Renewable Energy Has Saved Texas’ Grid this Summer
Even though Governor Abbott has disparaged renewables as part of the power grid
What an irony that the addition of more solar arrays and wind power in oil-dominated Texas has saved the state from brownouts or rolling blackouts so far this summer. That, and the cooperation of its citizens in reducing consumption, has prevented a power grid disaster so far.
Texas’ leadership denies climate change.
Remember, Governor Abbott disparaged the windmills which were not weatherized to withstand the polar vortex that hit Texas in 2021 as the cause of the problem. But the main problem was that the state’s natural gas providers were not prepared for cold of that magnitude, according to the officials at Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
Of course, it ain’t over until it’s over.
The hottest month is still over the horizon. The dog days of August are growling threateningly. Power plants need to rest too with recovery time. They may not get the chance to do that if the heat does not abate.
It’s uncertain.
Hundreds of people died in Texas because of the power grid failure in 2021. Let’s hope we don’t have a repeat this year.
I live in Dallas and it got to 39 degrees in my house at one point in the winter of 2021— and that’s with a gas fireplace. The power would go off for long periods of time each day. We made it through, but many weren’t so lucky.
Ted Cruz said in June that rates were going through the roof because of the New Green Deal. Will someone tell him that the New Green Deal did not pass?
More Solar Power
Thankfully, despite all the political falderal and climate change denial, Texas is aggressively adding solar power at the fastest rate in the nation — at least in 2021. Renewables now account for almost 40% of energy output in Texas.
Texas led the nation last year in adding new solar installations. However, the state needs to build more transmission lines to carry the energy from…
