The Future If The Extreme Environmentalists Get Their Way

On Tuesday, The Daily Caller reported that wind power in Texas has again failed to help Texans deal with extreme weather.

The article reports:

Wind power is failing Texas during a record-setting heat wave with turbines producing only 8% of their potential energy output, according to The Dallas Morning News.

Energy use is skyrocketing as Texans are desperate to cool their homes due to triple-digit temperatures across the state, which reached 108 degrees Fahrenheit in Waco on Saturday, exceeding the previous record set in 1917 by 4 degrees, according to The Guardian. However, wind speeds remain low, neutering Texas’ collection of wind farms as the electrical grid struggles to cope with soaring demand, according to The Dallas Morning News

The article concludes:

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) warned of potential blackouts relating to the grid’s failure to keep up with demands and asked Texans to slash their energy use on Monday.

The company, which accounts for 90% of the state’s power supply, and Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott were criticized following severe winter storms that resulted in hundreds of deaths and left millions without power in February 2021.

“After the big freeze and blackout in 2017, the Texas Legislature and governor have taken only half-hearted and ineffective steps to address the causes of the Texas grid’s over-dependence on unreliable and intermittent wind power,” Ebell said.

ERCOT told the DCNF that it “expects sufficient generation to meet forecasted demand.”

The problem with wind power is that the wind does not blow 24/7. The problem with solar power is that the sun does not shine 24/7. In both cases, you need a reliable backup energy source–generally fossil fuel or massive storage batteries. The extreme environmentalists also choose to overlook the fact that although the blades on wind turbines have a projected lifespan of 20-25 years, the actual data shows that they generally do not last 20 years (article here). They are very large and are quickly filling up our landfills. There is far more pollution going on with windmill blades and old solar panels than there is with modern techniques using fossil fuels.