A lot of us will be watching the Texas grid this weekend, to see if it holds up under severe stress.
Hundreds of people died in the blackout of Valentine’s Day, 2021, and it’s become an absolute case study in how Americans have been systematically disinformed about clean energy.
Above, see the perspectives of some Texas’ smartest and most well informed grid experts, on just how the event played out, and what it meant.
In particular, pay attention to the contemporaneous interview with Governor Greg Abbott, who told it like it was to the local Texas journalists, who knew he couldn’t lie to, who knew the score and were following events on the ground.
Then check the clip below to see what Abbott told a Fox News audience THE SAME DAY – to see the fossil fuel misinformation megaphone in action.
We’ll see if the increase in solar (West Texas, communal, or home rooftop) makes a difference, and if those failed West Texas windfarms have upgraded to the winterized version (which I think is unlikely, given that they’d have to swap the whole turbine out), and if there are any new winterized wind turbines added since then.
It’s more likely we’ll lose power from downed lines anyway, especially in neighborhoods where trees grow faster than they are pruned by the utility companies.
Front row seat: https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards