Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened? • Hacker News Board

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#31

Post by loupol » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:42 PM UTC

scientifik wrote: post #17

gcr wrote: post #9

The article states that the sharp drop in reserves was being “investigated,” and that it is “suspected” that a large power plant stopped working. Is observability of Texan infrastructure so poor that the _power company_ doesn’t have a comprehensive view of _which power plants are operational_?

It sounds like they're dancing around what may be a social issue; ERCOT sent an email asking people to "conserve", within 30 minutes they saw a negative impact. Is it possible some recipients saw the email and took the complete opposite action?

It wouldn't surprise me if after an email telling them to lower their consumption, consumers would anticipate the worst and instead decide to recharge any electrical appliances reliant on batteries (Power banks, EVs, etc...) "just in case".

Bank/toilet paper rush style.

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#32

Post by floatrock » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:42 PM UTC

gustavus wrote: post #2

So Texas almost got close to a blackout in the last 2 years? Is this newsworthy, are we reporting on things that almost happened?

Yes, lets keep news coverage focused only on disasters after they've happened.

Let's keep our heads down in the sand when the cracks are starting to show and when there still might be time to adapt to what's going on before the disaster strikes.

Nothing happened, so nothing to see here. Everything is working perfectly, move along.

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#33

Post by print_goto_ten » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:43 PM UTC

scientifik wrote: post #17

gcr wrote: post #9

The article states that the sharp drop in reserves was being “investigated,” and that it is “suspected” that a large power plant stopped working. Is observability of Texan infrastructure so poor that the _power company_ doesn’t have a comprehensive view of _which power plants are operational_?

It sounds like they're dancing around what may be a social issue; ERCOT sent an email asking people to "conserve", within 30 minutes they saw a negative impact. Is it possible some recipients saw the email and took the complete opposite action?

Texans like their guns and demand freedom so probably.

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#34

Post by hardware2win » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:44 PM UTC

wombat-man wrote: post #15

gray_-_wolf wrote: post #4

> Some of these tactics have proven controversial with consumers. One program that pays big power users like cryptocurrency operations millions to conserve, has come under particular scrutiny, as Texans have been asked to conserve voluntarily for months. This is... amazing. Not in a good way.

Maybe they can just price electricity at different tiers of use. Or home vs business rates. Charge crypto farms more, especially if the grid is struggling.

Wat? There isnt already such a thing?

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#35

Post by runnerup » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:45 PM UTC

wombat-man wrote: post #15

gray_-_wolf wrote: post #4

> Some of these tactics have proven controversial with consumers. One program that pays big power users like cryptocurrency operations millions to conserve, has come under particular scrutiny, as Texans have been asked to conserve voluntarily for months. This is... amazing. Not in a good way.

Maybe they can just price electricity at different tiers of use. Or home vs business rates. Charge crypto farms more, especially if the grid is struggling.

Texas’ strategy is to encourage additional growth in the crypto mining sector because ostensibly they use a lot of power during off-peak days/hours which supports capital payback but also is flexible enough to turn off their load when the grid production is over stressed, so they theoretically won’t contribute to blackouts.

Not sure if this thinking is fully correct, but on its face it’s at minimum not completely absurd.

Also I think some of the Texas leadership is financially or emotionally invested in cryptocurrency.

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#36

Post by Justsignedup » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:45 PM UTC

Tagbert wrote: post #30

scientifik wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like they're dancing around what may be a social issue; ERCOT sent an email asking people to "conserve", within 30 minutes they saw a negative impact. Is it possible some recipients saw the email and took the complete opposite action?

something something ... cold dead hands?

[flagged]

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#37

Post by euroderf » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:45 PM UTC

probablyexists wrote: post #3

Don't worry, Texas is just helping the crypto miners rather than their citizens again. "The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) paid a bitcoin miner $31.7 million in energy credits in August to not mine bitcoin. During the August heat wave, ERCOT issued eight calls for voluntary energy conservation. People were asked to adjust home thermostats or delay doing laundry during the energy call."

You too can smelt bauxite at home !

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#38

Post by Clent » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:45 PM UTC

gcr wrote: post #9

The article states that the sharp drop in reserves was being “investigated,” and that it is “suspected” that a large power plant stopped working. Is observability of Texan infrastructure so poor that the _power company_ doesn’t have a comprehensive view of _which power plants are operational_?

From how the headline was worded, I was expecting an interesting answer explaining the 'why' but the article is focused on grid stability with the headline's answer being "dunno, maybe because it was hot" -- except the article implies this was not a single hot day but part of a larger trend.

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#39

Post by outside1234 » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:45 PM UTC

actionfromafar wrote: post #19

outside1234 wrote: post #6

If only they had interconnect with other states for backup power...

I actually think it’s the only somewhat good thing about Texas’ grid. What better way to ensure Island configuration works than running that mode all the time?

I mean I guess - but there is no getting around that it concentrates risk...

Re: Texas just got closer to blackouts than it has since 2021. What happened?

#40

Post by one_level_deep2 » Thu, Sep 07, 2023, 2:45 PM UTC

wombat-man wrote: post #15

gray_-_wolf wrote: post #4

> Some of these tactics have proven controversial with consumers. One program that pays big power users like cryptocurrency operations millions to conserve, has come under particular scrutiny, as Texans have been asked to conserve voluntarily for months. This is... amazing. Not in a good way.

Maybe they can just price electricity at different tiers of use. Or home vs business rates. Charge crypto farms more, especially if the grid is struggling.

That would require admitting that the free market can't solve the problem, and likely makes it worse.