There is no scientific or logical reason that I know of for belief in the proposition that man kind faces "catastrophic anthropogenic global warming" absent decarbonization. If anyone knows of such a reason please share it with me.
The US was conceivably only one Democrat Administration away from following the lead of Germany, Britain and South Australia, into a serious energy crisis. They are in the jaws of the WIND DROUGHT TRAP and it is up to the incoming Trump Administration to get them out.
The power crisis experienced by Texas in February 2021 was a taste of things to come, under the previous administration that was committed to getting coal out of the power supply. A bitter cold spell and low winds overnight caused a partial blackout of the State because the inadequately winterised gas supply under-performed and a complete blackout was only narrowly averted. Possibly saved by coal and nuclear which are each capable of providing about 10% of demand'
Energy grids across the US are headed this way, like all the other where Net Zero policies are in place.
THE TRAP IS SET SLOWLY, over many years as subsidies and mandates for unreliable energy displaced conventional power without being able to replace it. Contrary to the doctrine of the Australian government, there is no way to firm unreliable energy by installing more unreliable energy. There is a ‘frog in the saucepan’ situation because conventional power retires in small steps and this does not cause noticeable problems while there is enough spare capacity.
THE TRAP CLOSES when the conventional power capacity (traditionally dominated by coal) declines to a critical point, a ‘tipping point’, where there is not enough to meet the base load overnight. Then the grid is in a ‘red zone’ where windless nights are potentially lethal because there is no wind or solar generation, regardless of the amount of installed capacity.
The trap only causes public alarm when it is too late, as we see in Britain and Germany. The US is moving rapidly in the same direction and grid managers are becoming increasingly agitated. Apparently, they have not effectively shared their concerns with the general public and there is no electoral pressure on the lawmakers to change course.
People need to know that trillions of dollars have been spent around the world on wind and solar facilities to make power more expensive and less reliable, with catastrophic damage done to the planet.
The incoming administration will have to provide a crash course in wind literacy to change the public perception of wind power and explain the value of coal power, especially in extremely cold conditions. The incompetence or negligence of the government meteorologists around the world allowed this situation to develop because they didn’t issue wind drought warnings even though they know that high pressure systems cause low winds. Consequently, the Dunkelflautes came as a surprise in Europe even though mariners and millers must have experienced them for centuries.
There is no scientific or logical reason that I know of for belief in the proposition that man kind faces "catastrophic anthropogenic global warming" absent decarbonization. If anyone knows of such a reason please share it with me.
Cordially,
Terry Oldberg
Engineer/ Scientist/public policy researcher
Los Altos Hills, California
terry_oldberg@yahoo.com
The US was conceivably only one Democrat Administration away from following the lead of Germany, Britain and South Australia, into a serious energy crisis. They are in the jaws of the WIND DROUGHT TRAP and it is up to the incoming Trump Administration to get them out.
The power crisis experienced by Texas in February 2021 was a taste of things to come, under the previous administration that was committed to getting coal out of the power supply. A bitter cold spell and low winds overnight caused a partial blackout of the State because the inadequately winterised gas supply under-performed and a complete blackout was only narrowly averted. Possibly saved by coal and nuclear which are each capable of providing about 10% of demand'
Energy grids across the US are headed this way, like all the other where Net Zero policies are in place.
THE TRAP IS SET SLOWLY, over many years as subsidies and mandates for unreliable energy displaced conventional power without being able to replace it. Contrary to the doctrine of the Australian government, there is no way to firm unreliable energy by installing more unreliable energy. There is a ‘frog in the saucepan’ situation because conventional power retires in small steps and this does not cause noticeable problems while there is enough spare capacity.
THE TRAP CLOSES when the conventional power capacity (traditionally dominated by coal) declines to a critical point, a ‘tipping point’, where there is not enough to meet the base load overnight. Then the grid is in a ‘red zone’ where windless nights are potentially lethal because there is no wind or solar generation, regardless of the amount of installed capacity.
https://newcatallaxy.blog/2023/07/11/approaching-the-tipping-point/
The trap only causes public alarm when it is too late, as we see in Britain and Germany. The US is moving rapidly in the same direction and grid managers are becoming increasingly agitated. Apparently, they have not effectively shared their concerns with the general public and there is no electoral pressure on the lawmakers to change course.
People need to know that trillions of dollars have been spent around the world on wind and solar facilities to make power more expensive and less reliable, with catastrophic damage done to the planet.
The incoming administration will have to provide a crash course in wind literacy to change the public perception of wind power and explain the value of coal power, especially in extremely cold conditions. The incompetence or negligence of the government meteorologists around the world allowed this situation to develop because they didn’t issue wind drought warnings even though they know that high pressure systems cause low winds. Consequently, the Dunkelflautes came as a surprise in Europe even though mariners and millers must have experienced them for centuries.
https://www.flickerpower.com/images/The_endless_wind_drought_crippling_renewables___The_Spectator_Australia.pdf
https://www.flickerpower.com/images/RAFE_CHAMPION_CAN_THE_US_ESCAPETHE_WIND_DROUGHT_TRAP_The_Spectator_Australia.pdf