Is Texas part of an alternate reality.... or an example of what is in store for America?

Pete

Member
Location
Texas
texasice storm.jpg
....just a few short months ago Texas was thrust into a life ending emergency when cold weather and lack of fuel shut down some electric generating stations. This emergency caused the death of 111 Texans and $200 billion in damage from water pipes bursting because they were frozen from lack of electric heat.

Now here in June the evening news is once again reporting the shut down of four power plants and an urgent “request” for Texans to cut back on energy usage, or else we may once again have those extended rolling blackouts!

I ask you what is wrong with this picture..... and the answer is simple math, the electric companies can no longer keep pace with the demand for electricity, and yet we see no call to slow down the expansion of building new homes and businesses.

Texas is one of the fastest growing states in our nation and no Texas mayor is willing to step back and say they should maybe slow down with the expansion.... because that expansion brings with it tax dollars and consumer and business spending, but at what cost?

Here in North Texas the cost is obvious the power grid as it stands can not handle the increased demand and we the consumers will suffer.



111 people died here

in the February cold snap

now with temperatures in the high 90's

and a heat index in the mid 100's

no doubt

more will die.



Still just imagine

if most Texans changed to

electric cars

with the rolling brown outs

you wouldn't be able to use them

and how many more people

would die?

heatdanger3.jpg
 

Summer is still a few days away, but the SW is already experiencing conditions which may become quite severe in the next few months. Texas is reporting more problems with its power grid, the water levels in Lake Mead are receding to unprecedented levels, and the extreme drought in the Western states is creating the possibility of serious forest fires. Hurricane season is almost here, and the weather services are calling for a very active season for the Gulf and Eastern states.

If this Covid pandemic isn't enough to create serious problems, the weather may add even more misery for millions of people. 2021 is shaping up to be a very "trying" year.,
 
Yes all over the news now. We need to conserve and I understand but it was 97 today. I try to use my ceiling fans in every room and keep the therm at 76. Its the best I can do while my daughter says at the pharmacy she is freezing. Its different as some of the drugs have to be kept cold. So we do the best we can. She wears a jacket and I sleep in thin jammies.
We had a thunderstorm yesterday so I was able to move the therm to 77.
 

Without getting into politics I don't think Texas is an alternative reality, it's a product of the voting from the state's majority. Just as one can criticize the political decisions of the state's elected officials one can also criticize the political decisions of other states such as my state, California. Many people criticize the decisions of elected officials of my state but there are those of us who have voted for elected officials because they would make the criticized decisions.
 
I'm in an upstairs apartment and keep the AC at 83. Seriously, it's not uncomfortable.

But yes, we have problems. California in a drought situation but people watering their lawns. People at work blast water to rinse some small plastic container. I'm conservative with water. I water the few plants on my patio with the old cat bowl water I change twice a day or left over water in my water bottle I didn't drink.

If a pot needs water in it to soak, I leave it in the sink and it fills up when I wash my hands or rinse fruit and vegetables. I'd never use clean water to fill a pan to soak.
 
The ancient Egyptians had great periods of incredible wealth and power, which were followed by famine, and political upheaval due to prolong draughts, and weather conditions. The Egyptians weren't able to cope with the environmental changes. Sorry, Texas, but it seems Texas can't either. For whatever reason, the state can't cope with its power needs. From my all knowing armchair, Texas has not invested in a reliable electrical infrastructure to cope with the changing environment, and the needs of its users.. It's not like the problem of sufficient power for Texas just happened yesterday afternoon, this has been going on for years
 
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I don't know how this summer is going to play out, but I'm expecting to have brown outs coming soon all over Texas. .. and who knows what the hurricane season will look like!

For my third floor apartment, which faces to the SE, I found out that an adequate size dehumidifier does wonders for the comfort level.
Living with high humidity and heat is a way of life down here, and a large dehumidifier changes everything. My A/C unit isn't strained now.
 
I don't know how this summer is going to play out, but I'm expecting to have brown outs coming soon all over Texas. .. and who knows what the hurricane season will look like!

For my third floor apartment, which faces to the SE, I found out that an adequate size dehumidifier does wonders for the comfort level.
Living with high humidity and heat is a way of life down here, and a large dehumidifier changes everything. My A/C unit isn't strained now.
I'm glad you found something that helps. My area is dry, so I don't have the humidity. I may buy a fan for the first time but it has to be bladeless due to my cats. Can't take any chances.
 
Yes all over the news now. We need to conserve and I understand but it was 97 today. I try to use my ceiling fans in every room and keep the therm at 76. Its the best I can do while my daughter says at the pharmacy she is freezing. Its different as some of the drugs have to be kept cold. So we do the best we can. She wears a jacket and I sleep in thin jammies.
We had a thunderstorm yesterday so I was able to move the therm to 77.
Terry123 the fact is you should not be coeresed to cut back on keeping your family cool in summer and warm in winter.
Our government policies have reduced the number of power stations and increased the grids reliance on solar and wind when they are not a reliable source of energy. It time to push for more generating stations to handle the increase in demand,

...let alone what will happen if millions of people switch to electric cars and that demand doubles
 
From my all knowing armchair, Texas has not invested in a reliable electrical infrastructure to cope with the changing environment, and the needs of its users..
Amen fuzzybuddy
alternate energy only works when the wind is blowing or the sun is out
so maybe what we need in Texas is
#1..better maintenance on existing power plants
#2..more new generating stations.
 
Amen fuzzybuddy
alternate energy only works when the wind is blowing or the sun is out
so maybe what we need in Texas is
#1..better maintenance on existing power plants
#2..more new generating stations.

The excuse that is being aired on local TV, is that there is a shortage of technical people who can work on repairing the existing generators
 
I keep the ceiling fans going and the AC set at 75-76. So far it's been okay and we have been in the high 90's the last week or so. Too bad for our citizens that our legislature was more focused on voter suppression and abortion rights (there are none) in the last session than fixing the electrical grid. We should buy into the electrical co-op that serves several surrounding states (and El Paso) but big oil and gas producers own the legislature and they do what they are told will be acceptable to that group. I best not say anymore or I will be banned for political speak.
 
....just a few short months ago Texas was thrust into a life ending emergency when cold weather and lack of fuel shut down some electric generating stations. This emergency caused the death of 111 Texans and $200 billion in damage from water pipes bursting because they were frozen from lack of electric heat.

Now here in June the evening news is once again reporting the shut down of four power plants and an urgent “request” for Texans to cut back on energy usage, or else we may once again have those extended rolling blackouts!

I ask you what is wrong with this picture..... and the answer is simple math, the electric companies can no longer keep pace with the demand for electricity, and yet we see no call to slow down the expansion of building new homes and businesses.

Texas is one of the fastest growing states in our nation and no Texas mayor is willing to step back and say they should maybe slow down with the expansion.... because that expansion brings with it tax dollars and consumer and business spending, but at what cost?

Here in North Texas the cost is obvious the power grid as it stands can not handle the increased demand and we the consumers will suffer.



111 people died here

in the February cold snap

now with temperatures in the high 90's

and a heat index in the mid 100's

no doubt

more will die.



Still just imagine

if most Texans changed to

electric cars

with the rolling brown outs

you wouldn't be able to use them

and how many more people

would die?


View attachment 169352
OVERPOPULATION! There is just too many people on this planet and too many of them are concentrated in BIG cities. I got this awful feeling that both Canada & the USA are going to get a big surprise in the future. They are going to have to take a bit of a fall in our fancy standard of living. Everyone wants to drive big trucks, big SUVs, many want swimming pools, shop in big malls that are air conditioned, most have A/C, a television in every room of the home, etc. All these things consume energy. If you have a small population, then there is no problem. With overpopulation, there is a big problem because there isn't enough energy for this style of living. I'm not talking about under populated rural towns but I'm talking about Houston, Fort Worth-Dallas metro area and Phoenix, AZ. The trouble no one wants to discuss overpopulation is that we are constantly told that we need to keep that GNP growing and we need more people to keep shopping and to use all those things (most come from China). More people = more energy needed. I think it's called a "Catch-22" situation. I just call it, "you can't have your cake and eat it too!"
 
OVERPOPULATION! There is just too many people on this planet and too many of them are concentrated in BIG cities. I got this awful feeling that both Canada & the USA are going to get a big surprise in the future. They are going to have to take a bit of a fall in our fancy standard of living. Everyone wants to drive big trucks, big SUVs, many want swimming pools, shop in big malls that are air conditioned, most have A/C, a television in every room of the home, etc. All these things consume energy. If you have a small population, then there is no problem. With overpopulation, there is a big problem because there isn't enough energy for this style of living. I'm not talking about under populated rural towns but I'm talking about Houston, Fort Worth-Dallas metro area and Phoenix, AZ. The trouble no one wants to discuss overpopulation is that we are constantly told that we need to keep that GNP growing and we need more people to keep shopping and to use all those things (most come from China). More people = more energy needed. I think it's called a "Catch-22" situation. I just call it, "you can't have your cake and eat it too!"
I totally agree with you on this. And along with too many people, we have those who vote for the very people who make their lives difficult.

Many young men and women have decided never to get married. They want their own jobs, bank accounts, and homes. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2014/09/24/record-share-of-americans-have-never-married/

And many people have decided to rent instead of owning homes so that they are free to leave a state that has policies they just can't live with. I just can't believe states that want to change or leave out part of our country's history. If I had a child, that alone would force me to leave that state. And as climate change makes our weather more and more unpredictable and devastating, I see more people relocating to friendlier climates.
 
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Terry123 the fact is you should not be coeresed to cut back on keeping your family cool in summer and warm in winter.
Our government policies have reduced the number of power stations and increased the grids reliance on solar and wind when they are not a reliable source of energy. It time to push for more generating stations to handle the increase in demand,

...let alone what will happen if millions of people switch to electric cars and that demand doubles

If you look at the electricity generation that occurred during the winter power problem in Texas solar was the least affected power source. Wind power would have been more effective too if the owners of the wind turbines had paid for them to be able to handle low temperatures. As several people pointed out at the time New York has much consistently colder winters yet their wind power is rarely affected by cold temperatures.

I posted links to articles with the information back during the winter power issue in Texas. You can probably find them if you search for my posts with the words Texas or solar in them.
 
Terry123 the fact is you should not be coeresed to cut back on keeping your family cool in summer and warm in winter.
Our government policies have reduced the number of power stations and increased the grids reliance on solar and wind when they are not a reliable source of energy. It time to push for more generating stations to handle the increase in demand,

...let alone what will happen if millions of people switch to electric cars and that demand doubles
Actually, I was under the impression from articles I read discussing the winter freeze situation, that it was the traditional energy power plants that had the greatest problems, NOT the alternative energy plants. Is this incorrect?

US conservatives falsely blame renewables for Texas storm outages
Lawmakers and the Murdoch media target wind and solar but grid operator says fossil fuel generators suffered biggest problems
London Guardian U.S. 17 Feb 2021
(free access) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...sely-blame-renewables-for-texas-storm-outages

[excerpt] The electricity outages suffered by millions of Texans amid frigid temperatures sweeping across the United States have been seized upon by conservative commentators presenting a false narrative that renewable power was to blame.

“We should never build another wind turbine in Texas,” read a Facebook post on Tuesday by the state’s agriculture commissioner, Sid Miller. “The experiment failed big time.”

Fox News also joined in with one of its presenters, Tucker Carlson, claiming that renewables were to blame and that Texas was “totally reliant on windfarms”. The Wall Street Journal said in an editorial that “the power grid is becoming less reliable due to growing reliance on wind and solar, which can’t provide power 24 hours a day, seven days a week”.

While some wind turbines did freeze, failures in natural gas, coal and nuclear energy systems were responsible for nearly twice as many outages as renewables, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot), which operates the state’s power grid, said in a press conference on Tuesday.

Frozen instruments at gas, coal and even nuclear power stations were among the main problems, Ercot director Dan Woodfin said, according to Bloomberg.

Despite evidence to the contrary, a variety of misleading claims spread on social media about renewable energy, with wind turbines and the Green New Deal on the receiving end of much of the attention.
 
The problem in Texas is, they're off the regional electric grid—they're their own region—so when demand goes up, they can't fall back on areas where demand is low. Add to that, lax regulation of powerplants and you have the Texas "reality."
 
Actually, I was under the impression from articles I read discussing the winter freeze situation, that it was the traditional energy power plants that had the greatest problems, NOT the alternative energy plants. Is this incorrect?

US conservatives falsely blame renewables for Texas storm outages
Lawmakers and the Murdoch media target wind and solar but grid operator says fossil fuel generators suffered biggest problems
London Guardian U.S. 17 Feb 2021
(free access) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...sely-blame-renewables-for-texas-storm-outages

[excerpt] The electricity outages suffered by millions of Texans amid frigid temperatures sweeping across the United States have been seized upon by conservative commentators presenting a false narrative that renewable power was to blame.

“We should never build another wind turbine in Texas,” read a Facebook post on Tuesday by the state’s agriculture commissioner, Sid Miller. “The experiment failed big time.”
No matter which side you are on, as citizens who will either suffer or strive under any political regime, we all need to do our own research. Find out for ourselves what is true and what is being fed to us just to get votes. Regulations save lives, deregulation make billionaires out of millionaires.
Before the EPA: https://www.google.com/search?q=bef...&ved=0ahUKEwiNvrfy9JzxAhWSKH0KHRo1BugQ4dUDCAY

"The (Trump) administration also rewrote the EPA's pollution-control policies—including on chemicals known to be serious health risks—particularly benefiting the chemicals industry, and repealed the Clean Water Rule in September 2019. A 2018 analysis reported that the Trump administration's rollbacks and proposed reversals of environmental rules would likely "cost the lives of over 80,000 US residents per decade and lead to respiratory problems for many more than 1 million people."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_policy_of_the_Donald_Trump_administration
 
The Egyptians weren't able to cope with the environmental changes. Sorry, Texas, but it seems Texas can't either. For whatever reason, the state can't cope with its power needs. From my all knowing armchair, Texas has not invested in a reliable electrical infrastructure to cope with the changing environment, and the needs of its users.. It's not like the problem of sufficient power for Texas just happened yesterday afternoon, this has been going on for years

The same can be said of California, which has antiquated grids and ongoing problems.

OVERPOPULATION! There is just too many people on this planet and too many of them are concentrated in BIG cities

Bill Gates agrees with you, and is heavily invested to greatly reduce it. 🥴🤪
 
The problem in Texas is, they're off the regional electric grid—they're their own region—so when demand goes up, they can't fall back on areas where demand is low. Add to that, lax regulation of powerplants and you have the Texas "reality."
Yes! Exactly this.

Last I read, the state of Texas was seriously considering joining the neighboring grids. I wonder if the cost is too exorbitant?
 

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