ERCOT-MANDATED POWER OUTAGES PUT STRAIN ON BLUEBONNET MEMBERS DURING FREEZING TEMPERATURES
Officials with Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative say the electric load reduction requirements placed on them by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) are putting "an extreme burden" on co-op members.
ERCOT has ordered Bluebonnet and other electric providers to continuously reduce a large percentage of their systems' energy demand, due to the severe winter weather and a reduction in generation capacity. This has led to continuous periods of rotating outages since early Monday morning.
Bluebonnet General Manager Matt Bentke said ERCOT's requirement has led to members not having enough time in between outages to warm their homes, cook their meals and do other necessary daily tasks that require electricity. He said, "Turning their power off is the last thing we ever wanted to do. But we must comply with ERCOT's orders."
According to a release, ERCOT has ordered Bluebonnet to reduce its system's electric demand by up to one-third, and has been consistently more than 100 megawatts during most of the period beginning Monday morning. One megawatt provides enough electricity for about 200 homes in Texas during cold winter mornings.
Bentke said that Bluebonnet will continue to adhere to ERCOT's order to reduce demand, as failure to comply would place the entire electric grid "in jeopardy of prolonged statewide failure." It would also leave Bluebonnet subject to market-rule violations that could lead to "substantial sanctions and fines from the Public Utility Commission of Texas."
Based on the weather forecast and information from ERCOT, Bentke stressed the need for members to be prepared for rotating power outages for another few days, saying the cold weather and its impact on the region will last until the end of the week. He said ERCOT has given no indication of generation capacity increasing to meet demand until temperatures increase.
This is the fourth time in ERCOT's history that it had to resort to rotating outages to ensure integrity of the state's electric grid. During the last mandatory rotating outage event in February 2011, Bluebonnet members generally experienced outages lasting 15 to 20 minutes, with about an hour or more before rotating back into the outage. The February 2011 event only lasted a few hours.
Its almost boring reading these complaints. Same thing in the comments section everywhere on just about any topic. Its not that I don’t care about the difficulty or how hard it is on the elderly or poor, the widows and orphans. I do. But most folks are able bodied or could be if they chose to be the hero instead of the victim.
We seem to have forgotten that life is difficult. You have to plan ahead. You have to have self control. You to save enough money to buy things that are not a luxury good but could one day provide warmth or security. Things you cant show off or brag about. Failing has real tangible consequences don’t you know. ERCOT failed and our sequence of rolling blackouts seems to be chosen by an “educated elite” playing craps. However, were they your one and only plan for your family? The power grid and power company is just a luxury at best. Someone showed me that a great many folks are wondering if you can shower under a “boil water” alert. Really?
When we’ve had it as good as we’ve had it for as long as we’ve had it, most people it seems haven’t gotten to experienced enough to gain true appreciation. They can only expand on their sense of victimhood. How important it is to find the next oppressor like they are told to do. I think we all need to experience splitting mesquite wood to stay warm and keep from freezing. To boil water on a wood stove to have hot water at all. Technology will not save us anymore than utopian ideas of resource sharing. Why? Because the real labor, talent, effort, and vision that created those resources could never exist in a large enough quantity, despite education and social “equity”. To pile on, are we supposed to reward laziness by feeding it?
This is just another values shortcoming caused by our own success and arrogance.
I would like for Bluebonnet Electric to explain how they determined who had power or not? I know several people in the county who did not lose power at all. We were on the rolling black outs for days & it felt like every 10 mins. Sunday night into Monday morning. We never had time to get warm. It would make more sense to do it to everyone & let everyone have longer time with power. I just want to know how that was determined.
Now this issue is very serious. This is something that doesn’t need to be political and shouldn’t be. This is beyond politics. Do you see Donald Trump or Joe Biden donating to the fund for Texas? No they didn’t. See they don’t really care. In the spot light they’re out hero’s, but are they really? No. We’re here to fend for ourselves. We must come together as people and put these politics aside. This energy crisis needs to be fixed and there are solutions. For example solar energy or wind energy. Even water energy. There are many ways. It’s pride that holds us back. Afraid of letting go. We must switch and people must see that climate change is a real factor here. I shook my head the other day when I heard Texas wanted to become its own state. I mean if this doesn’t show that we’re not prepared to be nor should we than I don’t know what’s gotten into peoples heads. We are not as strong as we think we are. If this snow storm knocks on our asses and we need help what else will do the same. Right now we are a country divided. People love this carnage of hating eachother, but instead we should look at to what is causing this. Our government itself. The ones set to unite and protect us and now look. They’re leading us into the next civil war. I always find it funny how people voted for people who don’t even know your name. Nor would they care. I leave you with this. We must come together. Not only to over come this, but to over come future situations. I hope all of you are safe and warm throughout this.
Well Texas should go back to using more coal plants, like the one on Gibbons Creek that was recently shut down by all the political politics. Politics needs to be completely done away with when it comes to protecting human life as producing electricity for winter and summer storms. Texas has an abundance of Coal, but all this about Going green and the big Green idea is going to keep putting peoples lives at risk in times like these. We never had this trouble before. Quit worrying about the climate change. People act like they can control what Mother Nature can do. Cracks me up that all these hurricanes and wildfires were blamed on President Trump these past four years. Get real people.
90% or Texas is ran on fossil fuels. You are blaming 100% of the problem on 10% of the renewable energy. Seems kinda idiotic don’t you think?
I am saying that if they would focus on more coal plants and not windmills. That’s what I am getting at. Quit shutting the coal
Plants down and spend more on backup
Plans and storage for the coal plants. Sounds like your a big windmill fan(which is idiotic)
Wind actually is less harming to harness than coal. If we actually would spend money and do it right (i.e. buy the heating modules) we should do more. Wind actually has out performed it’s expectations on our grid as well. I advise you to check out eia.gov, go get educated my guy.
What can anyone do with 12 to 15 min of heat other than pray their toes thaw. Many homes with bluebonnet has never list power. Bluebonnet is hiding behind ERCOT and doing just what the want. One cannot make coffee in 12 min and allow it to perk. Families can forget meal prep… Shame on you Bluebonnet!!
Bluebonnet can’t control the power above them. It’s the power above you need to slander or bring awareness to. I get your anger. I’m feeling it too. I’m also frustrated and outraged, but you can’t be mad at blue bonnet. I hope you stay safe during this storm and I hope all is well. I don’t mean to sound rude.
Makes one wonder if they are selling power to other states!
No. The problem is there is a mass refusal to adapt to adding more wind and solar energy and this pride that is pushing back at banking the power. When people think alternate sources they think job losses because that is what we are trained to think when in reality it all can work hand-in-hand to create more energy. If these power companies really wanted to help the people and not themselves they would explore using alternate sources as well. But instead they just do the bare minimum and charge everyone for their short comings and greed.
Dear Missy,
More wind energy? You do know that the wind turbines are frozen, right? And as far as solar energy. How is that working out for people? Your “alternative” energy sources are a joke. This winter storm is proving them to be a joke.
But hey, we got electric cars now…that you’ll freeze to death in cause they don’t heat worth a darn but it’s “alternative” and that’s all that matters.
You can continue to buy into the ponzi sceme of global warming to your hearts desire but to actually say at this moment, that we need more wind energy while the things that are supposedly providing it are frozen, is ridiculous.
Hello Shawn. The wind turbines are only a fraction of what’s running the heat right now. In fact it’s actually the coal and gas plants that are making up 90% of this “efficient heat”. See people in Texas don’t want to give up the coal or gas plants to build more efficient power sources such as wind turbines or alternative more efficient power such as solar. For example three out of my four neighbors rely on solar energy and throughout this whole disaster not one of them have lost power. Not water or heat
@Alan – lol…, prove it. Sorry, brotha. But I take no ones word as fact…, especially in comment sections.
I understand why but make it fair. We need more than 12 minutes of power. I know of many who never lost power at all. It’s beyond frustrating!
I agree! We only have power for a short time, then we are without. Like you I understand it’s a necessary evil. But I don’t understand why some on Bluebonnet have never lost power at all.
Who’s choosing what neighborhood that goes off and stays on. If it’s the same neighborhoods. How is that fair?
We had no problems in 2011 because the heat tapes on pumps and faucets had time to warm things up but this time most of my preparations did not work well because the time interval was so short. I will not know the extent of the damage until next week when I uncover everything. Several times the temperature in the house was in low 50’s. Some friends in Burton had to leave their home because temp dropped into the 30’s. This has to be hard on the PR.
Why is only certain parts of Brenham residents getting their lights turned on and off in rotation?