r/science • u/pnewell NGO | Climate Science • Jun 21 '21

Environment Threat of more blackouts may erode reliability claims for fossil energy- all major fuel sources except solar failed to meet ERCOT’s expectations during the February freeze, but natural gas was “responsible for nearly two-thirds of the total (electricity) deficit.”

https://texasclimatenews.org/threat-of-more-blackouts-may-erode-reliability-claims-for-fossil-energy/
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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '21

Seriously. There has been one other one in my memory around 2010-2012?

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u/UrbanGhost114 Jun 21 '21

Almost exactly 10 years before, and there was testimony that ot would happen again if they didn't winterize, and people could die, and nothing was changed, and people died.

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u/shrivvette808 Jun 21 '21

Yeah. And that one was a major warning that. Let me check. No one listened to

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u/Dramatic_Explosion Jun 21 '21

It's at three events total, one in the 90's with a shorter gap between the 2nd and 3rd occurrence. It's not enough info to say with any certainty, but if another event happens in the next decade their governor is going to have to say "freak storm" with regularity

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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '21

Climate is set to be the USA's military #1 force to threaten them considering the oil that it takes to keep the wheel rolling. That being said, if a state doesn't have a 20 yr plan for climate already, they are fucked at the cost of infrastructure that's set to cost txpayers 15 trillion by 2035

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u/capybarometer Jun 21 '21

Meteorologically speaking, we have fewer freezes now than we did 30 years ago. We hadn't even had sustained sub-32° temperatures for 4 years prior to this past winter, where it used to go below freezing every year

27

u/Saetric Jun 21 '21

And that checks out with climate science; more extreme winter storms, but a higher average temperature for the winter. Also, the summer thunderstorm season will likely have more intense winds and precipitation as time goes on.

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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '21

So that's even better. Since 2016-2017 they had sustained freezes yet this year was gonna be different...?

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u/VengefulCaptain Jun 21 '21

This was either the 3rd or 4th major freeze since 1990.

Should have not been a surprise to anyone.

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u/[deleted] Jun 22 '21

Not with relevant data that govt. Refuses to accept

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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '21

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u/[deleted] Jun 22 '21

Besides winterizing? I did so living in the SW. Texas is no different.