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No, Frozen Wind Turbines Did Not Cause the Texas Blackouts

oh DC, this hurts my feelings because you are pretending to ignore my post. Not only are you making up a number for "lost wind generation" you are ignoring Ercot telling you "This led to about half ERCOT's natural gas fleet and about 30% of its total capacity to come offline " I know, let me post another link

Failures across Texas’ natural gas operations and supply chains due to extreme temperatures are the most significant cause of the power crisis that has left millions of Texans without heat and electricity during the winter storm sweeping the U.S.

Texas power outage: Why natural gas went down during the winter storm | The Texas Tribune


and DC, you're not addressing the typical lying conservative narrative that only blames wind power. posting made up numbers doesnt change that.
I didn't ignore your post - I commented directly to it. I didn't make up numbers - what I posted even correlates closely with what you did. If you are concerned with dishonesty, look in the mirror.

The biggest issue was natural gas supply disruptions. However, it wasn't the only one. Wind was also a huge issue. The problem is that you are missing the point. From the article you posted " Woodfin said Tuesday that 16 gigawatts of renewable energy generation, mostly wind generation, are offline and that 30 gigawatts of thermal sources, which include gas, coal and nuclear energy, are offline. "

So yes, wind accounted for about 1/3 of the offline capacity - but it only accounts for 15 % of the total capacity anyway. Half the turbines were offline. This is a big concern as we keep moving forward, adding new capacity in wind, and decommissioning older, but more reliable, sources.

Literally no one is "only blaming wind power". That's a straw man.
 
I posted it above. The statement that started the thread is a strawman. No one is saying that 'it's all the fault of wind'. No one is saying we shouldn't use it.

The concern is that in this case that wind has proven to be not reliable in a weather condition when power is needed most. We lost half the wind capacity in this storm (and as of the last update, it was still 40%). We need to take this into consideration as we become more reliant on this form of energy.

Personally, I think part of the lesson is that we need to find a way to add some surge capacity - perhaps by maintaining some of the older plants in reserve instead of decommissioning them.
Or that texas decided to save money instead of investing in winterization processes for the wind mills. So again, this is a stupid argument. You have the exact same problem with natural gas pipelines if you don't invest in freeze protection for the instrumentation. Right wingers see an opportunity for attack and they take it even though they don't know what the **** hey are talking about and even though the conclusions they are reaching are not warranted. They have windmills up in canada and other colder places that get freezes like this all the time that work just fine.
 
Your comment is incorrect, and meaningless. Please let me know if you have a question, or something you would like to discuss.
It is pretty clear I am challenging your assertion that Michigan doesn't deal with freezing rain.


I'm sorry you like to spew nonsensical drivel and dress it up as fact but you will have to try lying harder.
 
About 16% of Texas electricity is wind generated. About half of that capacity went offline because their turbines were not built for the cold. Does not happen in northern states because they put heaters in the turbines.
A lot of natural gas generators went offline for the same reason: not built to work in cold.
This highlights the need to build infrastructure for the more extreme weather we are causing.
Cold weather kits were noted as an issue on SOME wind turbines, and they noted it would help. However, the issue was blade icing due to the freezing rain - which will knock any wind turbine out of commission.
 
I posted it above. The statement that started the thread is a strawman. No one is saying that 'it's all the fault of wind'. No one is saying we shouldn't use it.

The concern is that in this case that wind has proven to be not reliable in a weather condition when power is needed most. We lost half the wind capacity in this storm (and as of the last update, it was still 40%). We need to take this into consideration as we become more reliant on this form of energy.

Personally, I think part of the lesson is that we need to find a way to add some surge capacity - perhaps by maintaining some of the older plants in reserve instead of decommissioning them.

It is not that they used wind power. It is that they did not pay for turbines that operate in cold weather. Wind turbines do not freeze up in Minnesota.
My brother in Austin has electricity but water pipes in his exterior walls are freezing because they are not thick and insulated enough for the weather.
You get what you pay for.
 
About 16% of Texas electricity is wind generated. About half of that capacity went offline because their turbines were not built for the cold. Does not happen in northern states because they put heaters in the turbines.
A lot of natural gas generators went offline for the same reason: not built to work in cold.
This highlights the need to build infrastructure for the more extreme weather we are causing.
Exactly correct. Things are designed accordingly. I am a civil engineer and when I go to design structures, supports and foundations I tell the clients what the minimum is required by code, and let them know where we can upgrade and what it gets them. I have to design this to handle extended level three hurricane force winds, but we can do other things to go beyond that. We can design this foundation to be higher than a certain flood plain, or we can go higher. When it comes to piping and instrumentation, we go to the clients with what is required, freeze protection wise, to keep everything running for a typical louisiana winter. But we can design for a harsh winter, or even a severely harsh winter freeze. It's whatever the client wants, and it's not the technology's fault if they choose to ignore the optional freeze protection when there is a really harsh freeze. It was a choice.
 
Pro-Tip: Anything Republicans or Conservative media tells you is the cause of a problem is definitely not the problem.

Winter Storm 2021

As Texas faced record-low temperatures this February and snow and ice made roads impassable, the state’s electric grid operator lost control of the power supply, leaving millions without access to electricity. As the blackouts extended from hours to days, top state lawmakers called for investigations into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, and Texans demanded accountability for the disaster. We have compiled a list of resources for Texans who are seeking help, or places to get warm.
MORE IN THIS SERIES
 
Or that texas decided to save money instead of investing in winterization processes for the wind mills. So again, this is a stupid argument. You have the exact same problem with natural gas pipelines if you don't invest in freeze protection for the instrumentation. Right wingers see an opportunity for attack and they take it even though they don't know what the **** hey are talking about and even though the conclusions they are reaching are not warranted. They have windmills up in canada and other colder places that get freezes like this all the time that work just fine.
lol. that's interesting, given that this is attacks from people on the left that don't know what the **** they are talking about. I keep posting this, but 1) not just about winterizing the windmills, 2) No one is attacking windmills. I will also note that Texas uses wind at a greater % of capacity than any other state. The concern is the vulnerability as we shift more capacity to them. Other states are likely to have similar concerns when they get to where we are.
 

Only because most of TX power is natural gas. Are you trying to claim propellers do not ice up because if you are, airplanes have long suffered icing on airfoils.

Governor Abbott is who blamed it on propellers icing up. Take it up with him.

Airfoils quit working when iced up. All Pilots know this and I am a Pilot.

They would not have sent helicopters to try to deice them if this was not a problem.
 
Or that texas decided to save money instead of investing in winterization processes for the wind mills. So again, this is a stupid argument. You have the exact same problem with natural gas pipelines if you don't invest in freeze protection for the instrumentation. Right wingers see an opportunity for attack and they take it even though they don't know what the **** hey are talking about and even though the conclusions they are reaching are not warranted. They have windmills up in canada and other colder places that get freezes like this all the time that work just fine.

Texas has no way to invest in freeze protection other than regulating the industry and requiring it..
 
lol. that's interesting, given that this is attacks from people on the left that don't know what the **** they are talking about. I keep posting this, but 1) not just about winterizing the windmills, 2) No one is attacking windmills. I will also note that Texas uses wind at a greater % of capacity than any other state. The concern is the vulnerability as we shift more capacity to them. Other states are likely to have similar concerns when they get to where we are.
Lol, ok. Keep telling yourself that.
 
lol. that's interesting, given that this is attacks from people on the left that don't know what the **** they are talking about. I keep posting this, but 1) not just about winterizing the windmills, 2) No one is attacking windmills. I will also note that Texas uses wind at a greater % of capacity than any other state. The concern is the vulnerability as we shift more capacity to them. Other states are likely to have similar concerns when they get to where we are.

You keep ignoring that Texas deregulated the power industry and largely leaves all this up to the operator. Are you arguing that the industry should be regulated?
 
Only because most of TX power is natural gas. Are you trying to claim propellers do not ice up because if you are, airplanes have long suffered icing on airfoils.

Governor Abbott is who blamed it on propellers icing up. Take it up with him.

Airfoils quit working when iced up. All Pilots know this and I am a Pilot.

They would not have sent helicopters to try to deice them if this was not a problem.

The bullshit photo of a helicopter deicing windmills was from Sweden, not Texas..
 
You keep ignoring that Texas deregulated the power industry and largely leaves all this up to the operator. Are you arguing that the industry should be regulated?
What has deregulation got to do with this? This is not normal for TX. We are in a climate cold era. It it has happened all over America.

If they used to be regulated it stands to reason the windmills would be capable of deicing like airplanes are.
 
The bullshit photo of a helicopter deicing windmills was from Sweden, not Texas..
That has nothing to do with Windmills (which are airfoils) icing up causing the windmills not to turn depriving Texas of that so called Green Energy you love to tell us all about.
 
What has deregulation got to do with this? This is not normal for TX. We are in a climate cold era. It it has happened all over America.

If they used to be regulated it stands to reason the windmills would be capable of deicing like airplanes are.

Why would a company like E.ON invest in deicing a windmill in Texas? Is deicing free?
 
That has nothing to do with Windmills (which are airfoils) icing up causing the windmills not to turn depriving Texas of that so called Green Energy you love to tell us all about.

LMAO... Why did you say that they were using helicopter to drive windmills in Texas?
 
Why would a company like E.ON invest in deicing a windmill in Texas? Is deicing free?

You explained the icing problem and maybe you did not realize it. Windmills are airfoils which do ice up when conditions are right.
 
The bullshit photo of a helicopter deicing windmills was from Sweden, not Texas..
Your problem TEX is TX is not Sweden and any photo used by others might be to prove they do ice up.

TX clearly is not ready for global cooling.
 
You keep ignoring that Texas deregulated the power industry and largely leaves all this up to the operator. Are you arguing that the industry should be regulated?
Because that's not the issue being discussed.
 
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