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Showing posts from February 21, 2021

We Have the Power! Or do we?

  The recent historic cold weather in Texas and the effects it had on the energy grid there has been bandied about by many politicians, newscasters, and just about everyone else that could (and still can) do so. The folks on one side are saying that the failure was due to the recent emphasis on green energy, especially the windmills that quit working due to freezing up. The other side is saying it is because Texas separated itself from the national electric grid and was unable to get help from others among other things. As with most statements that are polar opposites and extreme, the truth appears to lie somewhere in between those two positions. Here are some facts I have been able to find after hours of study and digging around on websites. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) runs the Texas power grid - which is somewhat independent of the national grid. FYI, most power companies have some level of autonomy and control over their own areas of the country that they suppl