There is Absolutely No Reason for This

It's snowing with freezing rain right now outside my window. I don't need to use a flashlight to see my snow covered car. Diffused sunlight is still sunlight.

As long at 10-25% of the normal photovoltaic output is sufficient for your needs.

https://cleantechnica.com/2018/02/08/solar-panels-work-cloudy-days-just-less-effectively/

One should design for less than optimal operating conditions to assure reliability. Then again we are discussing Texas engineering.

The situation in Texas provides a valuable lesson for those who are paying attention. Platitudes are not a substitute for sound engineering. Do any of these people have a clue as to what needs to be done to prevent this from happening?

Why should they have a clue how to make reliable energy in Texas? None of those three have any training in Energy or how things work in Texas. On the other hand this guy thinks this is to be expected.

I don't think, or at least I hope, that anyone not pushing an agenda believes wind or solar or other renewables can be the 100% - 24/7/365 electricity source without adequate storage and other backups from other technologies. IMO the new small nuclear designs should be part of the fleet and some amount of burned fuel generation will be always be needed for load leveling.

Part of Texas' current problem is they are (by choice) mostly isolated from the rest of the national grid so they can't take advantage of power generation where the wind is blowing and the sun is shining and the pipes aren't frozen. Texan cities not on the Texas grid have power or suffered less.

But some, for their own reasons, have pushed the idea that wind and solar are somehow the core of the problem instead of suffering from the same failures of the overall system and when they only represent on 10%-15% of the whole. If only wind and solar sources were lost the blackouts would have been a lot less extensive.

Haven't you heard we're going to 100% renewables...

..."As president, Biden will lead the world to address the climate emergency and lead through the power of example, by ensuring the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050."...

https://joebiden.com/climate-plan/

Now what do you think the situation would be like if solar and wind were the only sources of power available? That is the goal of the present administration...

It's better we continue to move forward with technology; solar, wind, nuclear etc..., than it is to stay with the old technology; gas and coal. If we fall behind, we will be buying from other countries and lose a lot more jobs than what's been lost already (net loss). Staying ahead will provide greater future job security and allow us to sell abroad. Currently, US coal and gas sales exported are shrinking as other countries look to alternatives. As newer technologies are developed, within the next couple decades for sure, this advancement will accelerate. Progress does not listen to grumpy old men! If it did, we'd still be hunter-gatherers.

So you think it's better to go with expensive and unreliable technologies rather than cheap and dependable technologies? Since when has that ever been a winning strategy?

Coal and gas exports....you have no clue

The US exports around 100 million short tons of coal per year...we produce over 700 million short tons...and natural gas production has hit another record high in both production and exports.....

In 2019, dry natural gas production increased by 10%, reaching a record-high average of 93.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d). U.S. natural gas consumption increased by 3%, led by greater use of natural gas in the electric power sector. Natural gas gross exports increased 29% to 12.8 Bcf/d.Oct 5, 2020

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=45377#:~:text=In%202019%2C%20dry%20natural%20gas,%25%20to%2012.8%20Bcf%2Fd.

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/coal/imports-and-exports.php

We have finally reached energy independence after trying for nearly 50 years, and you want to throw that all away....

I have no clue? Really? Your curve is only US fossil fuel and doesn't compare the per capita consumption today versus any past reference. Obviously, consumption will go up, because population increases. However, you negate the percentage that renewable energy makes up of the global market today. About 27% of global energy is created through renewable energy today. China currently builds the majority of power generating plants in countries, >25% of that is renewable energy. China's government wants to increase that to at least 30% in 5 years. The Chinese government has begun a program to developed improved and cheaper renewable technology so it can become the dominant global market leader. Fossil fuels are getting less and less of the market share every year. Oh yeah, and the EIA also has data on the US fossil fuel vs renewable markets:

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=45676

It takes 346.3 Trillion Btus of natural gas to produce 125 thousand MWh of electricity.

It takes 15.2 Trillion Btus of hydroelectric power to produce 143 thousand MWh of electricity.

Alaska, a red state, wants to increase renewable energy to 50% by 2030. Currently they're at 30%.

https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=AK#tabs-1

Costs for building and running renewable is becoming cheaper than fossil fuels:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/energyinnovation/2018/12/03/plunging-prices-mean-building-new-renewable-energy-is-cheaper-than-running-existing-coal/?sh=51a9db3431f3

https://www.irena.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2020/Jun/Renewables-Increasingly-Beat-Even-Cheapest-Coal-Competitors-on-Cost

https://meic.org/issues/montana-clean-energy/cost-of-wind-vs-fossil-fuels/

7 of the top 10 in Renewables states are RED states, with that dropped fossil fuel as the primary, due to lower cost, including maintenance of renewable:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2020/10/26/renewables-and-energy-storage-are-surging-in-red-states/?sh=6e27809f5a69

https://energymonitor.ai/technology/renewables/americas-red-states-lead-wind-and-solar-power-surge

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/daily-on-energy-red-states-lead-the-switch-to-renewables

A lot of spin with no proper explanation, you can't BS this group...clearly you have an agenda, and that doesn't include giving the full picture, just parroting talking points carefully constructed by spin doctors...This country runs on fossil fuel as does the world... wind and solar is just a small fraction of the energy mix and only exists because of subsidies, which drive the price per kw down so low that they undercut the lifeblood of this country, which becomes apparent when the Sun isn't shinning and the wind isn't blowing...so called "clean" energy sources must be backed up by fossil fuel sources to be reliable, and intermittent usage doesn't work for nuclear power and other power generation because it cuts the revenue needed to be profitable too low...When you take into account that they need backup or a storage medium to be reliable at all, wind and solar become too expensive to be practical, add in the recycling cost and maintenance cost, and a clear picture emerges...it costs 10 times higher than traditional sources of energy production...so your electric bill will eventually be higher than your rent....who can afford that....only the rich

So, now your argument is to try to belittle me in this group a year after I made a comment. You’re just full of hot gas and you’re the person passing the BS. There’s no spin on anything. You just don’t understand the math. SolarEagle, you just don’t like when someone disagrees with you and that is fact! The truth, whether you like it or not, is alternatives are growing at a faster rate than anticipated. Demand in Saudi oil will begin to decline about 20 years earlier than predicted, with China leading the charge on alternatives. You look at a whole number, but you refuse to look at per capita. That’s the real spin. How much the individual is consuming in fossil fuels is declining. You just want the big number. Divide your number by the population and compare that to 30 years ago. It’s simple, a child can do it. You’re just living on one conspiracy after another and refuse to believe in anybody but yourself. Wind power is cheaper than fossil fuel not just in the USA, but everywhere. Last I heard, we aren’t subsidizing the world. When we lose that technology to other countries, then you’ll complain about that too. Your clear picture is a load of bull, you offer nothing to back up what you say, as usual. If this was 110 years ago, you’d be arguing that horse and carriage are more economical, efficient, and faster than the horseless carriage. You’re trying to belittle me because I’m calling you out for your hypocrisy, that’s all. Keep playing you doom and gloom game.

Wow! The minority tends to make the most noise!

So, you're idea is to attack me by calling me a minority? Seriously, grow up!

...."with China leading the charge on alternatives"...

Ha ha, that's hilarious !

https://insideevs.com/news/672926/china-abandoned-electric-car-graveyard-byd-geely/

You obviously never experienced lake effect snow, where the wind blows it inland for miles. We also have lightening during snowstorms, like the one we had a couple weeks ago when temperatures were about 10F. I'm starting to think you're living on a small remote island in the middle of the Pacific!

Clean the solar panels? We can't even find them....

You're looking at the north side of the roofs. Solar panels are slick and generally warm up, so the snow melts and slides off. Plus, they are at angles relative to ground, not horizontal. Solar panels are also more efficient in cold weather and still produce small amounts of electricity with snow on them.

Disingenuous nonsense.
The reason people are dying in Texas is because, it isolated itself from the grid didn't invest or adequately plan or maintain it's infrastructure.
https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-blackouts-millions-lost-power-in-storm-went-wrong-2021-2?r=US&IR=T

Del

Yes, but why is that the situation? Could it be that they have been spending billions on unreliable sources of energy instead of upgrading and maintaining the current infrastructure?

https://www.texaspolicy.com/renewable-energys-success-has-come-at-the-expense-of-texas-taxpayers/

Disingenuous nonsense, or truth point blank?

The TPPF receives a majority of it's donations from corporations and people in the fossil fuel energy businesses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Public_Policy_Foundation

https://www.texasobserver.org/revealed-the-corporations-and-billionaires-that-fund-the-texas-public-policy-foundation/

https://www.texasobserver.org/revealed-the-corporations-and-billionaires-that-fund-the-texas-public-policy-foundation/

https://www.statesman.com/news/20190614/texas-public-policy-foundation-touts-fossil-fuel-benefits-beyond-texas

https://www.energyandpolicy.org/renewable-energy-state-policy-attacks-report-2015/texas-public-policy-foundation/

It wasn't just Texas that had power outages...

"Utilities in 14 states are told to start rolling blackouts because of storm strains."

Check out the energy mix of these states....wind a big part of the picture...2nd only to coal...

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/us/storm-blackouts.html

https://spp.org/

Starting to see a pattern emerging yet?

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/total-collapse-wind-solar-germany/

Nope snopes has turned left and is no longer reliably unbiased imo....they are partnering with facebook

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2016/12/22/the-daily-mail-snopes-story-and-fact-checking-the-fact-checkers/?sh=2005f8d5227f

"AllSides conducted an editorial review of Snopes on June 2, 2020. We concluded that Snopes warrants a Center rating, though most on the team acknowledged that Snopes may have a slight Lean Left bias."

Even more lately....

https://www.allsides.com/news-source/snopes

Distribution of energy sources used for gross electricity generation in Germany in 2020

"Germany is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels for domestic power production. In 2020, one third of gross electricity was generated using lignite and hard coal, the most polluting of energy sources. In comparison, the share of combined renewables stood at 45 percent, with wind the most prominent of Germany's renewable energy sources. "

https://www.statista.com/statistics/736640/energy-mix-germany/#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20one%20third%20of,of%20Germany's%20renewable%20energy%20sources.

I understand that Snopes has become unreliable as a fact-checker. Part/most of the reason seems to be politics.

https://www.kwqc.com/2021/02/22/illinois-nuclear-plants-pushed-to-nearly-100-percent-in-last-weeks-cold-snap/

100% reliability when you need it...

5 of 16 members of the ERCOT board resign....lawsuits pending

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/23/ercot-members-resign-texas/

They'll just replace them with other political friends. So, nothing gained. Harris county has the right idea to fix ERCOT:

https://news.yahoo.com/houstons-harris-county-looking-leaving-152747320.html

If they do this, I'm sure other areas will follow.

I posted in another thread that applies here.

Good. Those who use electric-powered things in order to "reduce pollution," are really transferring that pollution to some other place--the generating plant.

The biggest problem, is that while everyone was on the band wagon for solar and solar panels is that they never planned on the total life cycle. They’re working on it, but Not a well thought out plan.

https://www.cfs.energy/

Commonwealth Fusion Systems
117 Hospital Rd
Devens, MA 01434

Recently attended a presentation of the doings and progress of Commonwealth Fusion Systems with my chapter of the ASME.

Impressive and ambitious project.

Devens is the old Fort Devens army base.

Dennis Whyte: Nuclear Fusion and the Future of Energy | Lex Fridman Podcast #353