[PeakOiler]

ERCOT = Electric Reliability Council of Texas

I received this e-mail today at work:

NEWS RELEASE: Electric Reliability Council of TexasPower Watch -
Conservation Needed
ERCOT initiating level 1 emergency; Consumers asked
to conserve 3-7 p.m. today
Austin, Aug.2, 2011 -- The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc.
(ERCOT), system operator for the state’s bulk transmission grid,
initiated Energy Emergency Alert Level 1 at 2:40 p.m. when responsive
reserves dropped below 2,300 megawatts (MW). Capacity is expected to be
tight over the peak today, and ERCOT operators are closely monitoring
the situation.
“We are requesting that consumers and businesses reduce their
electricity use during peak electricity hours from 3 to 7 p.m. today,
particularly between 4 and 5 p.m. when we expect to hit another peak
demand record,” said Kent Saathoff, vice president of system planning
and operations. “We do not know at this time if additional emergency
steps will be needed.”
Forecast for peak demand today is 67,084 MW, exceeding yesterday’s
new all-time record of 66,867 MW. Prior to this year, the record was
65,776 MW (Aug. 23, 2010).
For more information, see Aug. 1 news releases:
http://www.ercot.com/news/press_releases/show/403
http://www.ercot.com/news/press_releases/show/407
Emergency Procedures Background
The Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) procedures are a progressive series of
steps that allow ERCOT to bring on power from other grids if available,
beginning with a Power Watch (Energy Emergency Alert Level 1).
If the situation does not improve, ERCOT escalates to a Power Warning
(Energy Emergency Alert Level 2), allowing operators to drop large
commercial/industrial load resources under contract to be interrupted
during an emergency.
If the capacity shortage is not relieved by the contract demand
response, ERCOT escalates to a Power Emergency (Energy Emergency Alert
Level 3) and will instruct utilities to reduce demand on the grid by
conducting temporary outages at the local distribution level. These
controlled temporary interruptions of electrical service – or rotating
outages – typically last 15-45 minutes before being rotated to a
different neighborhood.
Consumers should contact the utility company/ transmission provider
listed on their electric bill for information about power outages at
their homes or business, or about rotating outage procedures for their
area.

[PeakOiler]

A further excerpt from ERCOT's news release, via the link given above:

Conservation Tips

Consumers can help by shutting off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances between 3 and 7 p.m., and delaying laundry and other activities requiring electricity-consuming appliances until later in the evening. Other conservation tips from the Public Utility Commission’s “Powerful Advice” include:

Turn off all unnecessary lights, appliances, and electronic equipment.
When at home, close blinds and drapes that get direct sun, set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, and use fans in occupied rooms to feel cooler.
When away from home, set air conditioning thermostats to 85 degrees and turn all fans off before you leave. Block the sun by closing blinds or drapes on windows that will get direct sun.
Do not use your dishwasher, laundry equipment, hair dryers, coffee makers, or other home appliances during the peak hours of 3 to 7 p.m.
Avoid opening refrigerators or freezers more than necessary.
Use microwaves for cooking instead of an electric range or oven.
Set your pool pump to run in the early morning or evening instead of the afternoon.
Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible. Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

Before I left work today, I turned off four of the lab's computers for the evening as well as the scanning electron microscope, which includes a vacuum pump.

Edit to add image of a particle I took a picture of using the SEM. The magnification was 3,520 X:



With the EDAX detector on the SEM, I can determine the elemental composition of the material.

Hint: The mineral has very high birefringence as seen using a PLM.

I'm known as the "CSI guy" at work...

[tex123]

Totally cool picture, what is it?

I didn't get the e-mail but the same letter of warning/ plea to conserve was posted on the local news website. We have the I-Thermostat from TXU, in case you don't know it is linked in to them and they have the option to do those 15-20 minute holds on the air conditioner but not the whole house. The thermostat has a light that glows red when they are holding and I've rarely noticed them using that option, I've seen it twice today so far and that's just the ones I know about.

[PeakOiler]

Hint #2: The mineral mainly consists of calcium, carbon, and oxygen, with a few trace elements.

So far no rotating blackouts in my area, but the request for electricity conservation is through 8-August.
Personally, I think a few rotating blackouts is what it would take to get more people to conserve power. Let it happen...

[Pops]

Just 2 days ago I was saying how surprised I was we hadn't had any big problems considering how widespread and record breaking the temps have been.

We had a peak alert yesterday. Not as hot as you down there but or Tulsa but over 100 many days now, hottest July, hottest August day ever, etc.

BTW, that's springfield MO.

[basil_hayden]

I thought from your first clue that it was calcite, but it looks strange to me in that photo.

The heat' is starting to break up here, hope it does the same down there soon.

[PeakOiler]

I thought from your first clue that it was calcite, but it looks strange to me in that photo.

The heat' is starting to break up here, hope it does the same down there soon.

You're correct. It's calcite.

Meanwhile, ERCOT announced Level 2 Emergency today:
http://www.ercot.com/news/press_releases/show/418

Power Warning - Conservation Critical

High risk of rotating outages; Consumers asked to conserve electricity from 3-7 pm

Austin, Aug.4, 2011 -- Consumers and businesses are asked to reduce their electricity use during peak electricity hours from 3 to 7 p.m. today to avert the need for rotating outages.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT), system operator for the state’s bulk transmission grid, initiated Energy Emergency Alert Level 2 at 2:26 p.m. today due to responsive reserves below 1,750 megawatts (MW).

[basil_hayden]

Y'all need some mini generators that can run directly off of your natural gas wells, or something.

[basil_hayden]

Y'all need some mini generators that can run directly off of your natural gas wells, or something.

[PeakOiler]

They're fracking Texas as fast as they can! Lack of natural gas was part of the problem this last February when Texas experienced record breaking freezing temps! Not enough NG for the power plants!

Today I learned that wind energy provided about 2% of the Texas electrical grid demand yesterday.

[basil_hayden]

I fry here in CT, I'd never make it down there in Texas. The only hope would seem to be a couple tropical storms reaching inland, and soon.

Now tell me, why does that calcite look funny to me? Is it just that I'm not used to SEM as I've only seen it under a PLM in the past?

[AgentR11]

Today I learned that wind energy provided about 2% of the Texas electrical grid demand yesterday.

And could very well have been the difference between having some rolling blackouts, or not.

GO WIND!!!! WOOOT!

I have my generator ready, though I thought it would be hurricane derived need, not grid derived!!

I wonder if some day ERCOT will come out with a credit you get for allowing them to swap your house to your own on site, NG/diesel fed generator, when grid demand gets high. I don' t have one of those, but I've thought about it. Much niftier, if less portable, than what I do now.