Even if Texas has joined the southwestern pool (grid), most states there also suffered rolling brownouts. It would also place them under federal control, which would have significant costs, both ideological and financial.

submitted by bobbobbybob from scientificamerican.com

all 4 comments
sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun

[–]RightousBob 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Incidents like the recent power outages in Texas further highlight the need for DECENTRALIZED power.

[–]bobbobbybob[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

ah, the ease of use of words and phrases, when the logistics and financials are unknown.

Texas's grid neighbors all suffered under the storm. If you start to push electrickery really long distances (ie, an 'US grid') then you get huge losses in transmission. If you rely on distant power, then you become prey to grid failures.

Texas needs to stop buying the climate bullshit and harden its local generation to deal with the increase in deep colds that it will be experiencing over the current grand solar minimum, as well as hardening its control units to deal with the EM noise the failing magnetosphere brings. IT was not done, as the expectation based on 20+ years of climate lies, was for a warming planet. In reality, the only place that is experiencing net warming is the arctic, everywhere else began to cool a decade ago.

buzz word junkies getting drunk on simple ideas with little real word applicability can talk about 'decentralizing' all they like, but they really need to understand what that entails.

That's why I posted a link to an article that discussed some of the ideas. So that people would read it and comment intelligently instead of drive by shouting.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Texan homeowners (and any others living in snowfall territory) need to pull their heads out of their butts, and harken to the old saying 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' Enron provided the lesson that should of already been learned, and well understood....electric heating is risky business, and the power grid is unreliable. Those living in very cold or very hot regions should rely only on gas or fuel oil heating and air conditioning systems. If electric is the only option, then a wood-burning stove or solar panels are required as backup. What about apartment renters? Become an Eskimo in the winter and a nudist in the summer!

[–]bobbobbybob[S] 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

yes, each person needs to have their fuel and plans to survive a blackout.