why this is a clear issue and why it hasn’t been resolved? Texas was doomed last year during the snow and now this year with the heat. I don’t understand. Am I supposed to freeze and get a heat stroke?
In: 3
There’s many different factors contributing to Texas’ terrible grid, as these comments show. I’ll add another.
Power plants around the country get paid just for being available, even when they’re not producing power. That way, when there’s a spike in demand, the grid has enough capacity to meet it. It costs extra to maintain power plants that are only needed for a few days out of the year, but it increases the reliability of the grid.
In Texas, market efficiency is prioritized over reliabilty. Power plants only get paid for the electricity that is being consumed. So there is no incentive to build extra power plants that will only be necessary for a few days out of the year. When the weather gets extreme and demand for electricity is high, there isn’t enough generation capacity and the grid is stretched to its limit.
Latest Answers