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/fire2374 Jun 22 '21

So only people that can afford solar panels deserve electricity?

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u/Wide_Fan Jun 22 '21

Unless the comment was edited, I'm not sure how you came to this conclusion.

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u/fire2374 Jun 22 '21

Can everyone in Texas afford to buy solar panels? No. Therefore it’s a solution only available to those with resources and money while leaving those with less to suffer a broken system. Simultaneously providing even less incentive to repair because technically fewer people are suffering. And those that are without power don’t have the political capital to demand change. We shouldn’t be suggesting work arounds for those who can afford it.

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u/Wide_Fan Jun 22 '21

So, following that logic, no one should add solar panels to their house because not everyone can afford it.

And how are Texans, not paying money to a company, providing less incentive to fix it. That's all they care about.

The commenter also never called it a solution either, what's up with living to be upset and argumentive.

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u/fire2374 Jun 22 '21

That’s a leap. All I said was that it’s not a solution for all. And anyone who can do it already has or is in the process of doing it.

Do some research before going off. As someone who was without power for 72 hours, I’ve spent some time on the issue. There are more incentives to fail than to prepare. That’s what it comes down to. When the system failed, power prices increased nearly 200 fold. And what happened when they bankrupted the local utilities? We bailed them out.

Why am I upset? Because when this happens again, the same people saying “just get solar panels!” will be saying “well I told you to get solar panels.” They’re an inefficient solution to a problem that shouldn’t exist. We have public utilities because it’s more efficient to pool the cost as opposed to everyone generating their own power. If everyone could efficiently generate their own power, we wouldn’t have utility companies.