s fault....She went down to Texas and bullied Abbott, Cruz, Patrick, Crenshaw, etc. to use green energy...these strong, self reliant conservatives had no choice but to listen to her

[Ligyron]

11. Oh horror of horrors, is there no limit to her powers?

She's in their heads 24/7.

[tanyev]

6. But regulation is eeeeevil!

[Lonestarblue]

7. In Texas, anything that interferes with excessive profits is evil.

And those profits include money from the federal government, the same welfare that Republicans say the poor take advantage of. The federal government gives billions of our taxpayer dollars to fossil fuel companies every year, many of them here in Texas. Some of the smaller ones do not make a real profit and would go bankrupt without the subsidy. But that subsidy allows them to pay their CEOs and top managers really well, which is all that matters.

At this point, I’m really disgusted to be living in Texas. But my vote is needed for 2022. If we don’t elect a Democratic governor, I may have to move.

[IronLionZion]

8. How much would it cost to weatherize?

This could be a campaign issue to finally turn Texas blue. Northern states get snow and ice every winter and still have power.

[RussBLib]

18. It can't be that much

It has been done in super cold areas, as you say, and those people have not gone insane due to those extra costs.

GOP are cheap bastards. Texas has a rainy day fund of over $10 billion. This could be a good time to use it, to help all these gen plants winterize.

[duforsure]

9. After working in oil refinery's for over 30 years

This sounds familiar. They sure don't like to spend money if they think they can get by . Gov Abbott will just cause them to raise their rates to us, with them claiming it'll cost them. Then they'll spend just enough to satisfy a few, and pocket the rest.

[ancianita]

10. Feds should demand that in exchange for help, TX power plants & ERCOT weatherize or the

help becomes a loan that TX must pay back in preparation for the next call for help.

Private enterprise's cheaping out on grid safety must not be a cost shouldered by US taxpayers.

Finally, all energy grids should be upgraded for season intensifications, or face being taken over -- nationalized -- by the US government (or the like) as a necessary part of national security. Millions of Americans' "life, liberty, etc." are carelessly treated by corporate owners too stupid to realize that their corporate market values approach to essential services are bad for business as well.

Throw in Medicare For All, too.

Living in most parts of this country is like living on a damned plantation.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

12. Texas is too smart to listen to them gubmnt feds and their climate malarkey. . . . .nt

I suppose I should post the /sarcasm

[Lars39]

13. Such passive language....

the grid didn't decide anything, it was ERCOT board who failed.

[diverdownjt]

14. We need to make an example of Texas....

I'm tired of bailing out these red states, especially when they scream about being so strong and independent.
Let Texas fail. Then and only then will they understand what a govt. regulation would have saved them.

Let them fail...when they ask for help, refer them to those boot straps they're so fond of.
If your a dem in tx...all I can say is why?

[Rural_Progressive]

16. What in the world do those good ol' boys plan on heating

with those little 10 lb tanks? Or is everybody just planning on a BBQ?

[oasis]

17. Thnks for posting and linking info. K&R

[DontBelieveEastisEas]

19. Those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. nt