Stop These Things 1/20/2024
Solar panels smothered with snow and ice produce nothing; wind turbines frozen solid during breathless, frigid weather produce even less (they actually consume power from the grid to run heating systems meant to prevent their internal workings suffering permanent damage).
So, if you’re sitting freezing in the dark, don’t expect wind and solar power generators to come to your rescue.
No, if the lights and power are on this winter, then you ought to raise a glass for the gas, coal and nuclear power generators separating you and your loved ones from a date with hypothermia and, ultimately, the morgue.
Hundreds died during the Big Freeze that hit Texas in February 2021, thanks to a complete collapse in wind and solar output. Thousands more would have died, but for the reliable output delivered by coal, gas and nuclear plants.
As this piece from Alberta attests, the wind and solar industries couldn’t care less whether you freeze to death when winter bites.
Freezing to Fight Global Warming
Substack
Penguin Empire Reports
14 January 2024
Some things look great on paper until they are tested with the cold, hard reality.
For years, the province of Alberta, Canada looked like a decent place to build large scale wind projects. Alberta has wide open, windy spaces. So, in the name of fighting global warming (AKA raking in government subsidies) wind developers built nearly 4,500MWs of wind capacity as of January 2024. Solar’s installed capacity sits at 1650MWs for a combined wind and solar capacity of just over 6100MWs.
In January of 2024, Alberta’ wind turbines faced one of their most serious tests to date: a Polar Vortex pushed artic air down through Canada and into the United States. Temperatures plummeted, sending Alberta’s grid demand sky high.
CBC news reported on Friday January 12th that “Just before sunrise in Edmonton, temperatures hit lows of –37C (-34.6F), breaking a daily record of –32 (-25F) set in 1998.”
And it got colder.
On Friday night going into Saturday (13th) at Edmonton International Airport, temperatures dropped to -45C (-49F) by 10pm (according to weather.gov.ca).
More:
https://stopthesethings.com/2024/01/20/wind-solar-generators-couldnt-care-less-when-youre-freezing-in-the-dark/
