Power grid challenges in Texas

[Irvrobinson]

Forbes - no liberal rag. ...Fossil fuel subsidies United States ($649 billion).

United States Spend Ten Times More On Fossil Fuel Subsidies Than Education

Amidst reports of a continuing climate crisis, an International Monetary Fund study released last month shows that USD$5.2 trillion was spent globally on fossil fuel subsidies in 2017. The United States has spent more subsidizing fossil fuels in recent years than it has on defense or education.

www.forbes.com

This article is about what the IMF says. They count leases on federal & state lands in subsidies, for one thing.

I am not an advocate of using fossil fuels. I am an advocate of the highest possible electrical grid reliability.

 

[Irvrobinson]

See starting page 5, Resolved.

Yet another value-free post.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Do you even know what the NGD bill actually says?

https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hres109/BILLS-116hres109ih.pdf

It actually says pretty much nothing with a foundation of science and technology.

@Irvrobinson - You're a smart guy, but in this case your too far of the mark it's literally scary.
I actually started reading the bill and it mentions technology over 10 times. What do you think technology is based upon?
In fact, part of that bill would directly help prevent the current Texas power disaster :

..to invest in the infrastructure and industry of the United States to sustainably meet 13 the challenges of the 21st century;..

building resiliency against climate 2 change-related disasters, such as extreme 3 weather, including by leveraging funding and 4 providing investments for community-defined 5 projects and strategies;

(

B) repairing and upgrading the infrastructure in the United States, including— .....
(D) building or upgrading to energy-efficient, distributed, and ‘‘smart’’ power grids, 3 and ensuring affordable access to electricity;

 

[Irvrobinson]

I actually started reading the bill and it mentions technology over 10 times. What do you think technology is based upon?

In fact, part of that bill would directly help prevent the current Texas power disaster :

The resolution (it isn't legislation) does not mention specific technologies, it only mentions objectives. Like "removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere". It is even an unclear objective. Or how about "upgrading all existing buildings in the US to achieve maximum energy efficiency..." Really? Even some 1920s home in Houston?

The closest thing in the resolution to focusing on a technology is high-speed rail, which is one of the most controversial uses of land in the US. And then the resolution goes on to talk about not abusing eminent domain (on page 13).

This isn't a resolution about technology, it is a new bill of rights, that includes, among other things:

- "guaranteeing a job with a family-sustaining wage"
- "strengthening" labor unions
- an indirect reference to tightening OHSA rules
- stopping the movement of jobs overseas
- getting the input of indigenous people (whatever they are... am I indigenous because I was born here?)
- freedom from unfair competition in business
- oh yeah, and the minor point of providing everyone in the US with high quality healthcare and "affordable adequate housing"

Not to mention the editorial comments about the "top one percenters". Such bullshit. This resolution is really a new economic and government assistance manifesto.

 

[lovinthehd]

Must be serious, Ted Cruz has cut short his vacation in Mexico to help his constituents.....

 

[Irvrobinson]

Must be serious, Ted Cruz has cut short his vacation in Mexico to help his constituents.....

His resignation would have been more helpful.

 

[lovinthehd]

His resignation would have been more helpful.

I did like he claimed to return this time all along when he was caught changing his reservation early that morning.....

 

[Irvrobinson]

The only good thing that will come out of this fiasco is that Texas is being thrust into a serious discussion about its energy policy.

Texas grid failure ignites feud over Republican oversight of the energy industry

The Texas grid failure that's left millions without power has fueled outrage over Republicans' decades-long oversight of the state's energy industry.

www.cnbc.com

 

[lovinthehd]

Having had a couple long sessions without power (like 6 days worth in winter), I feel for them. My house is probably better insulated than a lot of theirs, tho.

 

[Irvrobinson]

The burst pipe horror stories are starting to hit the internet. Like this one:

'Y'all, I cannot believe this!': Mom films disaster in her Texas home | CNN

As millions of Texans are still without water, heat and power, residents continue to struggle in the aftermath of winter storms. CNN's Camila Bernal reports.

www.cnn.com

Rule #1 of a power outage when it's very cold outside (e.g. 25F or less). Fill your bathtub(s) with water to power toilets, turn off the water to the house, and open the faucets to drain the pipes. If you don't, and the power stays off for hours, screaming and tears will almost certainly be the end state.

 

[lovinthehd]

The burst pipe horror stories are starting to hit the internet. Like this one:

'Y'all, I cannot believe this!': Mom films disaster in her Texas home | CNN

As millions of Texans are still without water, heat and power, residents continue to struggle in the aftermath of winter storms. CNN's Camila Bernal reports.

www.cnn.com

Rule #1 of a power outage when it's very cold outside (e.g. 25F or less). Fill your bathtub(s) with water to power toilets, turn off the water to the house, and open the faucets to drain the pipes. If you don't, and the power stays off for hours, screaming and tears will almost certainly be the end state.

Often just setting outdoor faucets to drip can help, filling my bathtub wouldn't help much of anything that I can think of, how does that help drain a toilet? We have kept our water service up during each blackout, altho it almost ran out of fuel the longest one in winter. Wrapping pipes in insulation inside is something I have already, too.

OTOH I have a well insulated water heater I was able to take a relatively warm shower with after 4-5 days of blackout.

 

[Irvrobinson]

filling my bathtub wouldn't help much of anything that I can think of, how does that help drain a toilet?

If you turn off the water to the entire house, filling a bathtub with water acts as a reservoir to used for filling the toilet tank so it can be flushed even with the water turned off.

OTOH I have a well insulated water heater I was able to take a relatively warm shower with after 4-5 days of blackout.

Nice. No way is our water heater that well insulated.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

The resolution (it isn't legislation) does not mention specific technologies, it only mentions objectives. Like "removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere". It is even an unclear objective. Or how about "upgrading all existing buildings in the US to achieve maximum energy efficiency..." Really? Even some 1920s home in Houston?

The closest thing in the resolution to focusing on a technology is high-speed rail, which is one of the most controversial uses of land in the US. And then the resolution goes on to talk about not abusing eminent domain (on page 13).

This isn't a resolution about technology, it is a new bill of rights, that includes, among other things:

- "guaranteeing a job with a family-sustaining wage"
- "strengthening" labor unions
- an indirect reference to tightening OHSA rules
- stopping the movement of jobs overseas
- getting the input of indigenous people (whatever they are... am I indigenous because I was born here?)
- freedom from unfair competition in business
- oh yeah, and the minor point of providing everyone in the US with high quality healthcare and "affordable adequate housing"

Not to mention the editorial comments about the "top one percenters". Such bullshit. This resolution is really a new economic and government assistance manifesto.

Ok, Fair enough. Some of your points are valid and this "manifesto" is all other the place, failing to focus solely on environmental issues. That said if this framework considered, not the Consitution or ten-commandments, but as an EARLY version of the working document/framework which more specific bills to be created, that doesn't sound terrible, and most issues I tend to agree on. Our infrastructure is one storm away from being in complete ruin.
Not just power generation/delivery, but roads, canals, bridges, damns, etc...
As for numbers - the documents mention that in 2014 US created 20% of the entire world's pollution. This is an astronomically high number, considering the US in the past few decades hasn't even been a manufacturing powerhouse, compared to China for example.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

OTOH I have a well insulated water heater I was able to take a relatively warm shower with after 4-5 days of blackout.

This baffles me - why this isn't a standard, or for that matter why a big chunk of houses in TX isn't well insulated?
Isn't wall insulation would help hugely with cooling bills? Is the energy is SOO cheap, that no one bothers?
I keep fairly warm 74-75F in summers and in my 3k home my biggest summer electrical bills are typically around $250/m - not exactly a few pennies...

 

[lovinthehd]

This baffles me - why this isn't a standard, or for that matter why a big chunk of houses in TX isn't well insulated?
Isn't wall insulation would help hugely with cooling bills? Is the energy is SOO cheap, that no one bothers?
I keep fairly warm 74-75F in summers and in my 3k home my biggest summer electrical bills are typically around $250/m - not exactly a few pennies...

I was curious on that too. I have friends that have built houses where they get both extremes and went very well insulated for both. Cost more, tho.

 

[lovinthehd]

If you turn off the water to the entire house, filling a bathtub with water acts as a reservoir to used for filling the toilet tank so it can be flushed even with the water turned off.



Nice. No way is our water heater that well insulated.

My toilet tank is above the bathtub so not sure how that would work.

 

[highfigh]

and thought they were all getting together for a big Texas BBQ, seriously though, the heaters/furnaces are still gonna need electricity to run blowers and or pumps.

Yeah, but even a small generator will run that. The oven needs no electricity.

 

[highfigh]

My toilet tank is above the bathtub so not sure how that would work.

No bucket?

 

[lovinthehd]

No bucket?

LOL was thinking of just the plumbing.

 

[highfigh]

This article is about what the IMF says. They count leases on federal & state lands in subsidies, for one thing.

I am not an advocate of using fossil fuels. I am an advocate of the highest possible electrical grid reliability.

And what do power plants use for fuel?