Energy issues/costs possible blackouts

[Shockm]

https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/19/repo...s-this-summer/

Kansas at elevated risk of blackouts this summer

Blackouts and tremendous elevation of energy costs happened during February. Be prepared for summer blackouts, and costs.

Coal as an alternative source of energy to use when necessary is going away totally because of Biden's policies and is contributing in this problem in the midwest along with other problems.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

https://www.wibw.com/2022/05/19/repo...s-this-summer/

Kansas at elevated risk of blackouts this summer

Blackouts and tremendous elevation of energy costs happened during February. Be prepared for summer blackouts, and costs.

Coal as an alternative source of energy to use when necessary is going away totally because of Biden's policies and is contributing in this problem in the midwest along with other problems.

If it's anything like out here in CA, they use this as a scare tactic. They literally tell us every summer to be prepared for rolling blackouts nonstop and I haven't experienced a single one in 12 years.

[SubGod22]

If it's anything like out here in CA, they use this as a scare tactic. They literally tell us every summer to be prepared for rolling blackouts nonstop and I haven't experienced a single one in 12 years.

They've used similar threats here. Certain thermostats connected to whatever system they threaten that they have the ability to turn them off during the day, when you're generally at work, so they can conserve energy. I believe they've had "opt out" options for those that worked in child care or something, but if I ever found out that they'd done something like that and my dogs were stuck in a house that was going to get uncomfortably hot for them I'd be irate. Lucky for me, my AC hasn't worked for a couple of years but I've never heard anyone complain that it's actually happened to them.

And hell, at least five times a year my power goes out in non-storm related issues. So they do already have certain problems. I know my town lost power a few weeks ago due to a lightning strike on a transformer, but then a week later, with no weather issues at all, a section of town that I lived in was without power for three or so hours before it was able to be fixed. Maybe they're just testing us. Or maybe they don't have the capacity they need to keep things moving smoothly. Either way, if they're having equipment failures for non-weather related events often enough, there are issues.

[Shockm]

If it's anything like out here in CA, they use this as a scare tactic. They literally tell us every summer to be prepared for rolling blackouts nonstop and I haven't experienced a single one in 12 years.

We didn't lose power where I live (a small number of Wichitan's did lost heat throughout a frigid night, and I'm sure used a lot of blankets) either, but some did.

Not just a threat. It cost lot's of money. This is a Wichita Eagle article regarding what happened in Kansas this past February. The costs were high, some small towns had to pay more than their citizens could afford, and everyone ended up paying for the problem. I believe that Wichita energy consumers are paying their huge bill over the next 10 years. That is ok if it doesn't happen 2-3 times a year, with energy costs being spread out over a period of time. I'm not sure what resulted in Augusta, and Sub should be able to tell us if their bills increased.

https://www.kansas.com/news/state/article249618568.html

Six days of frozen weather likely to cost Kansans billions on future energy bills

Evergy, the regional electric utility straddling the Kansas/Missouri border, purchased about $300 million extra in power during the cold spell, the report said. As with the gas companies, it hasn’t been determined how much of the extra cost will be borne by Kansas consumers and how much by Missourians. In the KCC report, the staff is asking the commission to open seven separate, company-specific investigations into how we got here and how to sort out the costs going forward. The request includes Kansas Gas, Black Hills and Evergy, which all serve customers in the Wichita area. Also, the KCC staff is seeking investigations of Atmos, which serves the Kansas City suburbs and other, more sparsely populated regions across the state; Liberty Empire Electric in southeast Kansas, Southern Pioneer Electric in western Kansas and American Energies Gas Service in McPherson County. The new report outlines some of the factors that contributed to the unprecedented price spikes that took place in February, including “record demand” as subzero and freezing temperatures spread from the Dakotas to south Texas, and supplies that dropped by as much as 45 percent as Texas gas wellheads froze. Gas that usually sells for about $3 per million British Thermal Units sold for as much as $1,000 per mmBTU, the report said. The price for a megawatt-hour of electricity averaged $17.81 in 2020; at the height of the cold spell it reached an all-time high of $4,274 per MWh, the report said.

Read more at: https://www.kansas.com/news/state/ar...#storylink=cpy

[ShockerPrez]

If only we had a fairly reliable source of energy in plenty of supply here in America we could extract. Sucks that we don't have natural resources of our own, but thems the breaks, right?

[SB Shock]

There was a report done this year on energy risk for this summer. The upper mid-west was at the highest risk of blackouts. Guess what they did in Michigan - they shut down a nuclear power plant. Report is at the below link.

2022 SRA Draft (nerc.com)

Kansas is in elevated risk

The two areas at high risk is MISO which is upper Midwest (Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, etc) then Louisiana (which seems to be tied with MISO).

Everybody west of the line from Texas/OK/Neb are in elevated. I expected California to be at higher risk, but they are just elevated.

[SHOCKvalue]

I know one thing is for sure... since various parts of the country are struggling with blackouts due to alternative forms of energy generation (which not only looks to continue, but to expand), the BEST thing to do moving forward is to convert the driving public from gas cars to electric cars. Right now! Frankly, I can't think of a better idea at the moment, off the top of my head.

Sincerely,
Progressive Common Sense

[WuDrWu]

Jennifer Granholm, Energy Secretary, on CNN this morning was embarrassing.

She suggested, nay demanded, oil companies and producers "do their part" and drill 5000 wells (or some random number) to ease the burden on Americans.

The CNN host/clown (can't remember his name) really jumped her and asked "Are you telling me that your Administration wants all that extra production five years from now (obviously reminding her that we're going to be green or dead by then)?"

Her response was comical. Well of course not then, but we're talking about now when we need it.


Sure, no problem Jen. A well can easily cost $5-$10 million to drill and pump without a nickel of revenue. Then we'll just shut down when it gets too fossily for you. Because you know, 3 years ago it was SO profitable for oil producers. They don't deserve to make any profit and should "pay their fair share" (which I promise you no one in DC has a clue how much tax revenue comes from the oil industry, or how many different ways the industry is taxed.



Maybe just not do 50 things to drive up the price in the first place? Crazy idea I know.

Clueless clownshow.