rob koslowsky comments - unreliable renewable energy supplies
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DOCKETED Docket Number: 19-BSTD-03
Project Title: 2022 Energy Code Pre-Rulemaking
TN #: 237613
Document Title: Rob Koslowsky Comments - Unreliable Renewable Energy
Supplies
Description: N/A
Filer: System
Organization: Rob Koslowsky
Submitter Role: Public
Submission Date: 5/3/2021 9:10:25 AM
Docketed Date: 5/3/2021
Comment Received From: Rob Koslowsky Submitted On: 5/3/2021
Docket Number: 19-BSTD-03
Unreliable Renewable Energy Supplies
To Whom It May Concern:
For Docket #: 19-BSTD-03 Project Title: 2022 Energy Code Pre-Rulemaking The power grid is becoming less reliable due to America’s growing dependence on
wind and solar, which, on their own, can’t provide power 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or even when outdoor temperatures change. Coupled with planned
reductions in backup generation capacity, elimination of coal plants, and the shuttering of nuclear power plants, America is becoming a third-world country, at least in terms of energy supply. And a continuous, non-interruptible supply of electricity is basic to the
running of a civil society.
Please repeal the 2019 Building Code making all-electric residential construction a mandate. Furthermore, all-electric mandates should not be made jointly with all-electric automobile (EV) mandates in order to force nighttime charging just to maintain the
state’s electric grid. Therefore, mandatory battery backup systems should not be included in the proposed 2022 Building Code.
Resiliency, choice, flexibility, and safety are best served by allowing residents to enjoy the services of natural gas, gasoline, and electric. The attached May 3, 2021
submission reflects some of the reasons to repeal the EV mandate, forestall any natural gas bans, and exclude mandates for both all-electric construction and proposed
residential battery systems – Unreliable Renewable Energy Supplies_RKK_May 2021.
Thank you for your consideration, ….Rob
Additional submitted attachment is included below.
R.K.KoslowskyUnreliable,IntermittentRenewableEnergySupplies,May2021 1
Unreliable,IntermittentRenewableEnergySupplies“BladesofsomeTexaswindturbinesdidfreezeinplace,butwindpowerisestimatedto
makeuponly7%orsoofthestate’stotalcapacitythistimeofyearinpartbecauseutilitieslowertheirexpectationsforwindgenerationinthewinteringeneral,[makingtheelectric
gridlessreliableinwinterandwheneverthewindscalm].”–BlamingRenewables,DionneSearcey,NewYorkTimes,Feb18,2021
RKKnote:WindtypicallyprovidesTexaswithupto25%ofitselectricsupply."But,afterthelightswentout,gasstovesallowedresidentstoboilwaterandcookfoodwhile
electricapplianceswereuseless."–Texasfreezeraisesquestionsaboutrisksofelectrifyingbuildings,PeterFabris,ContributingEditor,
CodesandStandards,March3,2021ThepowergridisbecominglessreliableduetoAmerica’sgrowingdependenceonwindandsolar,which,ontheirown,can’tprovidepower24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek,orevenwhenoutdoortemperatureschange.Coupledwithplannedreductionsinbackupgenerationcapacity,eliminationofcoalplants,andtheshutteringofnuclearpowerplants,Americaisbecomingathird-worldcountry,atleastintermsofenergysupply.Andacontinuous,non-interruptiblesupplyofelectricityisbasictotherunningofacivilsociety.ThelatestdisasterappearedinTexasasPresident’sDayweekendcametoanend.Itwasreportedlytriggeredby“frozen”turbinebladesnolongerabletoefficientlyspinonwindfarmsthatnormallyprovideupto25percentofthatState’selectricsupply[1].Withnobackupavailable,rotatingblackoutsbegan...
R.K.KoslowskyUnreliable,IntermittentRenewableEnergySupplies,May2021 2
TheextremecoldappearstohavecaughtTexas’shighlydecentralizedelectricitymarketbysurprise.Thisisareplayofthestoryoutwestthispastsummer:SimplyreplacethewordscoldwithheatandTexaswithCaliforniaandyouhavethesamehorrificstoryexperiencedduringmid-2020[2]intheGoldenState.Americaisbecomingthatdreadedthirdworldcountrybecauseofitsobsessionwithrenewableenergyandbadpublicpolicy,whichexcludesabalancedenergyportfoliowithintegratedbackupandcapitalinvestmenttomodernizethedistributiongrid.AsMichaelShellenbergerrecentlytestifiedinCongressandwroteinForbesonApril20,2021,“Californiawouldhaveavoideditsblackoutshaditnotshutdownalargenuclearplantandseveralnaturalgaspowerplantsoverthelastdecade.Texasmayhaveavoidedtheblackoutshadstateregulatorssimplyrequired,orcompensated,naturalgassupplierstowinterizetheirequipmentwhileverifyingthatworkhadbeencompleted.”WhileTexashascometoanover-relianceonwindenergy,Californiahascometoanover-relianceonsolarenergy.Bothtechnologiesarepart-timeprovidersofelectricity.Theyarealsointermittentandunpredictable,makingiteasyforchangesintheweathertocreatechaosontheelectricgrid.
Intermittencyofwindandsolarcanleadtopoweroutages.
R.K.KoslowskyUnreliable,IntermittentRenewableEnergySupplies,May2021 3
HeatPumpsNeedElectricStripstoWorkinColdWeatherTexashasarelativelylargeinstalledbaseofelectricheatpumpstokeepthemwarmwhentemperaturesdipbelow40degreesFahrenheit[3].UnlikeCalifornia,Texashasn’tmandatedtheuseofheatpumps.However,theiruseforspaceheating(orcoolinginthesummer)iscompromised[4]wheneverthebackupelectricheatingstripisactivatedastemperaturesapproachfreezing.Heatpumpsusealotofpowerinfrigidweatherbecauseoftheseheatingstrips.So,inTexas,whilewindturbineswerefreezingandnaturalgassupplieswerelimited[5],demandformoreelectricpowerwassurging.Rotatingblackoutsbegan,whichsoonledtomulti-day-longpoweroutagesandnoheatforresidentsexperiencingsingledigittemperatures.Unfortunately,toomanydiedinTexastryingtostaywarm.Naturalgasheating(fireplaces)would’vekepttheseresidentswarm.ItseemsthatattheFederalandCaliforniastatelevels,plans“tobanishfossilfuelsisagreaterexistentialthreattoAmericansthanclimatechange."Furthermore,Isupportenergydiversityandmakinglivingspacesmoreresilient.Naturalgasisanotherexampleofcleanenergy,whilepossessingthebenefitsofoperatingpredictablyandbeingabletobestoredforusewhendemandrises.Thebyproductsofcombustingnaturalgasforspaceheatingiscarbondioxideandwater,neitherofwhichisapollutantinanyway,shape,orform.Plantsusecarbondioxidetosurviveandweexhaleitasabyproductoflivingtoo.Problemsonlyarise,ashappenedlastsummerinCaliforniaandthiswinterinTexas,whenpressuretoeliminateallcarbon-basedfuelsandnuclearpowerwinsovercommonsense.Let’skeepthelightsonandtheheatblowing,evenifthewindturbinesaren’tspinningorthesunisn’tshining.---------------------“Everytimewehavechallengeswiththegrid,whetherit’sinCaliforniathispastsummerorTexasrightnow,peopletrytoweaponizethisfortheirpetproject,whichis[intermittentrenewableenergy],”saidLeahStokes,anassistantprofessorofpoliticalscienceatUCSanta
Barbara.“Ourinfrastructurecannothandleextremeweatherevents,whichthese[intermittentrenewableenergysources]areironicallycausing.”]
–BlamingRenewables,DionneSearcey,NewYorkTimes,Feb18,2021Fulldisclosure:Intheabovequote,IsimplyreplacedfossilfuelswithintermittentrenewableenergysourcesandthenStokes’commentmakesmoresense.Besides,whywouldaNewYorkTimesreporter
quoteapoliticalscientistinsteadofanengineerorgridoperator?“TheunderlyingstoryofwhathappenedinTexas[isthatthestate]chosenottoprovide
powercompanieswithincentivestoinstallreservecapacitytodealwithpossibleemergencies.Thismadepowercheaperinnormaltimes,butleftthesystemvulnerable
whenthingswentwrong.”
–PaulKrugman,NewYorkTimes,February21,2021[RKK:AverysimilarsituationexistsinCalifornia:littlereservecapacityandanover-relianceonsolar,whichisintermittent,unreliable,andcontributestomanybrownouts.Intermsoftheelectricgrid,it’s
evenworseinthesummerwhenCalifornianalsoexperienceblackoutsandinthefall,PSPSs.]
R.K.KoslowskyUnreliable,IntermittentRenewableEnergySupplies,May2021 4
“Wealthspentonweather-dependentrenewablesiswealthnotspentmakingthegridmorereliantorresilientbymaintainingandweatherizingreliablenuclearornaturalgasplants.Moneythatcouldhavegonetomakingelectricalgridsmorereliablethusinsteadwentto
payfortheequipmentthatmadethemmorefragile.”
–MichaelShellenberger,Forbes,April20,2021
-----------------[1]Theaccumulationoficeonwindturbinebladescandistorttheiraerodynamics,causingthemtogeneratemuchlesspower:“Turbinesincolderplacesaretypicallyequippedwithde-icingandothertools,suchasbuilt-inheating.InTexas,wheretheweatherisalmostneverthiscold,theyusuallyarenot.‘Coldweatherkitscankeep[windturbines]operatingwhentemperaturesplunge.ThisisthenormincolderstatesandinEurope,’saidSamuelBrock,aspokesmanfortheAmericanCleanPowerAssociation.‘HistoricallyinTexas,giventhewarmclimate,ithasn’tbeennecessary.’”WhyWindTurbinesInColdClimatesDon’tFreeze:De-IcingAndCarbonFiber,ScottCarpenter,Forbes,February16,2021.[2]AccordingtoSusanShelley,California“can’trunonjustsunshineandbreezes.”Sheadds,“AfewdaysbeforethelightswentoutinTexas,theCaliforniaPublicUtilitiesCommissionquietlyauthorizedthestate’slargestinvestor-ownedutilitiestopurchasemorepoweroverthenextfewmonthstoavoidrollingblackoutsthissummer.LastAugust,morethan800,000peoplewereleftwithoutelectricityduringaheatwave.We’recourtingdisasterinCalifornia,shuttingdownsteadyandreliablesourcesofelectricitysuchasnuclearplants,decommissioningcoal-burningplantsandmakingfrown-yfacesatnaturalgasandhydroelectricpower.Utilitieshavebeenmandatedbystatelawtopurchaseanever-greatershareofsolarandwindpower.Andjustwhendemandforpowerpeaks,thesungoesdown.”Source:ThePressDemocrat,February22,2021,p.A10.[3]ThepriceofelectricityinTexasisalmosthalfthepriceofelectricitypaidbyCalifornians,andthiswasbeforethelatest,almost10percent,increaseforSonomaCleanPowercustomers:https://www.thebalancesmb.com/most-expensive-and-cheapest-electricity-by-state-4177753.Thisisonereason,besidesthewarmerclimate,forsomeusersofelectricityinTexasandtheSouth,ingeneral,touseheat-pumpsforheatinginsteadofgasfurnaces.[4]Assumingthereisabackupelectricheatingstripinstalledinahome’sheatpump,theamountofpowerdrawndefeatsthepurposeofenergyefficiency.Theheatingstripsfeatureresistivecoils,thesameonesbannedforuseinCaliforniastovetopappliancesinfavorofinductionovensorinductioncooktops.Furthermore,iftheoptionalheatingstripisnotequippedduringinstallation,thelivingspacewillnotheatupduringthosecolddays.Thequestionremains,“HowmanyofthoseTexasheatpumpsareequippedwithheatingstrips?”[5]“ERCOTsaidthesupplyofnaturalgastopowerplantsisbeinglimitedandsomewindturbinesarefrozen.So,keepingupwiththeamountofpowerbeingusedacrossTexasisevenmoredifficult.”–ABCNews,Dallas,February17,2021However,bothnaturalgasandnuclearpowerplantsoutperformedtheirwindcounterparts:
R.K.KoslowskyUnreliable,IntermittentRenewableEnergySupplies,May2021 5
“SomeenergyexpertsnotedthatTexasregulatorshadnotexpectedtorelyuponwindenergytoprovidemuchelectricityduringthecoldsnap,”MichaelShellenbergerwrites,“buttheimplicationofthisobservationwasleftunsaid,whichisthatweather-dependentenergysourcesareuniquelyill-suitedtopowersocietiesduringextremeweatherevents.”Headds,“Noteverybodyisequallyvulnerabletoblackouts,extremeweather,andextremeelectricityprices.Theinvestorswhodevelopsolarandwindsuppliescanonlydosobecausethestateandfederallawsallowthemtosocializetherisksofunreliability.”