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From: Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: (ReacTor) Five SFF Books Featuring Frigid, Icy Worlds
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2024 20:56:16 -0500
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On 7/22/2024 7:05 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>> On 7/19/2024 11:38 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>>> Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>>>> On 7/18/2024 7:49 PM, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> We (ERCOT) were pulling 600 MW off the eastern grid today after the
>>>> solar power plants stopped making power between 6pm and 8pm.
>>>
>>> In california, we export (and store in batteries) energy during the
>>> day, then draw down the batteries (and import a bit) during the evening
>>> hours.  During the day, about half of our electricity comes from solar.
>>>
>>> It's been great - during the 9 day heat wave (100teens every day
>>> in much of the state) last week, we still had
>>> a surplus generation capacity of about 11Gw every day.  Much
>>> of what we import at night comes from northwest hydro.
>>>
>>> As I type this, the state demand is 32,007 mw, solar provides
>>> 18,309 mw, CH4 provides 8,024mw, and 4,851 mw is being used to
>>> charge batteries for this evening and we're importing 2028 mw.
>>>
>>> Current capacity is 55,514mw and today's forecast peak is 41,467mw.
>>>
>>> Valley temperatures will be in the 100's today from the grapevine
>>> to Mt. Shasta.
>>
>> Texas is about 3X all of that.  Peak load is over 100,000 MW when you
>> count the refineries and chemical plants who make their own power and
>> sell the excess to the grid (ERCOT).  ERCOT current capacity is over
>> 150,000 MW and will be over 160,000 MW by the end of this year.
>>
>> And Texas has 7,849 MW of batteries and will be 10,000 MW by the end of
>> the year.  People are buying cheap wind turbine power from midnight to 6
>> am and reselling it to the grid at 6pm when the solar fails and people
>> are getting home from work.
> 
> California's population is 130% of Texas, so the usage per-capita
> is significantly less than Texas (like 70% less).  In part due to the last two decades
> of state support for energy efficient lighting, heating, stringent
> building codes emphasizing energy efficiency and computer data
> centers (e.g. EnergyStar).

Texas is far more industrialized than California.  About a 1/4 (maybe 
1/3rd now with eight more refineries closing in the last couple of 
years) of gasoline and diesel in the USA are made in Texas.  Half of the 
LNG for resale outside of the USA is made in Texas.  Half of the plastic 
pellets in the world are made in Texas.  Much wallboard, wood, etc is 
made here.  All of the industry uses quite a bit of electric power.

And then there is the very warm climate compared to California's 
moderate climate for most of its citizens who live along the coast.  Air 
conditioning and heating (yes, Texas has much electric winter heating) 
are very prevalent here.  I have seen it 113 F (1999) and 6 F (1983) 
here on the Gulf Coast.  North and Central Texas have much more extremes.

And much of California's industry is moving to Texas due to the business 
friendly governments and cheaper utility costs.  Tesla and X just 
announced their plans to move but hundreds have already left.

Like other landlords, I have changed out the incandescent and metal 
halide lighting for LED lighting now in my commercial buildings.  It 
just makes too much sense to reduce the electric and heat load on the 
buildings.  Changing those 1,000 watt metal halide fixtures for 200 watt 
LED fixtures was a pain but my tenants really enjoy the lower electric 
bills and the instant on lights, the ten minute wait was dangerous.

Lynn