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Texas’ Wind Power Generation Cut In Half Due To Winter Storm


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2021 Feb 15, 2:10pm   6,876 views  98 comments

by RWSGFY   ➕follow (4)   💰tip   ignore  

Texas’ average power production has decreased after almost half of the state’s wind turbines were frozen over the weekend in a winter storm. Parts of Texas reportedly are experiencing temperatures of (-18C) over the weekend, causing over 2 million homes and businesses to experience power outages.

The Austin American-Statesman reported, “Wind farms across the state generate up to a combined 25,100 megawatts of energy. But unusually moist winter conditions in West Texas brought on by the weekend’s freezing rain and historically low temperatures have iced many of those wind turbines to a halt,” they added. “As of Sunday morning, those iced turbines comprise 12,000 megawatts of Texas’ installed wind generation capacity, although those West Texas turbines don’t typically spin to their full generation capacity this time of year.”

A photo began circulating on Twitter which shows a helicopter is using fossil fuel-derived chemicals to defrost a wind turbine, showing that only relying on renewable energy leads to many unforeseen complications.

“Wind power has been the fastest-growing source of energy in Texas’ power grid. In 2015 winder power generation supplied 11% of Texas’ energy grid. Last year it supplied 23% and overtook coal as the system’s second-largest source of energy after natural gas,” the Austin American-Statesman added. “The frozen turbines come as low temperatures strain the state’s power grid and force operators to call for immediate statewide conservation efforts, like unplugging non-essential appliances, turning down residential heaters and minimize use of electric lighting.”

https://thescoop.us/texas-wind-power-generation-cut-in-half-due-to-winter-storm/

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77   HeadSet   2021 Feb 21, 6:23pm  

Rb6d says
WookieMan says
How do gas lines freeze up though?

Redneck oil field friends of mine say that they have "water plugs" in gas pipelines, which froze and stopped gas flow.

Sounds like they need to stop pissing in the manifolds...
78   PeopleUnited   2021 Feb 21, 7:50pm  

Refined natural gas won’t freeze, but the unrefined stuff is prone to freezing. The pipes that feed their power plants must be carrying unrefined natural gas. Seems if this is true it was bound to happen sooner or later.
79   WookieMan   2021 Feb 22, 4:27am  

PeopleUnited says
Refined natural gas won’t freeze, but the unrefined stuff is prone to freezing. The pipes that feed their power plants must be carrying unrefined natural gas. Seems if this is true it was bound to happen sooner or later.

We've got two pipelines near me. Those fuckers are huge. 36" roughly. All buried deep. There was one in our backyard. Every Tuesday an inspector plane would fly over to make sure no one was digging.

I guess maybe in TX they don't bury them as deep to save money? It wasn't that cold either and if it's moving, it's hard to comprehend it freezing. Could be part of the cause I guess, just doesn't compute for me with it freezing ass here now and in the past, and we've got quite a few nat. gas plants. We do have the most nuke capacity though too, so maybe that's a factor of not experiencing outages? I think we also have some of the largest wind farms too. I'm somewhat near one.
80   zzyzzx   2021 Feb 22, 5:39am  

PeopleUnited says
Refined natural gas won’t freeze, but the unrefined stuff is prone to freezing. The pipes that feed their power plants must be carrying unrefined natural gas. Seems if this is true it was bound to happen sooner or later.


I was thinking that it was moisture in the lines that was freezing and clogging the line.
81   WookieMan   2021 Feb 22, 7:55am  

zzyzzx says
PeopleUnited says
Refined natural gas won’t freeze, but the unrefined stuff is prone to freezing. The pipes that feed their power plants must be carrying unrefined natural gas. Seems if this is true it was bound to happen sooner or later.


I was thinking that it was moisture in the lines that was freezing and clogging the line.

I'm not some engineer, but I'm still lost on how a gas line can freeze. I mean the upper part of the country and Canada would be fucked. That's a huge source of heating and electric supply. Unrefined is usually in large diameter gas lines. That would be a fuck ton of water in the line.

Again, not saying it's not possible, just seems improbable. It also wasn't that cold either in Texas compared to much of the country. Really seems like a case of utilities and government fucking things up as usual and making excuses.
82   zzyzzx   2021 Feb 22, 8:15am  

WookieMan says
I'm not some engineer, but I'm still lost on how a gas line can freeze.


I'm still wondering about this as well. Pure speculation:
Maybe they don't bury stuff below the frost like because they aren't used to doing it or otherwise don't believe it applies to them?
Maybe their maintenance sucks and they do have enough water in their lines to freeze?
Don't winterize because "global warming"?
83   Bd6r   2021 Feb 22, 2:10pm  

zzyzzx says
Don't winterize because "global warming"?

Don't winterize because T gets cold in S. Texas once every 35 years
84   PeopleUnited   2021 Feb 23, 5:09am  

zzyzzx says
I was thinking that it was moisture in the lines that was freezing and clogging the line


Yes water is often in he lines that come from natural gas fields.

From a career gas industry expert: “Before it’s processed, natural gas lines can freeze, mostly due to the formation of natural gas hydrate, which forms at conditions of high pressure and low temperature in the presence of water.

During the production process, pressure is dropped at the wellhead. Gas expansion = thermodynamic cooling, often causing water to condense. Dense hydrate plugs can form. Usually the freezing is combatted with methanol.

Gas pipelines have quality standards for gas they will accept on their lines, as too many liquids will collect in low points and cause pipeline operation problems. Operators may have to dehydrate the gas prior to sales and process the gas at a gas plant to remove natural gas liquids.

The distribution utilities work hard to keep gas and only gas in their distribution lines”

But it appears in Texas they did not work hard enough to make that happen.
85   WookieMan   2021 Feb 23, 6:56am  

PeopleUnited says
During the production process, pressure is dropped at the wellhead.

Isn't it still moving though? I've kept pipes from freezing dozens of time from just having a moderate drip going. It obviously happened and it's not 100% water, but just seems strange to me. It's very hard to freeze buried lines and it wasn't that cold and it seems like it would take quite a bit of water in the mix.

Maybe because of the low likelihood of freezing they cutback on prevention? That still doesn't make sense with relatively accurate 10 day forecasts temperature wise. Some engineer should have thought of that or whoever is running that shit. I mean that's like the equivalent of bagging bread first and throwing a gallon of milk on top of it. Most thinking people know that's wrong to do. If I'm in charge of pipe I'm making sure it doesn't leak or freeze. No different than landing a plane, can't do it without the gear down.

I don't know. I don't trust anything anymore. Seems fishy. We're finally thawing out here a touch, but most of Feb has been 15*f or lower for highs. Hard ass freeze for 2 weeks plus. Never have had natural gas freeze up. Ever. Texas has been cold before too. My wife did a half marathon in Biloxi, MS during a snow storm with a layover in Houston where it was snowing. Gas didn't freeze up then? Not saying you're wrong, just doesn't make sense.
86   zzyzzx   2021 Feb 23, 9:41am  

WookieMan says
Maybe because of the low likelihood of freezing they cutback on prevention?


This is my best guess.
87   RWSGFY   2021 Feb 24, 9:45am  

Donald says
So I learned an interesting fact over the last week: They have wind turbines in Antartica. And they work in cold weather.


It's basically a stationary aircraft: these work in Antarctica too when properly equipped.
88   zzyzzx   2021 Feb 25, 11:07am  

Look at all the videos of people filming themselves crying while their homes flood from a burst pipe.. was their 1st priority to capture themselves crying so they could share it online? Why not prioritize finding a way to shut off the water?
90   Ceffer   2021 Feb 26, 8:15am  

I thought the wind turbines in Texas were to suck up the cow pies and launch them at New Mexico.
91   HeadSet   2021 Feb 27, 8:16am  

Ceffer says
I thought the wind turbines in Texas were to suck up the cow pies and launch them at New Mexico.

Is that the origin of "When The Shit Hits the Fan?"
92   zzyzzx   2021 Mar 3, 11:38am  

Real Plumber Reacts to THE BIGGEST PLUMBING FREEZE BREAKS on TikTok
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuL5Db-bfTs
93   SunnyvaleCA   2021 Mar 3, 11:49am  

Fortwaynemobile says
Eric Holder says
Fortwaynemobile says
Why did red Texas do this retard shit?


Their energy sector is deregulated and therefore is max efficient. Which means almost no redundancy. Which is good when everything goes right and very bad when something goes wrong.


Yeah but why they did wind shit that literally everyone knows has limitations. That is some dumb shit there.
Same answer as California's not-very-fast train to nowhere boondoggle. Politicians can't resist starting a project based on federal government money. California will probably try putting the windmills on the tops of the train cars so that the thing can run itself.
94   Eric Holder   2021 Mar 3, 12:27pm  

SunnyvaleCA says
California will probably try putting the windmills on the tops of the train cars so that the thing can run itself.


You think you're joking, but you're not: there is actually two or three diesel ferries with wind generators on top of them running around SF Bay. This is fucking nuts.

Proof:

96   HeadSet   2023 Mar 6, 5:34pm  

cisTits says

Swedes might build a wind sail cargo ship that can transport 7,000 cars across the ocean in 12 days vs 8 days a normal cargo ship would take.

I was wondering when sailing ships would be back. Those clipper ships of old were fast even by today's standards.
97   AD   2024 Jan 15, 6:36pm  

.

Wind power is holding up tonight ... no brown outs so far in Texas ..
.
https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards

.



.
98   Eric Holder   2024 Jan 16, 12:50pm  

HeadSet says

cisTits says


Swedes might build a wind sail cargo ship that can transport 7,000 cars across the ocean in 12 days vs 8 days a normal cargo ship would take.

I was wondering when sailing ships would be back. Those clipper ships of old were fast even by today's standards.


Fast, but EXTREMELY labor-intensive.

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