OK, so Austin keeps attracting more and more and more people and big business ventures. Tesla is building a megaplant a few minutes from my house. Oracle has expanded their operations here. Samsung is probably following suit. People keep coming, the air gets worse, the water gets worse, traffic is some of the worst in the country, housing prices are absurd, taxes sky high. What does our mayor do? He keeps encouraging more businesses to move here. He keeps the tent people under every overpass and on every median in town by failing to take any serious action. Now, in 10°F weather, what's going on? We're having rolling power outages! Great! It's 55° in my house, as I type this. What the bloody hell? How can Austin encourage more folks and businesses to come here if it can't manage its part of the grid to keep everyone warm in freezing weather, and cool in its sweltering summers? I'm not understanding this crap! If you have a background in electrical engineering, with power grid experience, please explain, here, how rolling outages help anything. I've read the stuff online, so don't bother posting that. I want someone with hardcore experience in the field to enlighten me.
The important point you hit on here is the "GROWTH" BS. Along with the power grid, the ecosystem can't support eternal growth.
@Trevalius Guyus Great post! It seems that any area of rapid "growth" always fails to invest in future increased power generation capacity, hoping the dire extreme of unprecedented demand does not happen. Now ya got unprecedented demand, insufficient capacity. I well recall those frigid cold days in Chicago; our living room walls had hoar frost on them, inside the room! Frank
If it makes you feel any better, it's not just Austin. The whole Houston area is under a power outage. The state of Texas is a single power grid. We also had rolling outages but now they have changed it to " out most of today."
It is coming into Huntsville area right now, and worse in other parts of Alabama. They have warned us to expect a lot of ice and maybe snow, and freezing worse by tonight. Thankfully, we went out yesterday and took care of everything that needed to be done outside of home, so we can just settle in and see what comes of this. Is your power out, @Beth Gallagher , and if so, how are you keeping warm ?
Yes, our power has been out since 4 am or so. We have a fireplace, gas stove and gas water heater. I have candles and flashlights ready for tonight. My husband has gone to check on his mom and will likely bring her here till the power comes back on. It's 20 degrees outside but 67 in our den.
I'm Chicago born and raised. Never was cold in my apartments, there, but did get on the evening news as I worked to start my car and dig it out at Lake Point Towers, with a -40° windchill factor. I did get it started, and drove home.
I was grumbling and complaining about all the rain we have had lately until I saw this on the news. Now I won't complain anymore. My heart goes out to all those people, especially the elderly people without power. That must be awful.
I hope all you warm weather types get through this ok.Just stay put at home, your infrastructure is not designed for this kind of stuff. We are actually a couple degrees warmer than usual. Were looking at a storm tonite of up to ten inches. Latest map shows me getting a real good shot of sleet on top of the snow. Y'all stay safe!
Let me add to that. I grew up in high altitude mountainous Idaho where we had months of icy highways. I'm familiar with that. Now I watch the news with 100+ vehicle pile-ups, including 18 wheelers, whose drivers should know better. To my friends here, stay off of icy roads even If you're familiar with them, as I am. Here in north Florida we seem to be lucky so far--just had a heavy thunderstorm and the power didn't go out as it frequently does. Again, if the roads are icy stay home!!! Yvonne will know what I'm writing about.
Parts of Norman have had power outages but I haven’t lost power yet. The temp is zero and will get down to minus six or so tonight? We’ve had ten inches of snow. I’m tired of winter. From Texas to the Canadian border there are rolling power outages. I ready for a little sweat.
@Trevalius Guyus My first car had 6 volt ignition and starter yet (last year, 1955). -10` when I left classes for the day, the starter gave a mighty grunt before turning slightly, and the engine started! Frank
In addition to no heat, those in rural areas on wells have no water to drink, no water to wash, no water to flush.
I just read an article that says the power issue in Texas is an over-reliance on "renewables," and that the lack of power is because of a lack of diverse energy sources...the wind turbines froze in the recent cold weather so they stopped generating electricity.