What So Many Of The Misleading Narratives About Texas Miss | Talking Points Memo

From USA Today both coal and gas had problems. Texas uses coal with higher moisture content - some of it turned into “coalburgs” in rail cars and stockpiles.

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Yeah, but if, in 5 years, the policy makers are going to be lobbying for those energy companies that are going to make off like bandits in the meantime, they are planning for their long term.

But wouldn’t that be just a flash in the pan at this point? I don’t see how his sacrifice would warm even one soul.

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Last time I was in Hawaii, just out of curiosity I checked out the local electricity prices. I was shocked to see how high they were. Granted, in most places you need at most a little space heater once in a while, and there’s really no need for air conditioning, so the high price isn’t a big issue for most people. But why so high? Then I did a little reading on the utility’s web site, and did an SMH. As they explained, they can’t connect to an outside grid, so they have to build in all kinds of redundancy. That’s expensive.

ETA: Not to mention the cost of bringing in fuel. Wind and solar are nice, but other fuels are in rather short supply locally, unless they can figure out a way to tap into Kilauea.

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Sometimes building codes are lame and just not adequate for the task. I remember seeing news reports from FL post Hurricane Andrew. Some of the most heavily damaged properties were so shoddily constructed you could pretty much punch holes in the exterior walls.
Good building codes always take into account local climatic conditions, and have requirements for wind load, snow load, etc. as appropriate.

But you know republicans, they just hate regulations.

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Excellent article.

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Seems like we planned for that eventuality, what with not giving them any rockets or fuel to use to get back here…

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Did Perseverance uncover the secret bases on Mars?

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I was a contractor in WA. You had to get a permit, know what the rules were and use the right materials. At the end of the project, the building inspector came to make sure all was done right. Admittedly sometimes they didn’t look too carefully, but I always went by the code and so did all the subcontractors.

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One important factor not listed in the analysis is that Texas has very little natural gas storage. You probably don’t realize it but in all the Eastern 2/3rds of the US there is large to gigantic NG storage facilities. Texas relies on Just On Time. Very modern.

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That assumes there was anything left to burn.

Or that it would matter to the average Texan. This isn’t the first stupid thing he’s done. It just doesn’t make a difference to the average Texan - they will always believe he’s doing his absolute best for them, despite any evidence to the contrary.

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We have LNG facilities on the coast, but they are for export - no use to us.

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I’m headed back to CT in two years for retirement. Fortunately, the farm has nat gas generators, which refilling is a project I contribute to already.

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It’s the same deal here in MA. I had my bathrooms gutted and done over a few years ago and pulled the permits myself. The inspector cost me a few extra bucks when he reneged on his original decision that I didn’t need a vent in the half-bath (which has a window). His change of heart occurred after the blueboard and skimcoat were done. :frowning_face:

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Chris Hayes on MSNBC caught Abbot lying. On a local Texas news station he claimed the problem was the whole NG infrastructure from wells to pipes to plants that froze up. He then immediately went on Faux news and claimed it was windmills and solar cells and the New Green Deal that had caused the collapse.

The Dallas Morning News noticed as well.

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It’s not even just the accountants. It’s managers who know they are operating in a corrupt system that will shield them from the consequences of all of their dangerous actions. They’re not going to be fined for this, they’re not going to have their licenses endangered, a corporate-friendly court system will likely quash any lawsuits, and they can put excess costs on their customers’ bills.

In a non-corrupt system, the accountants would tell them “Yeah, you add $100M to profits every year, but every 10 years you put $2 billion in the loss column, that’s a serious negative ROI.” But instead they play a two-step of IBG,YBG and “too big to fail”.

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Remember, fox officially bills itself as entertainment. So it’s not lying, it’s performance art.

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Most outages came because delivery systems failed to supply gas to those plants at the consistent pressures that they need.

A good clarifying article. Mostly about gas in the pipes. Everyone wants more at the same time, so pressure drops for power plants → less electricity generated → more demand on gas heating → less pressure → less electricity → more demand on gas heating → . . .

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And the so-called liberal media (SCLM)….

I’ve been watching quite a few of the Mike Holmes inspection shows on DIY and other Home networks. I wouldn’t give you a nickel for home inspectors doing anything.

I’m in to a huge new project on the farm to fix my crawlspace and my attic from issues that pre-date our ownership of the farm. We had an inspector in at purchase who insisted we fix some chewed through wiring in the attic (which we did) and encapsulate the crawl space. The recent inspector (last month) tells us that our crawlspace is a mess and needs to be entirely re-insulated and the entire structure will probably collapse due to a structural problem in the roof - both of which existed back eight years ago.

Then, in my previous home, the town inspector approved us for occupancy with no ridge vent in the roof and the windows nailed into the structure (which eliminated the possibility of ever being able to replace them). This town employee retired with a very nice home a few years later, well above his income.

I don’t have a good feeling about home inspectors. Not at all. And the shows I’m watching only confirm my impressions.

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Yes, and a journalist in Texas being interviewed on MSNBC (just caught this part of it) said the same thing. Abbott did his fake news for the fake news channel.

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