For the past few weeks, it’s been a nearly everyday ask from ERCOT and relayed via AE.

Does anybody know if these voluntary energy reductions have any impact? The TX grid is managed so horribly. Fuck PUC.

  • reddig33@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    You know what would have an impact?

    • Improving grid capacity so that excess wind and soar could be utilized during heat waves.
    • Incentivizing solar panel installation further by offering better rebates across the state for homes and businesses.
    • Paying more for energy that’s sent back to the grid. If you don’t pay well, then users are just going to hoard it by charging their cars during peak production hours, or storing it in an on-site battery.

    https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/07/congested-transmission-lines-cause-renewable-power-to-go-to-waste-in-texas/

    • netburnr@lemmy.worldM
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      That 6 day forecast button has an interesting look. The capacity looks like it’s growing and will be way more than needed over the next week. Is this just a graphing anaomoly?

      • csh@dawdling.net
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        @netburnr
        I don’t think so. That graph is weird but it makes sense as the weather cools down a little and hopefully whatever maintenance or what have you ends that we’ll have more leeway again.

  • kalpol@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    1 year ago

    A few things no one considers:

    Population growth in Texas still rises year over year, with corresponding demands on the grid. Every year just about, we see a new record for power usage.

    Renewables are much harder to manage than fossil plants (solar and wind are not steady sources), and we have steadily increased the percentages of renewables.

    The Eastern and Western interconnects have their own problems, occasionally major ones.

    Lastly, this was a records-breaking summer with all the above factors in play and it is holding up so far.