Texas coal power
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Started by wglassfo - March 7, 2021, 11:12 a.m.

Maybe some body can help me understand a bit better

During the cold spell, Texas power generation from coal fired plants dropped

Now how is that possible

Coal pile in one spot

Fire box close by

Put coal in firebox and increase power generation for electricity

How difficult was that

But no

Power supply was less

A head scratcher

Comments
By metmike - March 7, 2021, 2:38 p.m.
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Same response as yesterday afternoon when you brought the same thing up in that thread:

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/66318/


When you shut down a coal burning plant(many of them), you can't open it back up for a big cold wave.

By metmike - March 7, 2021, 2:52 p.m.
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metmike: Interesting things about the graph below. 

1. We hear that humans have to get off fossil fuels ASAP based on computer model simulations/projections of what burning them to 2100 will do to the planet. But according to most sources, there won't be any fossil fuels left and for oil there is only 30 years left, ng only 40 years left................so doing nothing........means we run out anyway. But doing something now, allows CO2 to be taxed and socialism to be imposed to fix a non problem(fake climate crisis) that would be fixed if we did nothing when we run out!


It's all so obviously political and can be shown so many different ways.........we are having a climate optimum, not a climate crisis. 

When Fossil Fuels Run Out, What Then?                                        

https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/fossil-fuels-run/



In figure 1 [4] we show the future energy reserves in billions of oil equivalent, Btoe, as a function of year. While we obliviously use up fossil fuels without taking stock of about what future reserves look like, we should take note of the endpoints shown here. These endpoints are dangerously close: Since our society is so dependent on fossil fuels, it therefore is extremely important for us to know when these fuels will run out according to [4]:

Oil will end by 2052   – 30 years time

Gas will end by 2060  – 40 years time

Coal will last till 2090 –   70 years time

However, according to BP [5], earth has 53 years of oil reserves left at current rate of consumption.

Figure 1  Energy reserves in billion tonnes of oil equivalent – Btoe [4]

Gioietta_1_23

By metmike - March 7, 2021, 2:54 p.m.
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By wglassfo - March 7, 2021, 3:26 p.m.
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Sorry Mike; I should check/read more closely 

But I will offer my thoughts, as I don't think my question was answered

Texas was getting some electric power from coal burning plants. The records show the amount decreased during the cold weather. If the amount decreased then some plants were obviously still in operation. I admit not many and a small amount of power but some. Texas did not shut down every coal burning plant as the records show some power came from coal burning plants

So: If those plants were in operation why did there  out put decrease due to cold weather. A coal burning plant should not be affected by cold weather. You can talk about all the other sources and [preparations] [none] and I agree with you. But a coal burning plant should not be affected by cold weather

Would you not agree that a coal fired plant should be able to increase power out put, no matter if it is cold or not??? A coal fired plant is not affected by temp, wind, solar or anything. It just burns coal and produces power. [Well a bit more is required but that mostly sums up what a coal burning plant does] Those few coal burning plants should have been maxed out, not producing less power. Coal produces heat and that heat should keep the plant machinery operating at maximum out put. But that did not happen.

That was my question and I apologize for not paying attention to previous posts, and starting a new post. I thought I read all posts but obviously did not do so.


By metmike - March 7, 2021, 3:41 p.m.
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No problem Wayne,

We can start over again today, with your thread on the same thing yesterday.


I don't know why coal power dropped 3% during that energy crisis in TX. Nuclear power dropped even more at 4%.  That also doesn't have an obvious explanation.


Wind plunged from 30% fo 8%, which was the killer and solar dropped to almost nothing.

Natural gas made up all the slack.


https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/65704/#66098

By wglassfo - March 7, 2021, 5:53 p.m.
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Thanks mike

I also read some NG pipelines had moisture inside which froze and slowed down the NG delivery rate

What ever happened I think this should be advance warning that EV is good so long as all systems work as intended. However, we need to be prepared for the unexpected

In all fairness, how much do you spend on being prepared

Perhaps if the general public had been educated to with stand a short interruption of power would give a better ROI. Maybe a full supply of fire wood, stored so the elements would not rot the wood, food for emergency, a camp fire coleman stove and fuel, be aware of your living quarters. Learn how to shut off the water, can you burn a colemen in an apt or is that dangerous

Problem is the next crisis will be different and people will not be prepared

We have a portable generator when the power fails. Enough power for  water, fridge, micro wave, one wall circuit, power for a couple portable space heaters, one light circuit. We can last a long time if the road are drifted in and we just hunker down. Oh and plenty of flash lights, candles, food etc. And two 4x4 vechicles for snow, with tow hitches Some times we get enough wind that roads drift in almost behind the snow plow. Plus snow plow doesn't always get to the back roads where we live, in a very fast time line. We all know the situation and live with it.