No, frozen wind turbines aren't the main culprit for Texas' power outages

[applegrove]

No, frozen wind turbines aren't the main culprit for Texas' power outages

Lost wind power makes up only a fraction of the reduction in power generating capacity that has brought outages to millions of Texans across the state during a major winter storm.

BY ERIN DOUGLAS AND ROSS RAMSEY at the Texas Tribune

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/16/texas-wind-turbines-frozen/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

"SNIP.....

While Webber said all of Texas’ energy sources share blame for the power crisis, the natural gas industry is most notably producing significantly less power than normal.

“Gas is failing in the most spectacular fashion right now,” Webber said.

Dan Woodfin, a senior director at ERCOT, echoed that sentiment Tuesday.

“It appears that a lot of the generation that has gone offline today has been primarily due to issues on the natural gas system,” he said during a Tuesday call with reporters.

.....SNIP"

Look at this opportunist:

Link to tweet

[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. Hey, Abbott! Who's on third?

(Not clicking anything that gives Fascist Oligarch eXtremists a hit)

[LudwigPastorius]

2. Yeah Greggo. Way to try and score political points and deflect blame while...

people are fucking freezing to death.

You ASSHOLE!!

[duforsure]

3. These Republicans are lying ,

There are plants that are down for repairs at this time of the year, and numerous plants can't stay running with the cold wave that's hit them. I know because i worked in oil refinery's for 30+ years , in the midwest and in Texas , and they aren't set up to run at the temperatures Texas has seen lately. I've worked in one at -20 in the midwest, and it was a struggle at times ,but it was kept running. In Texas is was no where close to being able to run under those conditions, as well as these energy companies using Natural gas , nuclear, coal, and even wind turbines after a huge ice storm. Republicans are spreading propaganda now about why based on no facts. These plants are down for repairs, or unable to remain running because of the storms, and trying to blame the wind turbines is nonsense, not factual at all.

[DanieRains]

4. If It Wasn't For Wind Texas Would Have A Lot Less Power

In Ellensburg WA, and Dayton WA there are tons of wind turbines sitting in a lot more snow, and lower temperatures than in Texas. Then there is Europe where it is cold as heck.

If you have heat in Texas, it is most likely because of wind power.

[Kablooie]

7. Wind turbines have heating elements in cold climes.

And they keep running. .
It's an added expense so Texas didn't install them.

A windy snow storm could have been good for energy generation

[catrose]

6. Weird. He also said that coal & gas generators were frozen.

https://mobile.twitter.com/gregabbott_tx/status/1361398774216744967

Of course, all this equipment can be winterized but the govt (R-Obviously) doesn't believe in winter or preparation.

[applegrove]

8. That was a day earlier it says. Maybe they saw the chance to catapult a conspiracy

Last edited Wed Feb 17, 2021, 05:19 AM - Edit history (1)

theory that it was only renewables that were a problem? IMHO

[7wo7rees]

9. Abbott is just one very sick dick of a super asshole!!

I can only hope he will face the rage of millions!

[Mersky]

10. Kick and recommended!!!

[duforsure]

11. Abbott blaming ERCOT for this is bs,

Last edited Wed Feb 17, 2021, 07:54 AM - Edit history (1)

Record breaking storms bringing record breaking low temperatures are what's caused this. Energy companies will not spend the money for once in a 100-150 year extreme cold situations, and blaming green energy is also another huge lie. This is the time of the year when turnarounds in plants are done, and some are down for maintenance, repairs, and updates . Huge ice storms will always hurt energy production especially with severe cold. ERCOT is not handling the PR very well, and by not having answers now is a area that does needs changing. Trying to run a power plant in these types of extremes where they aren't set up for it is the greatest problem. Republicans claiming green energy , or poor management causing this, when they face these extreme record breaking weather conditions is , is bs. You can't run a energy plant safely without working instrumentation, or fuel like natural gas. Abbott is promoting bs excuses .The energy companies don't want to spend the money for additional weather protections for once in a lifetime weather events like this. Water systems freezing up could also be preventing them the ability to stay on line.

[Snoopy 7]

19. wrong about the "once in a lifetime weather event"

The weather experts and calling for a return of this time of weather in the near future (10 yearish) due to climate change. Texas saw a drop of the cold air that would normally stop in South Canada. That is why it would be so cold in the northern states and we would be cold but not freezing. One must start preparing for climate changes, not just in Texas but across the WORLD...

[Mersky]

12. Without wind in the mix the situation would have been worse because of the reliance on gas

So, iow, abbott was on fox selling a fraud because he’s aggressively stupid and cruel.

His gas producer buddies were making so much money pumping LNG to export, etc. at the same time operations were falling that Texas power plants weren’t willing to pay the price to crank more electricity, until the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) lifted pricing caps and floors on MONDAY. I bet this was all foreseeable in scenario planning, and abbot with his appointees at PUCT (who oversee ERCOT) waited based on the profitability of the dire situation.

He’s using the natural disaster to further harm and scare people about wind rather than seeking to bolster the infrastructure of all sources of electricity in Texas, because he’s an awful person.

[struggle4progress]

13. Abbott has been throwing out excuses left and right

It's the windmills! Blame Michigan! Reform ERCOT!

[gollygee]

14. We have turbines in Michigan. They can be winterized.

They don't pay a state income tax to pay for infrastructure and they deregulate everything. They need some competent governmental officials who believe in the role of government.

[CaptainTruth]

15. This is a Test of the Democratic Messaging System

It's easy to disprove these statements with facts, & our party needs to do so, vigorously.

We should not let lies like this stand unchallenged. If we do they will become "facts" in the minds of far too many people & hurt our green energy efforts for years to come.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. He should resign.

[George II]

17. Natural gas can "freeze" and not flow properly or at all. Many years ago when I worked in NJ....

....we had an unusual cold snap in late December. The company I worked for was forced to close by the state because of a lack of natural gas due to the cold.

[NNadir]

18. Wind power fails regularly, pretty much daily, to deliver power. It's just lipstick on the gas...

...gas pig in any case.

There is no reason to blame its unreliability, since unreliability is a constant feature of all wind turbines.

The problem is dangerous natural gas, to be sure, probably a cascade effect from local pump and compressor outages.

If gas fails, wind is useless. The wind industry depends on access to gas and without it would collapse in a New York minute.