Power outages.. report..

45,911 Views | 414 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Slocum on a mobile
Tailgate88
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EliteElectric said:

jeffk said:

The only thing I really want from BTU is clarification about which outages are due to lack of power from the state grid and which are due to localized problems like lines being down. I know that might be unreasonable, but it would greatly aid decisions at the household level.
There is no lack of power from state grid, we are net providers not consumers. BTU is being directed to put more power onto the grid and "shed load" in order to do it. "Shed load" means shut off it's customers



ERCOT is the issue here not BTU
I believe this but would like to understand how many of the outages would have happened if the ERCOT thing never happened. I know ERCOT needs to be held accountable, just curious what percentage of the power outages are directly caused by their order.
Bunk Moreland
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I think they meant The Woodlands of College Station Apartment Complex
75AG
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Texas House Speaker Phelan just announced a joint hearing of the House State Affairs and the Energy Resources Committees on Feb 25th to review this debacle and ERCOT. This should be some good political theater.

BTW, 5 members of the ERCOT board live out of state: the chair lives in Michigan and the vice chair lives in Cologne Germany. You can't make this **** up.
EliteElectric
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threecatcorner said:

Not that I think they'd do it, but hypothetically, what would happen if BTU told ERCOT to f*** off and didn't shed load as instructed?
I am an ask for forgiveness rather than permission type of person so I would probably took care of BCS first and then told ERCOT "whoopsie, did I do that? Sorry I though we hit the right button" and face the consequences later
EliteElectric
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75AG said:

Texas House Speaker Phelan just announced a joint hearing of the House State Affairs and the Energy Resources Committees on Feb 25th to review this debacle and ERCOT. This should be some good political theater.

BTW, 5 members of the ERCOT board live out of state: the chair lives in Michigan and the vice chair lives in Cologne Germany. You can't make this **** up.
WT actual F?
EliteElectric
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Tailgate88 said:

EliteElectric said:

jeffk said:

The only thing I really want from BTU is clarification about which outages are due to lack of power from the state grid and which are due to localized problems like lines being down. I know that might be unreasonable, but it would greatly aid decisions at the household level.
There is no lack of power from state grid, we are net providers not consumers. BTU is being directed to put more power onto the grid and "shed load" in order to do it. "Shed load" means shut off it's customers



ERCOT is the issue here not BTU
I believe this but would like to understand how many of the outages would have happened if the ERCOT thing never happened. I know ERCOT needs to be held accountable, just curious what percentage of the power outages are directly caused by their order.
if I were a gambling man I would say 99%
J182
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Random update: still no power at my apt in the Forestwood area. Stop in this morning to check on it and it was 40 degrees. The place we stayed at was a little chilly, but definitely warmer. The 30 on/30 off was annoying, but manageable.

Her office in Downtown Bryan has power. My office near the HEB on VM has power too. So, we are at work for the time being. I went to a couple of places and they all looked like they had power as well. If anyone needs some food and what not, La Michoacana had plenty and they were making hot food too. A little more crowded than normal.
👽
doubledog
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GiveEmHellBill said:

91_Aggie said:

Just lost power again in Shenandoah subdivison


Yep. So much for the "being close to the hospital spares us" theory.
Not close to. On the same electrical substation.
Belton Ag
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Lost it again after 45 minutes. Who knows how long it'll be out but each of our blackouts have lasted hours. I do have a hard time believing that we've had this many weather related outages in our little grid here in the Oaks. I suspect that most of these are part of the rolling blackout, and for whatever reason it takes hours for us to get restored.
Tailgate88
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Bunk Moreland said:

I think they meant The Woodlands of College Station Apartment Complex
Whoops.
75AG
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Governor Abbott just announced ERCOT reform to be an emergency item for this legislative session. He will ensure that "our state never experiences power outages like this again."
KidDoc
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This is the most recent powerwall report from my app in Pebble Creek. It has been a real lifesaver during this mess. And now with the sun out I'm getting some solar on top.

Internet is pretty much shot aside from cell which is also very slow. But we have had power the whole time due to the Powerwall so I'm thankful I bought it about a year ago mostly for solar power storage since CSU doesn't do net metering.
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Mathguy64
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75AG said:

Governor Abbott just announced ERCOT reform to be an emergency item for this legislative session. He will ensure that "our state never experiences power outages like this again."


We can't figure out how to dole out shots to the right people and we have known the vaccine was coming for 6 months. I'm not counting on them solving the lack of generating capacity any time soon.
Oogway
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I am on board with holding the specific entities responsible for this accountable, but I disagree with throwing people who live in cities under the bus. They are people, like you and me, and they live where they can find work and so on. The supply chain network of Texan to Texan, American to American can help each other or hurt each other so I'd rather go after the officials who are so callous with profit over people than I would the other way around where we are fighting with each other.

We have no power but we have food and a roof and blankets. Stay safe everyone.
Ukraine Gas Expert
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It's someone else's turn. Over 24 hours every other half hour, meanwhile people who live a few houses down and behind have experienced zero outtages. We all live near the school, they need a piece of the action too.

Sorry but managing three small kids alone is wearing me down and my kids are struggling. I can't imagine those with no power at all, and it makes me even madder.
AggieBaseball06
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75AG said:

Governor Abbott just announced ERCOT reform to be an emergency item for this legislative session. He will ensure that "our state never experiences power outages like this again."


Step 1: Replace the governor with someone competent.
techno-ag
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75AG said:

Governor Abbott just announced ERCOT reform to be an emergency item for this legislative session. He will ensure that "our state never experiences power outages like this again."
Good. Windmills just don't cut it.
Buy a man eat fish, he day, teach fish man, to a lifetime.

- Joe Biden

I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris
75AG
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In all honesty, they do 360 days a year.
threecatcorner
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It said all sources of electricity were having problems, not just windmills.
techno-ag
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75AG said:

In all honesty, they do 360 days a year.
Yeah but all those without power really need it on the 5 days they don't work. If those 5 days were nice and pleasant that would be one thing, but right now it's considerably more serious.
Buy a man eat fish, he day, teach fish man, to a lifetime.

- Joe Biden

I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris
Smeghead4761
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Information I'd be interested in seeing from BTU and CSU:

- what sections of the grid can't be shut off (due to the presence of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, emergency services, water treatment plants, etc, or to being 'upstream' of those sections), how many customers are in those sections, and how much of the total load (power allotted by ERCOT) do those sections account for?

What I'd like to know from ERCOT is how much generation capacity was offline, and why?


And I'm entirely OK with holding people's feet to the fire if they, or their elected representatives, voted to require their local utility to get some % of it's power from "green" sources. (Environmentalists don't consider nuclear to be 'green', even though it's zero-carbon. Hydro (which environmentalists aren't fond of, either) and geothermal aren't really viable in Texas, which leaves wind and solar. Which aren't doing much right now.)

Most of the people who vote for (or elect people who vote for) that sort of thing tend to live in cities, or the well-to-do suburbs of big cities.(I'm looking at you, Austin)
Rapier108
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Quote:

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - In a dire message, Bryan Texas Utilities says a mandatory directive from ERCOT, The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has hobbled their ability to provide power for customers. Blackouts may continue, they said, until temperatures rise at the end of the week.

BTU says ERCOT currently requires they cut roughly one-third of their system's peak maximum, more than 100 megawatts. Originally, ERCOT's requirement of BTU was only 9 megawatts, which required roughly 30 to 45-minute outages per customer.

In a statement, BTU officials said, "This level does not allow BTU to rotate the outages properly and effectively leaves customers out of electrical service for extended periods at a time. This is a potential risk to the health and wellbeing of BTU customers due to unprecedented sustained low temperatures."

The Texas electric grid supply remains at extremely low levels, resulting in much longer and more extensive blackouts. BTU cannot cut power to critical load feeders, which supply power to hospitals, fire stations, police, etc. We are mandated to make these cuts by ERCOT.

BTU stressed that their failure to follow the directive would put the reliability of the power grid at risk. BTU would also be breaking with market rules and subject to large fines and sanctions from the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Customers are encouraged to take precautions for their safety and the safety of those around them as freezing temperatures and freezing precipitation are forecast through Friday.

"ERCOT has given no indication of the generation shortage improving until temperatures moderate," said BTU of the status of the mandatory blackouts.
https://www.kbtx.com/2021/02/16/btu-rotating-outage-requirements-may-risk-customers-health-and-wellbeing/
"If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without blood shed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves." - Sir Winston Churchill
chickencoupe16
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If/when I sell this house, I'll be putting "immune from rolling blackouts due to nearby nursing home" in the listing.

We're very thankful to have had power especially with our baby but something has to change with our power grid. There's no good reason that the most powerful nation to ever exist should experience this. I know this is a pretty rare event, but I'd be willing to pay my fair share in taxes or higher electric bills to strengthen the grid (assuming the higher costs would actually be put to good use).
birdman
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75AG said:

In all honesty, they do 360 days a year.
You need to spend more time outside. The wind doesn't blow enough to move them on many days.
75AG
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You need to drive through west Texas. They spin just fine. Many are temporarily stopped because the electricity is not needed.
clinte234
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What all are you able to run off of that Powerall?
Chase
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Langenator said:

Information I'd be interested in seeing from BTU and CSU:

- what sections of the grid can't be shut off (due to the presence of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, emergency services, water treatment plants, etc, or to being 'upstream' of those sections), how many customers are in those sections, and how much of the total load (power allotted by ERCOT) do those sections account for?



As I understand it (and someone in the know please feel free to correct/refine), this isnt a matter of what ERCOT "allows" - from stories and info today, evidently BTU typically puts power back into the state grid and supposedly, ERCOT is mandating BTU to contribute a great deal more than is typical.

Keep in mind this is coming from local people and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Ukraine Gas Expert
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Time on is getting shorter and time off is growing ..unreal

Wrong emoji
jeffk
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We've settled into a pattern of five hours off and one hour on up here in N Bryan. Glad to have that one hour, but hope it improves soon(ish).
threecatcorner
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75AG said:

You need to drive through west Texas. They spin just fine. Many are temporarily stopped because the electricity is not needed.


If West Texas actually has windmills that would work and they're off because power isn't needed out there, ERCOT needs to tell them to turn them back on and pay West Texas to send some energy to the grid that most of Texas is on. Even if there's not much interconnectivity with other states, ERCOT ought to be able to hook up with West Texas.
trouble
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jeffk said:

We've settled into a pattern of five hours off and one hour on up here in N Bryan. Glad to have that one hour, but hope it improves soon(ish).


Are y'all staying warm enough?
threecatcorner
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They've been cutting 9 and now they're going to cut 100?!?

Somebody needs to rein ERCOT in, maybe waive those fines that BTU referred to.

Following through with ERCOT's instructions could easily end in some deaths (probably already has).
jeffk
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Yeah, we're doing okay. Kids are all playing with their headlamps on pretending to be coal miners and I'm trying to finish a book I've been meaning to read for months. Plenty of food and blankets and our house is apparently not terribly insulated, so we're okay. We have a couple of friends with power who've offered to take our tribe in if things get real bad, but it's basically a lame camping trip at this point, so we're thankful that things aren't a lot worse.
trouble
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We've got more space at my MIL's as well. We'd be happy to take y'all in if needed. (She's at University and 6 now not way down south).
jeffk
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Thanks! We might just send one child to each of our three friend's houses and then my wife and I can get some quiet at the fourth.
 
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