Texas Fall/Winter thread!

[K5lwq]

You mean like global warm.....I mean global cooling? No way
I hope things get better for you down there. I know what it’s like to be cold, no power, no water. Its really stressful and its dangerous.
Take care of your families and prayers sent.

Not global warming or cooling but a shift in weather patterns. I actually have had this feeling for the past few years. It had been a topic of conversation around the house. I notice things in nature that have led me to believe this. Nothing scientific but kinda like if it rains on the first of a month then you will get at least 15 more days of rain that month. That one seems to always be right. :laughing:

 

[Hay Dude]

Not global warming or cooling but a shift in weather patterns. I actually have had this feeling for the past few years. It had been a topic of conversation around the house. I notice things in nature that have led me to believe this. Nothing scientific but kinda like if it rains on the first of a month then you will get at least 15 more days of rain that month. That one seems to always be right. :laughing:

I know what you mean. We have same thing here. All kinds of weather changes & cycles. The emotional ones go crazy and try to change the worlds infrastructure and the calm ones know its the earths millions of years of weather patterns changing. We had a warming cycle and now we are back to cold, snowy winters....

 

[K5lwq]

The first thing that I noticed is my Red Oak trees. For 15 years I watched as they held their leaves all winter long then shed them in the spring when they started to bud. A couple years ago they started shedding some of them in the fall. This year they dumped 90% of their leaves in the fall. I told my wife then we would get a lot of snow this winter and I should get a snow blower. She did not agree!:laughing:

 

[Hay Dude]

The first thing that I noticed is my Red Oak trees. For 15 years I watched as they held their leaves all winter long then shed them in the spring when they started to bud. A couple years ago they started shedding some of them in the fall. This year they dumped 90% of their leaves in the fall. I told my wife then we would get a lot of snow this winter and I should get a snow blower. She did not agree!:laughing:

We had some real bizarre changes, like lots of does having fawns in mid summer, no snow for almost 2 years, etc.

 

[rswyan]

The main problem with wind generators this time of year is the winds of Texas die down in the winter. Blades stop turning and it freezes inside the hub. Wind starts and guess what doesn't move. Like you said, simple deicer boots and seals would work wonders.

I read something recently that stated that while wind resources drops off in northern TX during cold snaps, the reverse had been true for the wind resources along the Gulf coast. Might have been from ERCOT, don't recall offhand.

Looked for some real data on seasonality for Texas specifically, but haven't come up with much so far. Did find these though:

Wind Energy in Texas

Wind generation seasonal patterns vary across the United States

But wait, that takes away from the slim profits they made, even after adding in government incentives
hugs, Brandi

What is the source of that data ?

I'd want to know (with any claims, one way or the other), because often such claims are being made by those with an agenda (not you personally, but whoever is making the claim originally)

A good example (IMO) of debunking that type of misinformation:

The True Benefits of Wind Power

 

[Hay Dude]

Love all your vaunted “ sources “ and “ data “ :laughing:
Like those cant be manipulated by politics, profits, insider money, etc

 

[rswyan]

Love all your vaunted “ sources “ and “ data “ :laughing:
Like those cant be manipulated by politics, profits, insider money, etc

While you may not realize it, you're actually making my point ...

 

[Hay Dude]

While you may not realize it, you're actually making my point ...

Of course I am. I know it goes both ways, but you are a big data and sources guy. I am more of a “ I see better than I hear/read “ guy. I see a frozen windmill and people dying, I can link the problem to the result. I know NG properly installed is all but foolproof in any climate. I see a solar panel on a cloudy day or covered with snow and anyone can see the result. I see a nuclear power plant on line cold, snow, hot, cloudy and it produces power.

Properly installed Nuclear and NG are infinitely available and present very low environmental issues.
Solar and wind are too risky. NOT worth people dying over. See Texas windmills and solar panels.

Im at the point where I just throw up my arms and figure let them spend some billions and virtue signal with the Chinese made windmills and solar panels.
Meanwhile we can make sure all their unreliable CCP made stuff must be supplemented with American Nuclear and NG power. That provides security for almost any situation and provides many, many more good paying American jobs.

You can run your foreign made toys that litter our beautiful continent with noise, reflections and rolling blackouts when it’s dark, snowy, icy, too cold and our American made stuff will be there 100% ready to go when the scat hits the fan.

Now we can both run for D.O.E. Cabinet positions and get something done...

 

[K5lwq]

All this talk about energy does not really matter. I do not care where my power comes from as long as it is here when I need it. We were not prepared for this weather event and likely few lessons have been learned. It goes way beyond energy.

 

[cqaigy2]

Love all your vaunted “ sources “ and “ data “ :laughing:
Like those cant be manipulated by politics, profits, insider money, etc

At least rswyan is looking, instead of just waving hands around and insulting people.

 

[Hay Dude]

At least rswyan is looking, instead of just waving hands around and insulting people.

Im not waiving my arms, Im on my I phone typing while plowing driveways :laughing:
Insulting? A little poke here and there.... no biggie. People gotta lighten up a bit...I like RS. He gives me some good chuckles and decent opposing points of view.
Point is TX needs to do their investigations and see what happened. Point I am trying to make is I like American made sources of energy and workers and reliability. Its just a point of view and I can definitely back it up with sources.

 

[riptides]

Of course I am. I know it goes both ways, but you are a big data and sources guy. I am more of a I see better than I hear/read guy. I see a frozen windmill and people dying, I can link the problem to the result. I know NG properly installed is all but foolproof in any climate. I see a solar panel on a cloudy day or covered with snow and anyone can see the result. I see a nuclear power plant on line cold, snow, hot, cloudy and it produces power.

Properly installed Nuclear and NG are infinitely available and present very low environmental issues.
Solar and wind are too risky. NOT worth people dying over. See Texas windmills and solar panels.

Im at the point where I just throw up my arms and figure let them spend some billions and virtue signal with the Chinese made windmills and solar panels.
Meanwhile we can make sure all their unreliable CCP made stuff must be supplemented with American Nuclear and NG power. That provides security for almost any situation and provides many, many more good paying American jobs.

You can run your foreign made toys that litter our beautiful continent with noise, reflections and rolling blackouts when itç—´ dark, snowy, icy, too cold and our American made stuff will be there 100% ready to go when the scat hits the fan.

Now we can both run for D.O.E. Cabinet positions and get something done...

You do realize the issue was more than just windmills and solar panels right? You know proper installation and all that...

I think they had a big investigation in the 2011 and 2008 timeframes too.

 

[cqaigy2]

Im not waiving my arms, Im on my I phone typing while plowing driveways :laughing:
Insulting? A little poke here and there.... no biggie. People gotta lighten up a bit...I like RS. He gives me some good chuckles and decent opposing points of view.
Point is TX needs to do their investigations and see what happened. Point I am trying to make is I like American made sources of energy and workers and reliability. Its just a point of view and I can definitely back it up with sources.

I was mainly thinking of the choice of under ware.

Ha ha, That reminds me of my wife texting me, to not drive and be on the phone while i was trying plow snow and video it with my phone. As heavy as the snow was, it was pushing me around quit a bit, so between steering and manipulating the FEL, not to mention i was trying to get the speed up to get a little throwing action on the blade.

 

[Hay Dude]

You do realize the issue was more than just windmills and solar panels right? You know proper installation and all that...

I think they had a big investigation in the 2011 and 2008 timeframes too.

Yes, I do.
However, I am convinced Nuclear and NG power, properly installed and maintained will keep more people alive than windmills and solar

 

[txdon]

I still have not been out to the store. My neighbor went yesterday and did not want to wait in a 75 people line on the outside of the store to get in for items they were probably sold out of anyway at both Randalls and HEB. Another friend reported in the small town I moved from the stores were "cleared out" two days ago.

Anyone have the water freeze in their tractor tires?

 

[cqaigy2]

My cousin got power in San Antonio. Hopefully the weather warms up a bit.

 

[MossRoad]

Yes, I do.
However, I am convinced Nuclear and NG power, properly installed and maintained will keep more people alive than windmills and solar

Well, there's the main issue.

Properly installed and maintained as to who's standards? Up north, where it regularly freezes, nuclear, NG, coal, wind, solar, etc... are installed to deal with that. Down south, even with major catastrophic failure every 10 or so years, and all the costs associated with it, it's still cheaper to go without systems designed to operate in extreme cold. Imagine the shock consumers would get if those systems in Texas were cold proofed, as those costs would get passed on to them.

Here's a good read I found earlier today. The problem was mainly the inability to get NG to the generating plants. Not a lack of NG, but the ability to move it. NG, coal, nuclear, solar, wind, all froze up because they weren't designed to operate in those conditions as opposed to the same types of energy sources that do operate well in the cold.

No, frozen wind turbines aren’t to blame for Texas’ power outages | The Texas Tribune

Anyhow, I hope people recover from this ASAP. But they're going to have to pay for it if they want it to not happen again.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Well, there's the main issue.

Properly installed and maintained as to who's standards? Up north, where it regularly freezes, nuclear, NG, coal, wind, solar, etc... are installed to deal with that. Down south, even with major catastrophic failure every 10 or so years, and all the costs associated with it, it's still cheaper to go without systems designed to operate in extreme cold. Imagine the shock consumers would get if those systems in Texas were cold proofed, as those costs would get passed on to them.

Here's a good read I found earlier today. The problem was mainly the inability to get NG to the generating plants. Not a lack of NG, but the ability to move it. NG, coal, nuclear, solar, wind, all froze up because they weren't designed to operate in those conditions as opposed to the same types of energy sources that do operate well in the cold.

No, frozen wind turbines aren’t to blame for Texas’ power outages | The Texas Tribune

Anyhow, I hope people recover from this ASAP. But they're going to have to pay for it if they want it to not happen again.

It was a "Perfect Storm" if you will. ERCOT stated they didn't predict the weather to be as cold as it was or for as long as it was and so the proper measures weren't put in place. Kind of like doctors and the flu shot I suppose.
What will come from this is the knowledge that it can and it will be this cold for this long and maybe longer again so they will add this into their predictive "equation" for future winter demand planning.

So if the systems up north can be made to handle the extreme cold and I'm sure the consumers there have "paid for it" Why wouldn't we, the consumers here in Texas be able to pay for it? Yes, it will not be a welcomed increase in utility bills, but realistically, it shouldn't take as much to get the systems winterized here for just 1-2 weeks of extreme cold.
I think those that were here will be a little more accepting of utility bill increases if it helps guarantee we don't go through this type of an event again. It seems the most cost effective plan is to winterize the NG distribution lines since it has the largest impact or would that mean replacing with insulated pipelines or what other measures would it require?

As for that article, It has a bias on the words and "facts" used regardless of what they state, so..

Disclosure: Facebook and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

 

[JethroB]

It's interesting to note that only a half dozen or so new or expansions to nuclear plants have been made in the last 40 years. The Three Mile Island disaster ended the era of new construction in the late 70s. There are approximately 100 plants in the US producing approximately 20% of the total electricity.

 

[txdon]

Scroll down the blog to 11:10 Am to see the Costco line that goes around the store, through the parking lot and onto the freeway feeder - incredible.
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