Evergy Announces Emergency Rolling Blackouts

[shocktown]

This has been building quietly to California style electricity sourcing since 2009. Ever****ngy didn’t want to PAY for high dollar natural gas the last couple days on the open market.

in the last decade they have slowly been switching to green and less expensive methods of producing electricity supposedly. Wind farms primarily. Well, in the last week the blades covered with ice have the brakes on. Where do you go for power production? If Evergy didn’t decommission natural gas fired Gordon Evans and Murray Gill plants in the last number of years they would have been buying reasonably priced gas contracts to power those facilities. But nooo! Now they’re out on the market paying for very expensive electricity, supply and demand and they didn’t have the forethought to have a contingency plan.

Thankfully we didn’t pay for a Solyndra...oh wait, we did!

[SB Shock]

When everybody’s lights are off except the heat? That makes little sense.

RDR got a clarification. The rolling blackout are only suppose to occur during the daylight. Any electricity loss overnight will because of local infrastructure failing. Hopefully the rolling blackout won't be needed tomorrow as some companies like Textron Aviation is closing it plants tomorrow to help conserve electricity.

[Kung Wu]

Any electricity loss overnight will because of local infrastructure failing.

I just KNEW the car battery acid would freeze in these temperatures!

[WuDrWu]

When I first heard of this, I thought for SURE it was a mistake, hack or prank. Like Kung Wu said, they're about to get their asses sued off.

When it was reported on every news site, I figured it was true, but started thinking about it.


There's literally NO way the demand is anywhere near peak summer demand. First, 75%+ are heated by gas in these parts, not electricity, Second, the demand even electrically generated heat creates absolutely pales in comparison to A/Cs running non stop in the summer. Not even close.

So what's the deal? shocktown provides the answer. The energy is there, they just didn't want to pay for it. They gambled (to some extent) and lost this time.

And while the threat was real, it WAS somewhat of a warning shot. Cut your usage or else. My guess is that it worked to some extent. Only about 60K customers were affected and only over a few hours. Yet, the threat/warning remains, for at least a couple more days (likely until the turbines start cranking again, their power, I'm guessing, bridges that gap).

I would suspect some questions will be asked of Evergy at some point soon.

[SB Shock]

Evergy is now at 95,000+ without power at 8:33 Primary focused in the KC area. It has been increasing by 30,000 per hour.

[C0|dB|00ded]

There's literally NO way the demand is anywhere near peak summer demand. First, 75%+ are heated by gas in these parts, not electricity, Second, the demand even electrically generated heat creates absolutely pales in comparison to A/Cs running non stop in the summer. Not even close.

Many people will be using emergency heat during these coldest periods and that will use more electricity than any other time of the year.

[Kung Wu]

Evergy is now at 95,000+ without power at 8:33 Primary focused in the KC area. It has been increasing by 30,000 per hour.

Unplanned is what they are saying. Affecting Olathe for sure.

[wichshock65]

Many people will be using emergency heat during these coldest periods and that will use more electricity than any other time of the year.

Emergency heat is only for those using heat pumps, which stop working effectively long before we get this cold. Unless you are calling the use of space heaters emergency heat. As Doc already said, most all use gas for heat in kansas. No way I believe we use more electricity now than that used during 100 degree summer days.

[ABC]

It isn't just wind turbines freezing up. The wind has not been blowing much in the last week (thank goodness). Also, there are some piles of coal that have frozen and can't be scooped up into the furnace.

There are also places in Kansas and others that have had some issues with gas going through pipelines that have something to do with even more extreme weather further north of us.

[C0|dB|00ded]

Emergency heat is only for those using heat pumps, which stop working effectively long before we get this cold. Unless you are calling the use of space heaters emergency heat. As Doc already said, most all use gas for heat in kansas. No way I believe we use more electricity now than that used during 100 degree summer days.

Yes, heat pumps. Many people have them and they still work now, but it goes back and forth.

Normal space heaters use around 1,500 watts. A heat pump on emergency heat is 10x that.

Of course those with dual systems don't have to run on emergency mode.

[wufan]

My wife is working at the hospital on KCK right now, and they had a brief power outage this morning.

[Shockm]

Heat pumps, 30 years ago were supposed to be Saviors to energy problems and tons of government money (tax breaks, etc. ) spent on them.

[C0|dB|00ded]

Heat pumps, 30 years ago were supposed to be Saviors to energy problems and tons of government money (tax breaks, etc. ) spent on them.

On average they are extremely efficient. Only during the coldest days do they give back some of that efficiency. Having a back up gas furnace for days like these is the best of all worlds.

[Shockm]

I’m don’t install furnaces, but my understanding is that heat pumps are rarely installed now. In fact, the installer I talked to said they were trash.

[shock]

I just KNEW the car battery acid would freeze in these temperatures!

It doesn’t.