"We Never Hear The Words 'Climate Change' Spoken At ERCOT . . . It's A Taboo Subject"
Well alrighty then.
A study last year by scientists at Texas A&M University estimated that by 2036, extreme rainfall would become 30 to 50 percent more frequent in Texas than it was in the second half of the 20th century, and storm surge risk along some parts of the Texas coast would double by 2050. “Prudent planning recognizes that we cannot know whether reality will end up higher or lower than the best available present-day estimates,” the report cautioned.
Already, grid operators are struggling to anticipate the demands extreme weather can place on a power grid. In November, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, predicted power demand this winter would peak at 57,699 MW – it ended up at more than 69,000 megawatts Sunday.
So far, ERCOT has not made understanding climate change’s impact on the grid a priority, said Doug Lewin, an energy consultant in Austin. “We never hear the words climate change spoken at ERCOT because of the politics. It’s a taboo subject,” he said. “We’re using the past as a predictor of the future and we can’t do that. We’ve fundamentally shifted the planet’s systems, and it’s only just started.”
At a press conference Friday, ERCOT President Bill Magness said the organization would be reviewing how it goes about planning for extreme weather. “We’re looking at any number of scenarios on how our forecasts are put together,” he said. “2021 certainly is a marker.”
EDIT
https://climatecrocks.com/2021/02/19/at-ercot-dont-say-climate-change/
= new reply since forum marked as read
