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| AP Photo/David J. Phillip |
A rare winter storm knocked out nearly half of the wind-powered generating capacity in Texas this week, as freezing wind and ice storms rendered the state’s wind turbines inoperable.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) asked the state’s residents to limit their electricity use, to help lower the stress on the compromised electrical grid.
“We are experiencing record-breaking electric demand due to the extreme cold temperatures that have gripped Texas,” ERCOT President and CEO Bill Magness said in a press release. “At the same time, we are dealing with higher-than-normal generation outages due to frozen wind turbines and limited natural gas supplies available to generating units. We are asking Texans to take some simple, safe steps to lower their energy use during this time.”
In 2019, wind power surpassed coal for the first time in the state’s history, representing 22% of Texas’ electrical needs. Natural gas still accounts for the largest share of the Lone Star State’s energy mix, generating 46% of its power, according to CNN. --->READ MORE HERE
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| Paul Harris/Getty Images |
Millions are without power in Texas after a historic winter storm blasted the state over the weekend, creating freezing conditions that have made the roads dangerous and knocking out nearly half of Texas' installed wind power generation.
Texas grid operators who spoke to the Austin American-Statesman said freezing rain and historically low temperatures caused wind turbines in West Texas to freeze to a halt, knocking out some 12,000 megawatts of energy production. Wind farms in Texas typically generate up to 25,100 megawatts of energy, almost half of which is currently out of production as the state works to thaw out the turbines.
"This is a unique winter storm that's more widespread with lots of moisture in West Texas, where there's a lot of times not a lot of moisture," said Dan Woodfin, senior director of system operations for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the nonprofit corporation that manages the power grid. "It's certainly more than what we would typically assume."
According to the American-Statesman, wind power is the fastest-growing source of energy in Texas' power grid. In 2013, Texas lawmakers approved a $7 billion plan to subsidize wind energy production. Wind farms now provide 23% of Texas energy and are the second-largest source of energy after natural gas. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to related stories:
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