Legalectric

That’s the ERCOT LMP map as of 9:53 a.m., 2/17/2021:

Texas largely relies on natural gas for power. It wasn’t ready for the extreme cold.

From the article:

Yes, Texas is heavily reliant on natural gas, so when natural gas fails “in the most spectacular fashion,” Houston, we have a problem:

That chart is from the NERC Reliability Assessment 2020, and the Texas (ERCOT) section begins on p. 137. Note this tidbit on p. 140 — clearly not effective:

Ummmm… “ERCOT does not foresee any adverse reliability concerns for the Texas RE-ERCOT assessment area associated with fuel supply or fuel deliverability constraints.”

But millions across Texas are not laughing… and some have died.

The Texas blackout crosses the border, where’s that wall when they need it:

Natural gas shortage in Texas causes blackout in Northern Mexico

Texas’ natural gas production just froze under pressure

From the article:

Natural gas wells and pipes ill-equipped for cold weather are a big reason why millions of Texans lost power during frigid temperatures this week. As temperatures dropped to record lows across some parts of the state, liquid inside wells, pipes, and valves froze solid.

Ice can block gas flow, clogging pipes. It’s a phenomenon called a “freeze-off” that disrupts gas production across the US every winter. But freeze-offs can have outsized effects in Texas, as we’ve seen this week. The state is a huge natural gas producer — and it doesn’t usually have to deal with such cold weather.

…

They aren’t the only problem when it comes to energy in Texas. The power outages have also stopped natural gas pumping facilities. In fact, over the past few days, just about everything that could go wrong has failed spectacularly. And the finger-pointing is only getting started. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for an investigation into why blackouts were so widespread.

“This was a total failure by ERCOT,” Abbott told KTRK Houston. “ERCOT stands for Electric Reliability Council of Texas, and they showed that they were not reliable.”

And here’s the gas industry downplaying and butt covering:

No Easy Answers as Texas Power Grid, Natural Gas Market Rocked by Unprecedented Cold Snap

And there are many mothballed gas plants around Texas with lots of transmission, the perfect place for siting wind and solar without a need for more transmission — the infrastructure is their waiting to be used. From Legalectric in 2007:

At least 11,500MW mothballed in Texas

And for those participating in the disinformation campaign, REAL NEWS:

Why Wind Turbines In Cold Climates Don’t Freeze: De-Icing And Carbon Fiber

p.s. Here’s MISO LMP at 10:55 a.m. 2/17/2021 — why orange up here, what’s that about:

Solar is big in Wisconsin, as wind is in Minnesota, and like wind in Minnesota, there are no siting rules for solar in Wisconsin. A while ago, well, years ago, Jewell Jinkins Intervenors filed a rulemaking petition with the WI Public Service Commission:

Petition for Rulemaking_JJI_Solar

And lo and behold, as in Minnesota, they didn’t see any need for siting criteria and rulemaking and of course no need for rules requiring environmental review:

PSC Order_2-6-2019- Denial of Rulemaking Petition

And then yesterday, while strolling through the PSC Comment page, looking to assure that our solar docket comment option was working correctly, I found this:

WHAT?!?!?! And that was the 14th, comment period ends on the 15th! AAACK, one day.

Here’s the “Draft” of what PSC now thinks should be in an application for a solar project, and damned if it doesn’t bring up most of the issues we’ve been struggling to raise with the PSC for years now! READ THIS:

And so with nothing else to do… NOT…after getting 53 revisions of testimony and reformatting of exhibits, I got ahold of my Grant County and Badger Hollow clients and we teamed up to do comments, and I slammed this together this morning:

Do read the PSC’s proposal, it’s nothing short of amazing. The touch on all the issues, could be beefed up, but given all the difficulties we’ve had in getting issues a bit of consideration, and given the Commission’s rejection of our Rulemaking petition, like wow!!

Here’s everything filed in the docket as of today’s comment deadline:

PSC Docket 5-AFR-700 filings

On the other hand, their idea of who should be on the Service List is appalling, just the utility companies, municipal electric, and the usual toadies.

Solar AFR Mailing List

Earth to Mars, there are quite a few VERY LARGE solar projects going right now, how hard would it be to add all the intervenors and commentors to this list? This is 2021, the age of computers and electronic filing and hearings… JUST DO IT!

And from NextEra/Grant County Solar, LLC:

Turns out that this morning, I received an “invitation” to the Public Utilities Commission meeting tomorrow.

Tune in: Agenda MTG Thursday, February 4, 2021, 1pm

Meeting Details Agenda Live Webcast Viewing Instructions

I’d really not had time to think much about this on Monday, had to take a quick look and zip something off — testimony was due for WI so I had lots of back and forth with clients — so in afterthought, I realized that I’d missed the flip side of this, that the folks complaining were left in the dark here. THEY’RE NOT EVEN ON THE SERVICE LIST! WTF??!?!?!

So today after I got the Wisconsin testimony filed, I fired off a missive, and as I went to file, there were Xcel filings in the inbox:

Here’s my second missive:

Here’s my post from Monday:

Blazing Star Wind NOISE!

February 1st, 2021

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
Sitting as a Court of Impeachment

To reaffirm our core constitutional principles—and to deter future Presidents from attempting to subvert our Nation’s elections—the Senate should convict President Trump and disqualify him from holding or enjoying “any Office or honor, Trust, or Profit under the United States.” That outcome is not only supported by the facts and the law; it is also the right thing to do. President Trump has demonstrated beyond doubt that he will resort to any method to maintain or reassert his grip on power. A President who violently attacks the democratic process has no right to participate in it. Only after President Trump is held to account for his actions can the Nation move forward with unity of purpose and commitment to the Constitution. And only then will future Presidents know that Congress stands vigilant in its defense of our democracy.