Via WUWT: Wind power generation actually dropped 5% during this period
Coal-fired power plants kept the lights on for millions of Americans during January’s bomb cyclone, according to an Energy Department report warning future plant retirements could imperil grid security.
Energy analysts at DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory found that coal power kept the lights on for millions of Americans during the bomb cyclone that pummeled the eastern U.S. from late December to early January.
[…]
NETL found that “without available capacity from partially utilized coal units, PJM would have experienced shortfalls leading to interconnect-wide blackouts.” PJM Interconnection is the largest independent system operator in the U.S., serving 65 million customers.
h/t nold
something dangerous would just prompt a braindead liberal to say we need more windmills and solar panels. even if they are freezing they will still embrace the socialist dogma.
No doubt.
Hopefully what does happen is that the Trump officials charged with overseeing the department concerned with providing energy take serious note of this and act accordingly.
The dummies in charge of the Canadian government at the moment do not have an IQ high enough to absorb the lesson.
So the US hives might lose power without the coal backup? What’s the big deal? After all, THEY are the ones screaming about Glowbull Warming. Let them do their share!
I’ll say it again … simply STOP all coal use … NOW. And then see if the frozen survivors call for more windmills, solar panels and Tesla battery walls … or a lump of coal?
And if they choose one of the “renewables” … then they probably also “believe” in reincarnation. Let their god Vishnu sort out which insect they will return as.
There is a simple answer to this. In Taxifornia, there is a huge windmill
farm in Tehachapi. At any given time, 25% or more are idle. Two analogies
apply; The vacuum tube computer and industrial lighting. Take a walk on
a factory floor and you will find dozens of fixtures not working at any
given time. Early computers had a big problem with downtime.
In the case of windmill farms, the problem is worse. The cost to repair
them is astronomical especially if the subsidies stop flowing. In the end,
these things will serve as a monument to man’s stupidity because vacuum
tubes, Fluorescent tubes, and ballasts are cheap. Generators, gearboxes,
Shafts and blades cannot be replaced on site without large cranes. That
is why so many of them are simply being left to rot.
… and the cranes necessary … bill out at $700.00/hr … even for “standby” time. Good luck.
and BTW … I am fortunate-enough to have made a great purchase (read: serious discount) on a PAIR of Mcintosh MC275’s that I run as monoblocks (one for each speaker).
https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/amplifiers/MC275B
I am a TUBE aficionado! Lush warm detailed sound. Far more natural sounding, than a solid state amp that makes your bass boom louder (but not “better”).
and also BTW … these beautiful amplifiers are worth $ more in the resale market than I paid for them. Something to be said for my Luddite love of Analogue. Can’t say the same thing about idle windmills
Alberta don’t need no stinking coal either!
TransAlta plans to shut two of its coal plants and switch to much cheaper and cleaner natural gas. It closed one generating unit Sundance earlier this year.
http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-albertans-breathing-easier-from-plummeting-coal-use
as long as they are sticking with fuel that works. then the coal will still be available to keep future generations from freezing to death after the wind mills and solar panel b s has run it’s course.