As for solar? It has a lot of room to grow. The amount of solar power sent into the Texas grid was up 265% last year — to provide a total of less than .5% of ERCOT’s electricity. Total solar capacity in the state was 81 mw at last count. That’s 5% of the size of the gas-fired plants that Panda Power is building..... Thunderstorms and hurricanes are by far the biggest cause of power outtages across the country. But those are acts of God. If Texas ends up with rolling blackouts during a heatwave this summer or next it won’t be God’s fault, rather it will be the fault of men dragging their feet on fixing a system before it’s too late. I know it’s not the Texan way, but if we all keep our thermostats just a couple degrees higher this summer the grid might just survive meltdown!
Posted on: Thu, 20 Jun 2013 06:01:06 +0000