Leading Light Energy

an energy blog by Terry M. Jarrett

Category Archives: Electric Grid

Manhattan Contrarian: Useless Green Energy Hitting The Wall

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Over at the Manhattan Contrarian, Francis Menton points out the limitations of renewable energy. It’s a great read! Here’s the introductory paragraph:

In the field of litigation settlements, people sometimes talk about a “win, win” scenario — a settlement structure where both sides can get some advantage and simultaneously claim victory. By that criterion, what is “green” energy (aka intermittent wind and solar power)? The public pays hundreds of billions of dollars of subsidies to get the things built, and in return it gets: sudden shortages and soaring prices for coal, oil, gas and electricity; and dramatically reduced reliability of the electrical grid, leading to periodic blackouts and risks of many more of same; and despite it all fossil fuel use doesn’t go down. It’s a “lose, lose, lose.”

Are the California and Texas blackouts coming to your state?

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Thanks to the Fort Myers News-Press and the Naples Daily News for carrying my new op-ed on the real risk of increasing blackouts if we transition to intermittent forms of energy too quickly. We need power markets that value baseload generation (coal, nuclear, natural gas) that can reliably produce energy 24/7 and will be there when we need them.

With Its Power Grid On The Verge Of Failure, California Begs Residents To Change Their EV Charging Routines

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Over at ZeroHedge, Tyler Durden reports that California’s plans to become an environmental and socialist utopia are running face first into reality.

The latest dose of reality came this week when the state, facing triple digit temperatures, began to “fret” about pressure on the state’s power grid as a result of everybody charging their electric vehicles all at once.

The state’s power grid operators have been telling residents to “relieve pressure” from the grid by charging their EVs at off-peak hours, Newsweek wrote.

The entire article is a great read!

GUEST COMMENTARY: Texas grid failure shows need for reliable electricity

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Many thanks to the Alaska Journal of Commerce (AK), Casper Star Tribune (WY), Memphis Commercial Appeal (TN), Logan Daily News (OH), Somerset Daily American (PA) and The Tennessean (TN) for carrying my op-ed on the effects of the Polar Vortex on the electric grid and the importance of coal for power generation to keep the lights on.

Coal rescues U.S. power grid during Polar Vortex

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Thanks to the Pottstown Mercury (PA), Exton Daily Local (PA), Swarthmore Times Herald (PA), Lansdale Reporter (PA), Delaware County Daily Times (PA), Phoenixville News (PA), Mainline Media News (PA), Elkhart Truth (IN) and Roanoke Times (VA) for carrying my new op-ed on the necessity of coal generation during extreme weather conditions, like the current Polar Vortex gripping the country.

Three regional grid operators–Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), have instituted rolling blackouts due to insufficient power generation. For SPP, this is the first load shedding event in its long history. For MISO, this is the second such event in 16 months (the first was due to the Hurricane Laura disaster). The reason for the energy insufficiency is simple–coal plants in this country were retired prematurely as utilities scrambled to jump on the “clean energy” bandwagon. Now, we can expect rolling blackouts to become the norm. Welcome to the future!

September 2 News Round Up

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In the news today…

Renewable Energy:

  • The Guardian reports a new study warns that steps must be taken to avoid damage to wildlife habitat from mining materials needed for clean energy technology.

Electric Grid:

  • In Real Clear Energy, former FERC Commissioner Tony Clark discusses the problem of California’s rolling blackouts and offers a warning for the rest of the country.

Nuclear:

  • WOSU Radio reports that in Ohio, Democratic lawmakers push for a swift repeal the state’s power plant bailout law, while Republican leaders say they want to avoid being “hasty and reckless.”
  • Cleveland.com reports State Rep. Larry Householder returns to the state House chamber for the first time since being charged with overseeing a bribery scandal involving the power plant bailout law, saying he will plead not guilty and that the law is “good legislation.”

Carbon Capture:

  • Bismarck Tribune reports North Dakota utility officials discussed challenges with financing carbon capture projects during a visit by U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette.

California sees rolling blackouts for second day in a row *updated*

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KCRA reports that more than 270,000 California residents experienced a second round of rolling blackouts on Saturday.

California ISO declared a Stage 3 Electrical Emergency around 6:28 p.m. due to increased demand, as well as the loss of a 470-megawatt power plant. They also cite the loss of nearly 1,000 megawatts of wind power.

Update (with comment by Terry): When you retire increasing amounts of traditional thermal generation (i.e., coal) and increase usage of renewables, things start to get volatile. Welcome to the new normal. 

FERC approves New England ISO short-term fuel security plan

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Utility Dive reports that in a 3-1 decision, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday approved a proposal by the New England Independent System Operator (ISO-NE) to boost compensation for fuel resources during winter months, finding it a “reasonable short-term solution to compensating, in a technology-neutral manner, resources that provide fuel security.”

The Inventoried Energy Program would run during the winters of 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, and would be open to oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear, biomass, demand response and some hydro resources. ISO-NE estimated the program will cost between $102 million and $148 million per year.

The Utility Dive report focuses primarily on the lone dissent from Commissioner Glick, rather than the details of the actual order approved by 3 Commissioners.