Guest essay by Eric Worrall
According to the Texas Tribune, the state government hasn’t done enough to secure gas supplies against another deep freeze.
‘People should probably worry’: Texas hasn’t done enough to prevent another winter of blackouts, experts say
Mitchell Ferman and Jon SchuppeTexas Tribune and NBC News
MIDLOTHIAN – After last winter, electricity giant Vistra Corp. capable of keeping the electricity flowing for millions of its customers, CEO Curt Morgan said he had never seen anything like it in his 40 years in the energy industry.
During the storm’s peak days, Vistra, Texas’ largest generator, sent as much energy as it could to power the state’s failing power grid, “often at the expense of money. ,” he told lawmakers shortly after the storm.
But it’s still not enough. The state’s electricity grid system almost completely collapsed, millions of people were without power for days in cold temperatures and more than 200 people died.
…
However, no matter what Morgan does, it won’t be enough to prevent another disaster if there is another severe freeze, he said.
That’s because the state has yet to fix the key problem that crippled his plants: maintaining an adequate supply of natural gas, Morgan said.
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Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/29/texas-power-grid-winter-storm/
If only there were a cheap, readily available power plant source of fuel that could be stored in a large pile using bulldozers, without the need for costly containment measures such as giant gas cylinders or intervention. government intervention in the supply chain to ensure supplies, so even if mining and transportation fail due to weather, power plants will have enough fuel in place to continue operating until when the crisis is over.
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