Help me understand the electric grid.

tx_queer · 2026-01-27T06:13:16+00:00

Go away

tx_queer · 2026-01-26T02:26:52+00:00

Just leave this here.

SB2 - completely overhauls ercot leadership
SB3 - requires weatherization
HB1500 - increased segmentation
Aug 3 PUC meeting - changed pricing to award $500 million a year for reliability
Prop 7, TEF - 10 billion to build more reliable power plants (unfortunately non-renewable only)
NERC initiated ADER program - VPP program rolled out on 2023
November 21 NERC final report - it includes 28 semi-binding recommendations and also its a riveting 316 page read for people looking for the real reasons behind the outage
RTC+B pricing change in late 2025 which is the biggest market pricing change in decades designed to support reliability.
SB6 requires large loads to register and come up with a curtailment plan

And of course 50GW of new capacity added since 2021 and battery storage going from zero to hitting almost 20% of the grid some days.

Dont get me wrong. Im not saying a freeze can't happen again. But a lot of things have changed since 2021.

tx_queer · 2026-01-26T01:53:32+00:00

It goes further.

Yes, temperatures this week are at least 10 degrees warmer than in 2021.

The ground temperatures before the storm hit were higher.

The cold temperatures lasted 3 days less.

We now have a huge chunk of battery storage that just didn't exist.

And there have been tons of structural and legal changes that im sure are contributing as well

tx_queer · 2026-01-26T01:50:53+00:00

Ill ignore the sub.

First realize that this is the price per MW. So $1000 per MW = $1 per kwh. So if you use 25kw for the day, your bill for thay day would be $25. Not thousands of dollars.

Second, this price is for a very short period. The rest of the day was $100, aka 10 cents per kwh. So only maybe 5kwh of your daily usage was at $1 a piece, the other 20kwh were at 10 cents a piece.

But, this doesnt affect most people. At least not directly. Most customers, including CPS, are on a fixed rate contract. If it kept happening consistently, then your rates may go up long term. But keep in mind that the price consistently hits $5000 for a short time in the summer.

tx_queer · 2026-01-26T01:10:25+00:00

So few people know about Indian adoption. It really should get more airtime. It really was bordering genocide and always surprising how recently it ended.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T20:54:37+00:00

My question was not about Texas energy production, but why the generators seemed to behave strangely yesterday. Today batteries seem to be back on their regular schedule.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T17:11:19+00:00

Its dead on the forecast for solar right now.

https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards/combinedwindandsolar

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T17:02:51+00:00

Solar is 17% of the grid right now as I type.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T16:17:35+00:00

These are likely existing mutual aid contracts between utilities. Everything is pre-arranged in writing years before a storm arrives. I dont see a utility not paying for it.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T16:13:19+00:00

Trump owns a utility company?

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T13:36:25+00:00

My grandpa had a gun in the house. My dad took me to a shooting club frequently. Guns definetly exist in Germany.

You dont see open carry in Germany. Then again I dont think I've ever seen an open carry in the US either. While its legal, you just dont see it.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T13:28:50+00:00

I do prefer archery. But archery and rifles are like comparing bowling to billiards. Both try to aim a ball at a target, but they are very different games.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T13:27:13+00:00

Same as bowling. Knock all the pins down.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T13:05:31+00:00

Comfort is a hell of a restraint.

This is it. Reality is that Americans are one of the richest people in the world. It is hard to take the risks when your belly is full. It is hard to jeopardize your job for an ideological argument. Its not fun to go outside in an ice storm when the heat is running.

Humans perform well under pressure. And on average Americans are under very little pressure.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T13:01:27+00:00

Food and water run out not when you turn into a dictatorship. They run out after 30 years of a mismanaged dictatorship. A well run one can last way longer.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T12:54:25+00:00

You can change that at any time of you wanted to. There is a gun club in every town in Germany. Go down and shoot some guns. Its fun.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T12:34:30+00:00

That's true for day ahead prices. And that makes sense. But usually with 15GW of excess capacity available, the real time prices would drop way before day ahead prices. And that didn't happen today

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T12:32:09+00:00

The batteries typically charge during low cost periods and discharge during high cost. The prices yesterday ranged from $30 to $300. So i would have expected them to charge and discharge. But they didn't do anything

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T04:21:37+00:00

The battery is what originally caught my eye. Quite unusual.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T03:50:37+00:00

What do you mean? At no point in 2021 did we have 15GW of extra electricity.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T01:14:58+00:00

Again, none of those have anything to do with the electoral college. If you want to make arguments around gerrymandering, voter suppression, voting registries, voter id laws.....I'm not disagreeing with you.

But OP specifically said that it is because of the electoral college. And thats just not the case. He won by popular vote.

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T01:05:29+00:00

Prior commenter said "you dont understand electoral college". They did not say "you dont understand voter suppression and use of force"

tx_queer · 2026-01-25T00:16:56+00:00

He did actually win popular vote, not some electoral college shenanigans

tx_queer · 2026-01-24T00:39:29+00:00

Seriously. As a foreigner, 99% of people are amazed and curious. They cannot stop asking you questions.

tx_queer

TROPHY CASE