In a December 29, 2019 post (scroll back if you like) I was commenting on the Michael Bloomberg proposed energy plan which was calling for shutting down our fossil generating facilities and replacing them with green energy sources, mainly wind and solar. I also referred to AOC’s fear mongering about the world coming to an end in 10 to 12 years if we did not heed the warnings and take actions such as what Bloomberg was proposing. Finally, I quipped if we were to do what Bloomberg was proposing, millions of Americans would be “freezing in the dark” when AOC’s projected end came.
In considering what is going on in Texas right now because of a severe cold snap, I take no joy in suggesting that my post may have been somewhat prescient. People, in fact, are freezing in the dark! Yes, there are a number of reasons for that. It is true that all sources of energy in Texas were impacted in some way by the cold because a 100-year weather event was not fully factored into the designs. It is Texas after all, so probably somewhat justifiable. However; it cannot be disputed that one of the largest contributors to this horrible situation is the fact that wind and solar in Texas was all but shut down because of frozen wind turbines and snow and ice covered solar panels. One of the criticisms I have had about wind and solar is that these sources are intermittent and unreliable, at best, and in the worst case nonexistent during certain times when they are needed the most. The conditions in Texas make it abundantly clear that severe weather also needs to be a variable in the unreliability equation.
Another dynamic at play here, driven by opponents of fossil fuels and supporters of “all or nothing” renewables policies, is the prior shuttering of some Texas coal plants and cancellation of planned gas facilities. These actions undoubtedly helped skew fuel source diversity toward renewables and also had an impact on the reserve margin. When wind turbines were grinding to a halt and solar panels were accumulating ice and snow, there clearly was not enough reserve from other sources to cover the deficit. An objective of NewEnergy2040 has always been diversity of energy sources and that has not changed. But the events in Texas are a real life example of why we cannot put all of our energy eggs in a renewables only basket as proponents would suggest. Bad energy policy, to put it lightly!