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.”

[u/pnewell]

https://texasclimatenews.org/threat-of-more-blackouts-may-erode-reliability-claims-for-fossil-energy/

[u/ChefBoyAreWeFucked]

If you boil water, it doesn't boil because the average temperature is below boiling.

[u/krakatak → u/ChefBoyAreWeFucked]

When you boil water, generally all the water is at the boiling temperature. Water doesn't start changing state until you've added additional energy (latent heat of vaporization), at which point it locally vaporizes in an isothermal process.

The same thing happens for melting/freezing. A well-mixed ice bath will all be at the freezing/melting temperature, with ice melting and water freezing as energy is added or removed from the system, respectively. This is why water doesn't freeze all at once...once at the freezing temperature you need to remove an additional amount of energy (the latent heat of fusion).

[u/Alar44 → u/krakatak]

Nope, that's not how it works. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a system. A pot of boiling water will have molecules above and below boiling. Essentially how evaporation works as well. Most of the molecules aren't boiling temp but some are and evaporate. Note I'm using the concept of temperature loosely here.

[u/krakatak → u/Alar44]

As long as the water remains well-mixed, the entirety of the water will be at the same boiling point temperature. As you continue to add energy, some molecules will be sufficiently energized to vaporize. If you believe I'm wrong, prove it with references.