Texas
Related: About this forumMessing with Texas: The Lone Star state's power grid is working exactly as designed
On Presidents Day, many in Texas received an unexpected gift that was even less welcome than a day filled with discount mattress ads, as the state was plagued by a series of rolling blackouts. The outages came on a day when the southern U.S. is literally colder than Alaska. That, in turn, comes because climate change has destabilized the normally tightly constrained systems that spin cold air around the pole, and now that system wobbles like a spinning top in the last unsteady stages before collapse. This week, that wobble is tilted toward the central U.S., and folks in Siberia get to go around in shirtsleeves (briefly, before things wobble back in their direction).
But since its Texas, and this is 2021, Fox News and assorted guests have spent the last two days railing about how the problem is actually green power. In particular, theyre blaming Texas high use of wind energy and frozen wind turbines for the blackout. If only Texas relied more on burning more coal/oil/gas/wood/witches/liberals, then surely all would be well.
Only thats not the problem. As Ars Technica pointed out on Monday, wind power in Texas is currently working at over 100% of its projected capacity. The real problem is that the Texas electrical grid is working exactly as designed, by people who created a system where the occasional failure is a virtue. Because the profits are better that way.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016337
LizBeth
(9,952 posts)They can't juice up their phones so no heat, internet, ect... But no phone either.
Desert grandma
(804 posts)Has not had any power since they woke up yesterday. Her car has gas though, so she is charging her and the granddaughter's devices on the car charger. I told her to try to find a hotel/motel that has power that she could get to. I don't know if she will have any luck with that.
LizBeth
(9,952 posts)the power he has to assure mama. Lol. I was reading where the hotels really jacked up the prices like 5x's normal.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Just said this to Mr. d. this morning, after reading about Texas power system. Have a dear friend and a family member in Texas now, really feeling sad for them.
underpants
(182,954 posts)Ive been out of the news since Saturday so Im just hearing about these power outages now.