Thoughts on the recent ERCOT failure

 

Thoughts on the recent ERCOT failure

 

First, wind power. Here is a little piece showing wind installations produce a small part of their “rated” power:

https://sciencing.com/much-power-wind-turbine-generate-6917667.html

If the winds are too low, or too high, they do not work.

Much of the power generated by wind is used in the power lines and transformers before it can ever get to the rate payer.

The blades are not recyclable and will wind up in landfills. The units sometimes fail and catch on fire slinging burning oil and plastic all over the place starting wild fires, often far from fire fighting people and equipment.

When a wind farm reaches the end of its service life, the remoteness of the systems and the small amount (relatively speaking) of steel, copper and aluminum in each turbine assembly means, unless  scrap metal prices are pretty high, the things will sit and rust down.

Now look at solar power. Here is an example of a solar installation that covers 3200 acres and makes 579 MW.  https://www.energyconceptsfresno.com/blog/2019/june/how-much-energy-do-solar-farms-produce-/

A 650 MW natural gas powered plant takes about 40 acres.

Consider the acres of land that are shaded from the sun, growing nothing, to make power. When the sun shines.

When spent, the solar cells are not recyclable and are disposed of as hazardous waste. They have limited life spans due to chemical and physical breakdown. When it snows, or, a dust storm occludes the surface, they stop producing power.

Neither sun nor solar power can produce power on demand. Only when conditions are right.

Often, the highest demands occur when it is very hot and the wind drops, or, when it is very cold and the same happens. Sometimes we have hot nights and hurricanes. Wind and solar are useless at those times.

The “answer” often brought up to fix these problems are battery installations. Here is the truth about those:

I built one in Port Lavaca, TX. It cost over $10 million. It is capable of putting 9.8 MW on the grid for about an hour. At that point it is spent and must be recharged. There is not enough power in that installation to do much more than bump the frequency a bit. The things must have constant power  to them to charge the battery packs and to keep them balanced as far as charge goes. If they get too far out of balance, they can catch fire. When sitting waiting for the opportunity to discharge to the grid (sell power) the battery containers must be airconditioned 24/7 as the batteries can catch fire if they get too hot. If they do catch  fire, the smoke is deadly. When the batteries are spent, they are hazardous waste that must undergo some serious work to decommission them before placing the remains in a hazardous waste landfill. The batteries are a shock hazard, flammable, toxic, and corrosive. At best, these things are a parasitic load on the grid most of the time. Burning electricity with no benefit derived.

The units I worked on had the battery stacks made in China and the Transformers and Inverters made in Belgium. So much for jobs. Turbine blades are made in China.

Economics

Wind, solar, and battery back up systems cannot pay for themselves in a true market. They are built using tax dollars as incentives and by providing large tax credits as well. That way there is no cost of capital in the building and operating of these units.

When the wind is blowing and the sun is shining, the wind and solar farms, for all intents and purposes, produce “free power”. If you will look at the ERCOT website, you will see that electrical power prices go negative. There is more power on the grid than can be used. It cannot efficiently be stored, so, it goes to waste.

While “free power” sound exciting, it is NOT real and causes some horrible market consequences. Real power plants cost a lot of money to build and operate. When conditions are nice, they cannot make any money whatsoever because of the glut of energy produced by wind and solar. However, when there are transmission disruptions, darkness, cloudiness, periods of low wind when weather conditions are extreme, there is not enough power to supply the grid and no where to get it. When one combines the market conditions with the environmental regulations, it hardly pays to build a real power plant. Many of our older plants are being shut down and razed because they cannot be run legally and economically.

Power trading is another issue. Generators have to sell at predetermined prices. In Texas, they cannot sell on the market like the arbitragers can. So, when prices sky rocket, the folks that have the money and time in real power plants cannot share in the bounty.

An interesting aside is that when I was working to build the battery facility in Port Lavaca, the company (Out of New York) that I worked for was calling itself a “power producer” to get permits to build it. Once built, they changed their designation so they could play power on the arbitrage market. Buy at $40 and sell at $9,000.

ERCOT

In my opinion, ERCOT is a boondoggle set up to let traders make billions while not ensuring a dependable supply of power to the residents of Texas. It causes market disruptions and causes major negative externalities in both the market and the production of electrical power in Texas.

What did John Adams mean about our Constitution only being adequate for a moral and religious people?

 

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other”. ~ John Adams

What did Adams mean by that? Why cannot the US Constitution be used to govern immoral people? Let us explore that.

Today, there are laws against rioting and burning down buildings that do not belong to you. There are laws against killing others. There are laws against stealing, assault, fraud, perjury and more.

Look around you. Watch television and listen to the radio. Check out any news site on the internet. Obviously, the laws are not effective. Why?

Why do you not kill folks you are mad at? Why do you not steal? Why are you not burning down Planned Parenthood offices? Why are you not stealing money, food, cars and guns? Because there  are laws against that sort of behavior? I think not. There must be another reason. After all, there are those breaking laws all around you. Why do you not follow suit?

Why do some act civilly and others not? Therein lies the question. Therein lies the reason John Adams wrote what he did.

Our Constitution was written so that citizens of the United States of America could self-govern. There are other forms of government, Monarchies, where the king rules absolutely. Break his rules and you hang. Communist states, where the politburo rules. Cross them and you are going to be disappeared.

If a people are to govern themselves, they must govern their individual selves. By that I mean, I must govern my behavior, and you must govern yours. A society cannot exist where people are killing and robbing each other. There must be some sort of order. The question is: what sort of people are we? Are we thinking, reasoning adults that can regulate ourselves? Are we capable and willing to create order in our own lives? Or, are we in need of some authority to force us into compliance? Do we need some one, or some group of some ones to tell us when to get up, when to eat, when to work and at what? Or, are we able to direct our own behavior?

This is a fundamental question.

If a people are to govern themselves, it means on an individual basis. You must impose discipline upon yourself. I must impose discipline on myself.

Once we get past to where we can and do govern our individual selves, we might be able to look at actually attempting to build a society. But, not until then. We can look around at what people who fail to rule themselves, create.

For myself, I do not burn down buildings because there is a law against it, I do not burn down buildings because I know it is wrong. I do not kill everyone that aggravates me because there is an angry God that is waiting to punish me for having committed murder. I do not kill people because I know it is wrong.

We must all discipline and govern ourselves before our efforts at governing our country will bear fruit. We have individual work to do.

At least, I know I do.

Money Laundering

I thought it would be interesting to look at money laundering. On a grand scale.

Let us start with Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood received about $544 million between July 2016 to June 2017 from the US taxpayers. Between 2012 and 2016, Planned Parenthood’s PACs, employees and families of said employees gave $33.9 million to political parties and candidates. Interestingly enough, none to any republicans. Kinda makes one wonder why the republicans continue to vote for bills that fund planned parenthood, doesn’t it?

Now, let us examine Barrack Obama’s book deal. Obama gave Pearson Publishing $350 million to create  the Common Core curriculum and text books. After a couple of mergers and what have you, and after Obama left office, they gave him $65 million for a book deal. That was $350 million TAX dollars.

Senator Feinstein’s husband owns 5% of a company that won a contract to sell “excess” property owned by the US Post Office. These deals were worth 6% of BILLIONS of dollars to the real estate company. Handy the company partially owned by a US Senator got the contract, isn’t it?

IN his 2016 presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders ran $62 million through a company run by his wife’s colleagues. Now, we know it is illegal to use campaign money for personal use, don’t we? Of course, if it is run through an advertising company, it is OK!

Here is a chart showing companies that live on tax dollars and the total amount of their contributions to political parties and politicians:

			To Candidates and Parties			To Outside Spending Groups
Rank	Contributor	Total Contribs	Total	Dem%	Repub%	Total
1	Northrop Grumman	$4,267,572	$4,261,108	45.4%	53.3%	$4,863
2	Boeing Co	$3,747,915	$3,727,429	48.1%	51.5%	$18,215
3	Lockheed Martin	$3,490,334	$3,476,803	40.1%	59.4%	$11,498
4	General Dynamics	$2,440,041	$2,437,184	43.2%	54.1%	$7,054
5	Raytheon Co	$2,375,248	$2,365,406	43.2%	56.0%	$8,925
6	United Technologies	$1,167,870	$1,166,819	45.9%	53.2%	$1,000
7	Harris Corp	$1,153,083	$1,152,333	57.4%	42.6%	$550
8	Leidos Inc	$946,879	$942,605	45.2%	54.7%	$3,673
9	BAE Systems	$812,876	$811,571	40.5%	59.0%	$1,050
10	Huntington Ingalls Industries	$743,788	$743,783	42.2%	57.1%	$0
11	L3 Technologies	$663,692	$661,559	38.3%	61.7%	$1,900
12	Veterans Evaluation Services	$502,807	$477,807	0.5%	99.5%	$25,000
13	SAIC	$400,781	$398,676	41.4%	58.5%	$1,977
14	Emergent Biosolutions	$326,489	$326,489	23.1%	76.9%	$0
15	Sierra Nevada Corp	$326,047	$326,042	20.2%	79.7%	$0
16	Cubic Corp	$324,173	$324,168	27.6%	72.4%	$0
17	General Electric	$319,000	$319,000	44.0%	54.7%	$0
18	Leonardo DRS	$288,878	$288,478	38.9%	61.1%	$400
19	MITRE Corp	$199,668	$198,256	93.7%	5.7%	$840
20	General Atomics	$184,400	$184,400	26.6%	73.4%	$0

Do you think they have a reason to give money to politicians and parties? Think a bit. Join me at the Convention of States to stop this sort of abuse. 

Government versus Mafia

I was thinking this morning about the latest Abbott order closing bars in the State of Texas. I was struck by the similarities between government and organized crime. Take a trip of fancy with me.

If you are in a town with no law and you wish to open a bar, you build or buy and building and purchase some inventory. You come up with a name. You hire some people to work for you. Maybe you put up a big sign announcing GRAND OPENING! You take out an ad in the local newspaper, maybe buy some time on a local radio or TV station announcing your business and its opening date and time! Man, you are excited!

The next day an old man smoking a fat cigar stops by accompanied by a shoulder striker, and introduces himself as the local don. He explains you will need to pay some protection money (license fee) to do business in this town. In addition, there will be a cut of the proceeds (taxes) that will be paid to his organization (government) in order to continue in business.

Now, that  is not right, is it? Wow. We need some law and order around here.

We will make the intellectual jump from the world of lawlessness and into the world of civilization and law and order.

POOF!!!

We are in the civilized world of law and order. Easy and quick transition!

Now, you are interested in starting a bar in the law abiding town. Before building, buying or renting a building, you must check the zoning regulations to make certain you are allowed to open a bar where you wish.

Ok,  that is out of the way. Now, you must apply for tax numbers at both the state and federal governments (in some places the town as well). Got that done. Now, you have to apply for a license (protection) in order to do business. The mafia don does not come to collect the fee and application, it is on you to find the proper office, find out which paperwork is necessary and to get it filled out properly and to return it with the fee (protection money). Now, you wait to be "approved". Your background  will be checked and a stylish period of time will be wasted while you wait and incur cost with no revenue. If and when you are approved, the state will send you your licence proclaiming to the world you have paid your protection money and have fulfilled the requirements of the state. Now, and only now, you can open your doors. Make CERTAIN that all of your liquor bottles have a tax  stamp and that you deface them when the bottles are empty!!!

Now you are doing business. You must calculate, save and remit your taxes as mandated and defined by the state. Do not miss a tax payment or the taxman (mafia don) will close you down. Make certain you remit the taxes on time or you will be fined. If you are too tardy, the man will order you to close your business. If you refuse, you will be raided and you will be arrested. You will be tried in a court owned and run by the same folks that have accused you of breaking THEIR rules.

Now to add to your headaches, you are responsible for the adults that come into your establishment and consume adult beverages. You cannot tie them up, arrest them or confine them in any way. But, if they leave and get in an accident, you are somehow responsible.

Wow, what a fun way to do business!!

Ooopsssss..... Here comes coronavirus! The head of the state government, the governor (mafia don) decides you are closed. Even though you have paid your protection money and taxes (mafia cut). You are closed. No income. Costs continue. Income stops. For how long? Who knows? What are you supposed to do to make a living?

The reality is, in this case. the various governments are worse than the mafia. The mafia wants you to stay open so they can continue to steal your  money. Government steals your money and is not smart enough to leave you open so you can pay it.

Join me at open  the states to fight this criminal activity.

Israel as our friend

As I have said before, putting Israel back in the middle of camel land after an abscence of 2000 years was idiotic and was guaranteed to cause permanent foment. Which was what was intended. A perfect excuse to continue the military occupation of the middle east at huge cost of life and money. That being said, what do we do now? We cannot undo the past and it is not possible politically or morally to remove the Israelis from that region.

First, we must decide what side of this we are on, or if we are going to take a "side". This is fundementally important. One cannot be on both sides of a conflict, nor can one straddle the fence. If we are to be involved IN ANY WAY we must decide what our pronciples are and what we really believe in, what we are willing to risk money, materials and lives for. Once that decision is made, it is an all or nothing proposition.

Second, act on our decison with no second thoughts.

My own opinion is that Israel has been a very poor ally, it is a socialist country that has no racial or cultural validity for existing in that region of the world. However, it is much more to our liking than the nutball islamic hordes that surround it. That leaves two choices. One, stay out of the whole area and let the arabs attack Israel and get wiped out. Or, we get involved on the side of Israel. The only way I would do this is to remove our troops from the middle east and let the arabs have their land back and let them go back to killing one another. Announce to the world that Israel is our friend and ally and any attack against them will result in the absolute anhilation of the source of the attack. And then stand behind our word. Not with troops, but with nuclear missles. We absolutely immolate the offending counntry and we do not help to rebuild it. Just turn it to glass.

To make any of this work, we must end the EPA and start drilling here. Building pipelines and power plants, mining coal and uranium. We must first be able so survive without the camel's oil. Since our government, both sides of the aisle, is absolutely not going to let this happen, we are bound to continue killing and blowing shit up in the middle east forever. And that cannot be afforded, fiscally or morally.

Just my take,

Nappy

Been gone too long...

Wow, haven't been here in a little over a year. No excuses and no apologies. A few of my ramblings will follow. 1. The republicrats and democlicans are arguing over a $60 billion cut in our federal budget. What a joke. The interest on our ON-BUDGET debt is around $200 billion per year and going up. Cuts of less than $200 billion are a joke. 2. Obamacare continues to grow in cost and scope while the obaminator and his henchmen hand out immunity to their buddies. This is criminal. 3. If government is the answer, it is a stupid question. 4. The obaminator said he did not believe that a president had the power to start wars and invade countries without the approval of Congress. That was when Bush II was starting wars in the Mid-East. Now, when he invades Libya, it is OK. 5. Japan got hit and hit hard by the earthquake and tsunami. Bad news indeed. However, the reporting of the media is almost as big a disaster. There are reports of Iodine 131 being found in various parts of the US and the inference is made that it came from the messd up reactors in Japan. Also, the amount found is either not mentioned or is placed at the very end of misleading articles as an afterthought. One article I read admitted that the amount found was one two hundred thousandths of the amount allowed for nuclear power plants to release. Think about that for a minute. 6. You and your family are at much more risk from your local, state and federal governments than you are from any terrorist or busted nuclear reactor. 7. We all need to read and learn. Then, sit down and think how the information fits together and how everything is related. Learn, think and talk with others involved in like pursuits. Feeling is emotional and while it can be comforting, can also lead us to make quick and incorrect conclusions and decisions. Well, I reckon I will leave that to be the rant of the day. nappy

a note to kongress

senator,
I am beside my self with anger and fear. It seems our kriminal congress and illegal alien president are dead set on illegally and unconstitutionally passing a completely unconstitutional and criminal healthcare bill. A bill that will FORCE me to buy something I don't want, from someone I don't wish to buy from, at a price I am not wiling to pay. This dog will not hunt. I am instructing my state representatives to immediately craft legislation that opts Texas out of the program.
You people do not own me. The federal government does not own me. I OWN ME. I decide what I wish to buy, from whom and for how much.
By the way, that pesky old document that kongress loves to hate, that old Constitution, it says that ALL bills must pass the house and sentate by a vote. WITH THE SAME EXACT WORDING before going to the president;s desk for signature. There is no "deemed" passed.
And, even if it were to pass, it is patently unconstitutional and IMPOSSIBLE TO PAY FOR.
Get this stopped and now. Then, start cutting spending and taxes. Get US out of the UN. Close the FED. Reduce the size and power of the federal government. FOLLOW THE CONSTITUTION TO THE LETTER. Or, move to north korea, the whole kit and akboodle of you.
Sincerely,