Rolling blackouts ordered for Texas - prepare your stuff

About an hour ago ERCOT said they were ending the rolling blackouts but the power is still off at the office.

That makes sense. So, it's either the sluggish natural gas pipelines, or they really are selling it off to others? We already know the natural gas lines in TX are for crap.

As posted at Storm2K, Jeff Lindner (HCFCD) gives an update and among other things states:
Power/Vegetation:

Now that freezing rain/icing is becoming a larger threat along the coast significant impacts to trees and power line are possible. Weight of glazed ice on tree limbs and power lines may result in extensive damage and widespread power outages. Texas power grid is already under tremendous strain due to frozen natural gas supply lines and this will potentially add more strain and damage to the network. Power conservation is strongly encouraged to help maintain the stability of the entire power grid and ERCOT has ordered rotating blackouts to help reduce the strain on the system. Damage by ice to the actual power infrastructure is possible…and restoration will not be quick.


[link to www.storm2k.org]

why are they doing this? it doesn't make sense - they don't do this in summer when EVERYONE in texas is running their air conditioners

Shortage is down to about 1000MW

We expected another one a hour and half ago -- and nothing so far. SO seems like at least some of the rolling blackouts are over.

Been at home all day here in Fort Worth.....

Never lost power.


Cloudy and 21 degrees.


All school districts are closed again it would seem for Thursday.


[link to www.wfaa.com]

I woke up this morning in College Station and the power was out for a little while then came back on

It's been a few hours, the gecko has not moved, even tried to mini-water board him encase he is faking, nothing. So

THE TX MINI ICE AGE CLAIMS ITS FIRST FATALITY

No problems on the west side of Houston. There were a few small outages very early this morning, 5 am. South of Houston had some narly winds and rain that damaged a few lines.

office in houston went out 3 times... each about 10-15 min

(totally lost work i was in the middle of typing... still forgot to save after the first time)

Its cold for us because we never got a chance for our bodies to adjust over time like in Michigan..kind of went from 40 to 20 round here.

I live in the FourPoints area (620 and 2222) and there have been no blackouts. I;m still at work in downtown and this was just sent out to all of us.

POSSIBILITY OF ROTATING OUTAGES THIS EVENING AND TOMORROW MORNING
ERCOT is asking consumers to reduce energy consumption during peak-demand times this evening -- 6-10 pm - and tomorrow morning from 6 - 8 am.



The grid continues to have more than 5,000 MW of generation out of service due to the effect of the extreme cold.



Tonight's peak demand is forecast to hit 54,900 MW between 7-8 pm. The morning peak was 53,223 MW - with 4,000 MW dropped via rotating outages -- at 9-10 am.



At this time, the forecast for tomorrow's peak load is 56,800 MW for 7-8 am.



ERCOT's current record for all time winter peak demand is 55,878 MW, which occurred on Jan. 8, 2010.



Rotating outages are controlled, temporary interruptions of electrical service initiated by each utility when supplies of reserve power are exhausted. Without this safety valve, generators would overload and begin shutting down to avoid damage, risking a domino effect of a state-wide outage.



Utilities/ transmission providers determine the location/scheduling of the rotating outages.












OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

R i c k P e r r y





For Immediate Distribution Governor's Press Office: 512-463-1826
Feb. 2, 2011 Katherine Cesinger: kcesinger@gov.texas.gov

Statement Catherine Frazier: cfrazier@gov.texas.gov

Lucy Nashed: lucy.nashed@gov.texas.gov



Statement by Gov. Rick Perry on Rolling Power Outages across the State

Urges energy conservation until power plants get back online



AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry made the following statement about rolling power outages resulting from the winter weather system sweeping across the state:



"Because of winter weather conditions that have created an unprecedented demand on the state's energy grid, many Texans across our state are experiencing power outages today," Gov. Perry said. "Texas power and emergency management experts are working very closely with ERCOT and various utility providers to ensure power is restored as quickly as possible. Until that happens, I urge businesses and residents to conserve electricity to minimize the impact of this event."



The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Grid Operations has asked utilities/transmission providers to implement rolling outages to compensate for a generation shortage due to numerous power plant outages occurring as a result of the extreme weather. For more information from ERCOT, please call 512-225-7065 or visit [link to www.ercot.com]



The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) has issued the following information to customers:

Rotating outages will be limited in duration to between 10-45 minutes, unless equipment trips due to a power surge during the restoration process.
Customers can minimize the chance power surges will occur by turning off all but essential appliances, lights and other electrical equipment.
Minimize unnecessary travel, as traffic signals may go out of service, resulting in traffic jams.


For more information from PUC, call 888-782-8477 or visit their website at [link to www.puc.state.tx.us]



Additionally, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is using its enforcement discretion for all power generating facilities during this rolling outage period. Power generating facilities have authorized maximum emission limits, as well as authorized peaking units for dealing with high demand periods. Violations of these limits will be treated with enforcement discretion as power plants respond to the current power emergency brought on by this extremely cold weather. For additional information from TCEQ, please call 512-239-2526 or visit [link to www.tceq.state.tx.us]



The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has also deployed resources to respond to this winter weather event. Maintenance crews are removing snow and ice in regions hardest hit by winter precipitation. TxDOT personnel will continue to spread anti-icing and de-icing materials on major highways, bridges and overpasses in 12-hour shifts until conditions improve. For additional information, please call 800-452-9292 or visit [link to www.txdot.state.tx.us]



The State Operations Center continues to work closely with the National Weather Service to monitor this winter weather system as it moves across Texas.

Rolling blackouts my ass. We've been without power ALL day. No warnings, mother fuckers just turned it off, but SOMEHOW the Cowboys Stadium (Superbowl) has power for the media and all the crap and parties related to it in the area.

Bullshit.

Blah...news here in corpus christi said they may start the blackouts again at 6

I got up this morning with the power out. Came to work and had a HOT cup of coffee and heated up taco just before the power dropped at work too.

Houston, Texas

I'm in Texas too. Some reason I am thinking this has something to do with the Superbowl in Dallas on Sunday. haha. Can the power plants "save up" electricity to use later? Like, save it up for Sunday or this weekend to make sure that there is plenty of power for all those Superbowl parties, hotels and the stadium in case it is cold this weekend? With all the money riding on the Superbowl I could see someone high up saying "we better not ef this up... get the blackouts rolling now!" Remember all the weird stuff they did with the electricity blackouts at Enron? (Texas also)

I have just never remembered rolling blackouts during the winter in all the many years I've lived in Texas. Weird!!!!

Anyway, just wondered what anyone else thought about that. Any correlation or have I just been reading too much GLP?

Well shit! Dallas news just said that the rolling blacks could start back up tonight and run until about 10pm.
I am just south of the Tyler area. Snow expected here Friday 1-2 inches.

I'm down in the Valley near Brownsville. We are expecting a high of 31* tomorrow...that's 40 degrees BELOW our normal high of 71*.

My father always said 40* in Texas was colder than 0* in his native Wisconsin...because of the humidity and wind. We're expecting sleet, freezing rain, and maybe snow tomorrow. For those who don't know we've had one measurable snowfall in 120 years. I know you snowtards have no sympathy, but we aren't used to this and our homes aren't built for it. It was 75* a few days ago...and we were running the air conditioner.

I've been here all of my life. Never seen anything like this. It's bullshit and I'm in agreement with you. Makes one wonder....I bet those celebrities and football players that are in town have their asses nice and warm.

Yup, same here. This is posted on the CPS Energy website:

Additional rolling outages possible late Wednesday or early Thursday.
While the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) discontinued the requirement to shed load across the state at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, utilities were advised to be prepared for a possible repeat of today’s power emergency later tonight or early tomorrow. Conservation remains critical and customers are urged to reduce demand as much as possible.

Full post here:
[link to www.cpsenergy.com]

They said on the news that Cowboy Stadium and Superbowl events would not be effected by the blackouts.

Good to see that we have priorities in this country...

anyone in Abilene, TX had power go out? I haven't yet.. temp at the moment 16degrees.. windchill even lower..

So true, I was running my air conditioning last week here in abilene haha, right now it's 15 degrees.. WTF ??

What? Of course! I definitely think there is something to this.
Besides having so much money involved in the Superbowl, the Superbowl is also THE quintessential American event and there can't be anything that would mess up the illusion that all is well in the USA. No, we aren't a third-world-rolling-blackouts type country! No, not us. Crank up the heat, millionaires!

Sorry, it just is so sad. Little ole grandmothers sitting in their house all dark and cold while rich grubworms drink champagne in their $500 night hotel room. What losers!

I guess Jerry's World stadium needed all of those juice to warm up that huge space inside...

Electric Reliability Council...... REALLY? REALLY?
Does anyone see the irony in that title?

Yep, only rich fuckers with the Superbowl get to stay warm. They have their reliability.

So one has to wonder what is the difference between a power grid in say Montana, and Texas. I mean Montana gets lots of snow and cold every year, and seldom gets blackouts.

Just wondering?