Saturday's Required Reading: Excellent WSJ OP/ED on the Texas Grid

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board published the op/ed below Saturday about the role natural gas played in enabling ERCOT to eke through this summer’s heat while barely avoiding rolling blackout conditions. It’s an excellent read that I wanted everyone to see, since it echoes many of the themes I’ve written about over the last few months, including today’s piece in the Daily Caller. Give it a read.

Pay special attention to the final 3 sentences:

The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (Nerc) last month for the first time deemed “energy policy” among the biggest risks to grid reliability. “The resource mix is increasingly characterized as one that is sensitive to extreme, widespread, and long duration temperatures as well as wind and solar droughts,” Nerc said.

Unlike actual droughts, power shortages are caused by, and can be prevented by, government.

Give it a read.

Texas Suffers a Solar and Wind Power ‘Drought’

The Lone Star State barely avoids blackouts, thanks to natural gas.

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By

The Editorial Board

Sept. 7, 2023 6:26 pm ET

A general view of power lines in Austin, Sept. 7. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has issued energy conservation warnings to those living in Texas due to the consumption of energy needed for the current heatwave. PHOTO: ADAM DAVIS/SHUTTERSTOCK

Triple-digit temperatures aren’t unusual during Texas summers, but power shortages coupled with urgent orders to conserve electricity are now routine. While Texans barely averted blackouts Wednesday evening, the state’s energy ordeals are a flickering warning to the rest of the country.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot) called a Stage 2 emergency on Wednesday evening, one step from rolling blackouts. “High demand, lower wind generation, and the declining solar generation during sunset led to lower operating reserves on the grid and eventually contributed to lower frequency,” the grid operator’s CEO said.

Businesses that use large amounts of power were directed to curb their energy consumption—i.e., scale back operations. Utilities urged Texans to unplug electric vehicles, turn off pool filters, and prepare backup plans for medical equipment in case the power goes out. In other words, double check that backyard emergency generator.