# Wind Power Failure in Texas



## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

*Loss of wind causes Texas power grid emergency*

Wed Feb 27, 2008 

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A drop in wind generation late on Tuesday, coupled with colder weather, triggered an electric emergency that caused the Texas grid operator to cut service to some large customers, the grid agency said on Wednesday.

Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) said a decline in wind energy production in west Texas occurred at the same time evening electric demand was building as colder temperatures moved into the state.

The grid operator went directly to the second stage of an emergency plan at 6:41 PM CST (0041 GMT), ERCOT said in a statement.

System operators curtailed power to interruptible customers to shave 1,100 megawatts of demand within 10 minutes, ERCOT said. Interruptible customers are generally large industrial customers who are paid to reduce power use when emergencies occur.

No other customers lost power during the emergency, ERCOT said. Interruptible customers were restored in about 90 minutes and the emergency was over in three hours.

ERCOT said the grid's frequency dropped suddenly when wind production fell from more than 1,700 megawatts, before the event, to 300 MW when the emergency was declared.

In addition, ERCOT said multiple power suppliers fell below the amount of power they were scheduled to produce on Tuesday. That, coupled with the loss of wind generated in West Texas, created problems moving power to the west from North Texas.

ERCOT declares a stage 1 emergency when power reserves fall below 2,300 MW. A stage 2 emergency is called when reserves fall below 1,750 MW.

At the time of the emergency, ERCOT demand increased from 31,200 MW to a peak of 35,612 MW, about half the total generating capacity in the region, according to the agency's Web site.

*Texas produces the most wind power of any state and the number of wind farms is expected to increase dramatically as new transmission lines are built to transfer power from the western half of the state to more populated areas in the north.*

Earlier on Tuesday, grid problems led to a blackout in Florida that cut power to about 1 million electric customers across that state for as much as four hours.

http://www.reuters.com/article/dome...Type=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=22&sp=true


----------



## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

Interesting article! Funny thing that electricity is a fairly recent convenience for man, but now we can't do without it. I know some people , and hostpitals really do need the power to live, but most of us? 
Perhaps a little more electrical knowledge, and self sufficiency should be an option in the public school system. When we graduate school, we know nothing of our basic survival skills, and nowadays parents don't know it either to teach their children. 
Yes I like my power as much as the next person, but am prepared to make my own.


----------



## Explorer (Dec 2, 2003)

I agree completely. However, in my case I find it easier to do without power than produce my own.

I am currently installing a 340 watt solar power system (probably because I am getting old and lazy). I have lived all over the world with minimum or no power without any big problems. About ten years ago I spent about four months in the wilderness of Idaho living off the land with minimum imported supplies and no electricity. Wonderful memories.


----------



## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

That had to have been nice in Idaho, I've always wanted to do something like that, but never have. Maybe someday.


----------



## Sand Flat Bob (Feb 1, 2007)

I live in Texas and follow all the politics of the Electric Power Utilities. I do not believe anything put out by ERCOT. There is a big battle against wind power by all the Utilities who want to build Coal and Nuck. plants. The Utilities load up the utility transmission lines from the wind farms in West Texas to create a lot of false shortages of wind power.
So just because it makes big headlines, it may not be true.

Bob


----------



## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

What? Scamming by the power companies?

Nooooooo!!!!!

We are still looking for the billions stolen by them in Calif,the famous missing 10 BILLION budget surplus thats been a deficit ever since!Seems there was a little 'power shortage ' here too.That wasnt exactly real.


----------



## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

So Ma Nature lets the wind subside for a bit . . . .
Now Big headlines................WOW

Did you see those same headlines when the coal plant had a hickup..................????

Yup . . .keep on demanding - more - MORE - electric.


----------



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

We need to start investing in more efficiency. This is the summer when I'm going to work on that at my house. I'll take the check Congress is sending and spend it on insulation and/or windows.


----------

