Comments on: Wildcatting the Wind in Texas http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:05:30 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: King Forex http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-38315 King Forex Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:13:08 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-38315 Very nice blog, I agree with most of what you are saying here <a href="http://www.how-to-build-a-windmill.com" rel="nofollow">How To Build A Windmill</a>. Very nice blog, I agree with most of what you are saying here How To Build A Windmill.

]]> By: David B. Benson http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8945 David B. Benson Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:37:35 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8945 Regionally the goal is to suppliment wind power with some solar capacity (at the base of the wind generator towers) to provide some capacity for the hottest and also coldest days (when the wind does not blow). Regionally the goal is to suppliment wind power with some solar capacity (at the base of the wind generator towers) to provide some capacity for the hottest and also coldest days (when the wind does not blow).

]]> By: Charles Barton http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8941 Charles Barton Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:15:50 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8941 Ed, The Danes have used up all their best wind locations, Their capacity factor is already down to 18% and will drop further with added generators. Meantime the price of new wind installations had doubled in Europe during the last four years. The real price of offshore wind installations is now running at above $10,000 per MW. At that price even French reactors are cheaper. If you throw in an analysis of cost by capacity factor, Danish of shore wind is going to cost $50,000 for each MW of generating capacity it will ad to the grid, That is at least 5 time the cost of adding generation capacity via reactors. You did describe the interconnection of the Texas grid as an issue. In fact Texas is connected to other grids, it just does not import or export power to any significant extent. And while Texas has considerable wind generation potential, the staff of ERCOT noted that on some hot summer days, wind generation in Texas simply stops. Thus no matter how much wind generation capacity is added in Texas, ERCOT can expect only 2% of electrical requirements to come from wind during periods of peek electrical demand. Given the requirements of the ERCOT system, it would be far cheaper to build nuclear power plants, if our goal is to eliminate CO2 emitting power plants. Not only is wind more expensive, it is far less reliable. Necessitating replication of generating capacity with CO2 emitting power plants. Ed, The Danes have used up all their best wind locations, Their capacity factor is already down to 18% and will drop further with added generators. Meantime the price of new wind installations had doubled in Europe during the last four years. The real price of offshore wind installations is now running at above $10,000 per MW. At that price even French reactors are cheaper. If you throw in an analysis of cost by capacity factor, Danish of shore wind is going to cost $50,000 for each MW of generating capacity it will ad to the grid, That is at least 5 time the cost of adding generation capacity via reactors.

You did describe the interconnection of the Texas grid as an issue. In fact Texas is connected to other grids, it just does not import or export power to any significant extent.

And while Texas has considerable wind generation potential, the staff of ERCOT noted that on some hot summer days, wind generation in Texas simply stops.

Thus no matter how much wind generation capacity is added in Texas, ERCOT can expect only 2% of electrical requirements to come from wind during periods of peek electrical demand. Given the requirements of the ERCOT system, it would be far cheaper to build nuclear power plants, if our goal is to eliminate CO2 emitting power plants. Not only is wind more expensive, it is far less reliable. Necessitating replication of generating capacity with CO2 emitting power plants.

]]> By: Paul K http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8938 Paul K Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:06:11 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8938 What is the optimum energy mix in 2050? Will fossil fuels and nuclear contribute 30 - 40%. If transportation goes EV, demand for electricity will skyrocket. What is the optimum energy mix in 2050? Will fossil fuels and nuclear contribute 30 – 40%. If transportation goes EV, demand for electricity will skyrocket.

]]> By: Earl Killian http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8937 Earl Killian Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:24:49 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8937 I don't know specifically about the Texas winds, but many of the same complaints are made in general, and despite that we have little Denmark getting 20% of its electricity from wind and heading to 50% by 2025. I add "little" here because geographic diversity is helpful in making wind more reliable. Denmark gets a small bit of geographic diversity (hardly Texas size) by connecting to Sweden, Norway, and Finland, (NORDEL) and Germany. Please note that I did not suggest interconnection to increase the reliability of the Texas grid, so pretending I did and then knocking that isn't fair. Nor did I suggest that it be paid for by Texas rate payers. Texas has 127,787 MW of CSP potential rated "premium", "excellent", or "good" by NREL. CSP is an excellent complement to wind. For comparison, a 2010 projection for Texas peak demand is 80,000 MW. I don’t know specifically about the Texas winds, but many of the same complaints are made in general, and despite that we have little Denmark getting 20% of its electricity from wind and heading to 50% by 2025. I add “little” here because geographic diversity is helpful in making wind more reliable. Denmark gets a small bit of geographic diversity (hardly Texas size) by connecting to Sweden, Norway, and Finland, (NORDEL) and Germany.

Please note that I did not suggest interconnection to increase the reliability of the Texas grid, so pretending I did and then knocking that isn’t fair. Nor did I suggest that it be paid for by Texas rate payers.

Texas has 127,787 MW of CSP potential rated “premium”, “excellent”, or “good” by NREL. CSP is an excellent complement to wind. For comparison, a 2010 projection for Texas peak demand is 80,000 MW.

]]> By: Charles Barton http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8935 Charles Barton Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:23:41 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8935 Earl you should ask T. Boone Pickens to pay you for your support. The Texas grid is stable, and texas has enough peak generating capacity to take care of needs. Wh have not had system wide blackouts, or rolling blackouts, so interconnection with the rest of the country would not make our system reliability. Texas utilities are beginning to replace fossil fuel technology with reliable nuclear plants. Texas wind generators tend to produce power when it is not needed, and not produce it when it is needed.. Wind speed drops all over Texas, during the summer. During Summer days it drop even more. The Texas wind capacity factor during the summer is under 17%,, but at mid day during July and August is is significantly lower. Mid-day is when people start turning on their air-conditioners. In Texas the unreliability of wind generated electricity is used to argue the case of who want to keep fossil fuel plants running for a long time to come. The wind generation people are in cahoots with the coal interests. Interconnection would not then benefit Texas rate payers. It would be in the interest of wealthy investors like oil man T. Boone Pickens, who would love to be able to export his unneeded wind generated electricity out of state on connections paid for by Texas rate payers. Let Pickens pay for the wires he uses to export electricity, not me. Earl you should ask T. Boone Pickens to pay you for your support. The Texas grid is stable, and texas has enough peak generating capacity to take care of needs. Wh have not had system wide blackouts, or rolling blackouts, so interconnection with the rest of the country would not make our system reliability. Texas utilities are beginning to replace fossil fuel technology with reliable nuclear plants.

Texas wind generators tend to produce power when it is not needed, and not produce it when it is needed.. Wind speed drops all over Texas, during the summer. During Summer days it drop even more. The Texas wind capacity factor during the summer is under 17%,, but at mid day during July and August is is significantly lower. Mid-day is when people start turning on their air-conditioners. In Texas the unreliability of wind generated electricity is used to argue the case of who want to keep fossil fuel plants running for a long time to come. The wind generation people are in cahoots with the coal interests.

Interconnection would not then benefit Texas rate payers. It would be in the interest of wealthy investors like oil man T. Boone Pickens, who would love to be able to export his unneeded wind generated electricity out of state on connections paid for by Texas rate payers. Let Pickens pay for the wires he uses to export electricity, not me.

]]> By: Earl Killian http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8932 Earl Killian Tue, 26 Feb 2008 01:50:33 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2008/02/25/wildcatting-the-wind-in-texas/#comment-8932 Texas has a lot of wind. One issue is that the Texas electric grid is almost unconnected to the rest of the U.S. That makes it difficult for it to export its wind energy, or to import other renewable energy from other states. Texas has a lot of wind. One issue is that the Texas electric grid is almost unconnected to the rest of the U.S. That makes it difficult for it to export its wind energy, or to import other renewable energy from other states.

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