Prediction: Coal has fallen. Nuclear is next then Oil.

[SageBrush]

In what fashion does the Texas grid need to change in order match that of the West?

Phase
I'll guess that is the Texas technical solution to being being isolated in order to not come under FERC jurisdiction.

Interestingly enough, Texas does have a couple connections to the Eastern grid and one to Mexico, used by Texas when it faces blackouts. That is the Texas version of 'independence.' The phase differences can be resolved at a cost.

 

[iPlug]

Electric generators (power plants) within each of the regional interconnections operate in sync with each other (same frequency and phase) — this is critical to maintain reliability of each interconnection. An effort was made decades ago to connect the Eastern and Western Interconnections but failed as the frequencies on each side did not match. The mammoth systems were simply too large and had too much inertia to be synchronous.​

https://www.nmppenergy.org/nmpp/new...es-serve-critical-role-in-connecting-the-grid

...DC ties, which allowed the east and west grids to connect with a limited amount of power being able to flow back and forth across the two systems. The DC ties act as a sort of ultra high-tech “shock-absorber” between the two systems...

...With aging electric assets and an evolving energy mix that includes increasing amounts of renewable energy and natural gas, efforts are under way to look at enhancing and modernizing the interconnectedness of the separate systems as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s overall Grid Modernization Initiative...​

 

[eevee-fan]

How to Halve the Cost of Residential Solar in the US

"The reason for this is startlingly simple: American consumers are being charged over two times more for solar than is the average consumer overseas. That’s USD $10,000 more for a typical 5-kilowatt residential solar system. The panels are the same -- so what on earth is going on?

The answer: red tape."

 

[Anubis]

NSW plan for 21 coalmines would create seven years of nation's emissions, expert says

This is very disturbing, I guess would do anything for the money.

They're billing it as a jobs program and it will generate lots of revenue.
No concern for the environment.

And no accounting for the pollution bill

This is very disturbing, I guess would do anything for the money.

No excuses, but the NSW government is also supporting renewables...

https://reneweconomy.com.au/nsw-first-renewable-zone-attracts-stunning-27gw-of-solar-wind-storage-proposals-82163/

Second Renewable Energy Zone for NSW | Energy Magazine

 

[dgpcolorado]

I think the cry is "Anchors away !!"

Isn't that "Anchors Aweigh"?

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Isn't that "Anchors Aweigh"?

Yes. Specifically aweigh means that the anchor has been lifted clear of the sea bed. Weigh here uses the original meaning of lift.

 

[mspohr]

No excuses, but the NSW government is also supporting renewables...
https://reneweconomy.com.au/nsw-fir...g-27gw-of-solar-wind-storage-proposals-82163/
NSW first renewable zone attracts stunning 27GW of solar, wind, storage proposals | RenewEconomy

Second Renewable Energy Zone for NSW | Energy Magazine

You're right. That's not an excuse.

 

[eevee-fan]

Maybe we need to fill the Gulf with these new wind power machines and suck the life out of hurricanes.

Climate Crisis Weekly: Why Hurricane Laura's wind doubled fast - Electrek

Gulf of Mexico Wind Speed and Direction Forecast

Convert knots to mph - Conversion of Measurement Units

 

[eevee-fan]

For those complaining about being paid wholesale rate for your solar rooftop exports... I guess it could be worse.

Smart Export

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

For those complaining about being paid wholesale rate for your solar rooftop exports... I guess it could be worse.

Smart Export

A couple of years ago there was an agreement in Hawaii related to this.
Under the new rules there were 2 ways to go:
1) Net metering, which was capacity-limited
2) No net metering, which was not capacity-limited

The change was intended to make it faster to deploy PV+battery.

 

[mspohr]

Big Oil Is in Trouble. Its Plan: Flood Africa With Plastic.

Faced with plunging profits and a climate crisis that threatens fossil fuels, the industry is demanding a trade deal that weakens Kenya’s rules on plastics and on imports of American trash.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Big Oil Is in Trouble. Its Plan: Flood Africa With Plastic.

Faced with plunging profits and a climate crisis that threatens fossil fuels, the industry is demanding a trade deal that weakens Kenya’s rules on plastics and on imports of American trash.

This would be happening no matter the current economic position of oil.
A new trade deal is always the time for business to lobby against existing environmental and health protections.
The UK is negotiating with the USA and the USA wants, among others things, to be able to sell meat that is illegal under existing UK law.

 

[mspohr]

Influx of renewables sees coal power plants run well below capacity, increasing chance of closures

Coal power plants in New South Wales are running less than 60% of the time due to an influx of renewable energy, increasing the likelihood some could become economically unviable and close earlier than planned.

he Australian Energy Market Operator this year found solar and wind were the cheapest forms of new electricity generation, and that the national grid had the technical capacity to run on at least 75% renewable energy and could at peak times reach this level by 2025.

 

[mspohr]

 

[S'toon]

New research suggests that power companies are dragging their feet when it comes to embracing green energy sources such as wind and solar.

Only one in 10 energy suppliers globally has prioritised renewables over fossil fuels, the study finds.

Even those that are spending on greener energy are continuing to invest in carbon heavy coal and natural gas.

The lead researcher says the slow uptake undermines global efforts to tackle climate change.

<snip>

But while green energy has boomed around the world in recent years, many of the new wind and solar power installations have been built by independent producers.

Large scale utility companies, including many state and city owned enterprises, have been much slower to go green, according to this new study.

The research looked at more than 3,000 electricity companies worldwide and used machine learning techniques to analyse their activities over the past two decades.

The study found that only 10% of the companies had expanded their renewable-based power generation more quickly than their gas or coal fired capacity.

Of this small proportion that spent more on renewables, many continued to invest in fossil fuels, although at a lower rate.

The vast majority of companies, according to the author, have just sat on the fence.

<snip>
Full article at:
Power companies 'hindering' move to green energy

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

New research suggests that power companies are dragging their feet when it comes to embracing green energy sources such as wind and solar.

Only one in 10 energy suppliers globally has prioritised renewables over fossil fuels, the study finds.

Even those that are spending on greener energy are continuing to invest in carbon heavy coal and natural gas.

The lead researcher says the slow uptake undermines global efforts to tackle climate change.

<snip>

But while green energy has boomed around the world in recent years, many of the new wind and solar power installations have been built by independent producers.

Large scale utility companies, including many state and city owned enterprises, have been much slower to go green, according to this new study.

The research looked at more than 3,000 electricity companies worldwide and used machine learning techniques to analyse their activities over the past two decades.

The study found that only 10% of the companies had expanded their renewable-based power generation more quickly than their gas or coal fired capacity.

Of this small proportion that spent more on renewables, many continued to invest in fossil fuels, although at a lower rate.

The vast majority of companies, according to the author, have just sat on the fence.

<snip>
Full article at:
Power companies 'hindering' move to green energy

Summary says "systematically quantifying the transitions of over 3,000 utilities worldwide from fossil-fuelled capacity to renewables over the past two decades". Two decades is a long time in renewables.

 

[TheTalkingMule]

US coal production for the week ending Aug 29th was down 26.7% from a year ago. Lol!

 

[eevee-fan]

US coal production for the week ending Aug 29th was down 26.7% from a year ago. Lol!

Wonder how the many new coal products are doing...

Amazon.com : charcoal toothpaste

 

[juliusa]

Looks like coal may not be so dead - eia forecasting 20% increase in 2021.

Short-Term Energy Outlook - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

 

[nwdiver]

Looks like coal may not be so dead - eia forecasting 20% increase in 2021.

Short-Term Energy Outlook - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

EIA = LOL

I'm just glad the EIA doesn't run the NHC. Can you imagine?

'Rain is expected in the outer banks this weekend as Hurricane Laura churns offshore before heading out to sea' ; 'I'm now getting word that Laura actually made Landfall near the TX border 3 weeks ago'