Trump shines light on Democrats’ green energy schemes as blackouts roll through California
Meanwhile, a shocked Gov. Newsom demands an investigations into why the blackouts are occurring…as predicted by Legal Insurrection.
I have just returned from the beautiful state of Michigan, where I spent a week with family enjoying spectacular weather and scenery, to come back to the hell-scape of California.
Normally, I use the term “hell-scape” with some amount of poetic license. However, a massive heat wave has hit the region, and California’s policies mean that our energy suppliers can’t make up the 9 gigiwatt deficit in electricity that green energy schemes have created.
Other regions coping with extreme weather typically call on conventional power to meet demand. During a heatwave last year, nuclear plants helped keep the lights on in Paris. In London, utilities relied on coal and gas plants. But California, which has one of the cleanest grids in the country, has retired more than 9 gigawatts of gas generation in recent years in a bid to green its grid by 2045. While the state still gets more than a third of its power from gas, that isn’t always enough meet demand at peak hours — especially in the evening, when solar production wanes.
So California, already at the forefront of the energy transition, has become a testing ground for achieving carbon neutrality quickly — an explicit goal of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The blackouts underscore how difficult that effort is, but may offer lessons for other economies with carbon-free ambitions.
President Donald Trump has declared the test a failure and is deriding the leading Democrats who have voiced unwavering and unquestioning support for progressive green energy schemes.
President Trump criticized Democrats’ energy policies Tuesday and blamed them for power shortages and historic rolling blackouts in the state of California sparked by an intense heatwave.
The president said every American would face the same problem if Joe Biden were elected and able to implement the Green New Deal, pushed by the left flank of his party but defeated in the Senate last year.
“In California, Democrats have intentionally implemented rolling blackouts — forcing Americans in the dark. Democrats are unable to keep up with energy demand,” the president tweeted Tuesday afternoon.
“Meanwhile, I gave America energy independence in fact, so much energy we could never use it all. The Bernie/Biden/AOC Green New Deal plan would take California’s failed policies to every American!” he added.
I have reviewed the likely consequences of California energy policy a number of times for Legal Insurrection, especially in the context of energy firms having to sacrifice fire safety activities to comply with green mandates.
Flashback: California’s Green Energy Dreams turn into its Power Outage Nightmare https://t.co/CYP1OUFPsz
— Leslie Eastman (@Mutnodjmet) August 18, 2020
In fact, our coverage began shortly after I joined Legal Insurrection:
As an added bonus, the state’s political leaders have actively fought Trump as he has attempted to solve our energy problems:
Flashback: California Sues Trump Over Rescinding of Obama-Era Restrictions on Coal-Burning Power Plants https://t.co/2jCo1AtuxO
— Leslie Eastman (@Mutnodjmet) August 18, 2020
Despite all of this analysis and accurate forecasting of consequences, Gov. Gavin Newsom is shocked and surprised our state is literally going back to the Dark Ages…and he is calling for a probe.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered an investigation into the blackouts and signed an emergency proclamation seeking to free up excess energy capacity.
“These blackouts, which occurred without prior warning or enough time for preparation, are unacceptable and unbefitting of the nation’s largest and most innovative state,” Newsom wrote in an emergency proclamation. “This cannot stand.”
Perhaps Newsom should stop blaming corporate greed and start reading Legal Insurrection. It would certainly be less expensive than an official investigation, and would likely yield useful, functional, and successful energy policy guidelines.
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Comments
Who could have foreseen this? EVERYONE
They couldn’t see it coming because the lights are off
Just as with all things once the nice sounding, pleasantly titled energy initiatives move from theoretical ideas to the hard, cruel world of implementation the reality of it’s failings can no longer be hidden behind a curtain of ideological and orthodox beliefs.
These ideas are then subjected to the harsh and glaring light of day, in full view of everyone to succeed or fail in real time and in the real world. No more modeling or theorizing, simple ability to perform as advertised is the standard.
And New York State wants to shut down the Indian Point nuclear power plants which supply New York City with 25% of its electric power. Then, when the same thing happens, the DemoncRat politicians will blame the power companies. Of course, this all goes back to the voters who put these politicians in office. You reap what you sow.
Let’s not forget blocking adtl pipeline capacity into LI, then requiring the local power company to keep hooking up new gas customers they can’t supply.
Effectively banning pellet stoves so up-staters w acerage can’t sustainably use their own trees, n woodlots end up unmaintained.
No connector pipelines in the fingerlakes.
Of course, no frakking for you.
BTW, how’s that solar n battery bonanza working out; you know, “The Buffalo Billion?”
When a liberal fails and launches a “probe” it is meant to be aimed at outer space, never to be heard from again.
CA is sitting on what could be the largest natural gas reserves in the world. They are massive and easily acquired. We don’t have to go exploring to find it. It’s just about everywhere you look. There is gigantic natural gas field right off of Monterey, e.g.
The best thing about natural gas is that it is, ahem, CLEAN ENERGY! The CA greenies are following the example of the Greenland farmers who starved to death as the glaciers reclaimed the continent although the nearby waters were teeming with fish. It never occurred to them to switch to fishing.
The same thing almost happened to the Lewis and Clark expedition near the end of their northwestern push when they couldn’t find enough deer and other animals to hunt and almost starved to death with salmon leaping out of the water all around them. They just didn’t eat fish (probably didn’t eat their vegetables either). Luckily a local tribe helped them out.
Taking a cue from Prince Andrew Cuomo, whose own dept of health absolved him of any responsibility in the nursing home-apocalypse he caused, Gov Newsome’s investigation will find that President Trump is to blame for the blackouts in California.
Because that’s the way it works in states that are run like banana republics.
That’s what happens when your governor replaces technically-qualified experts with social justice warriors. Lately, Warden Newsom’s warriors have been resigning left and right knowing the Warden would make them walk the plank. Inexplicably, everything in CA is rapidly devolving into one giant mess. Hey, shit happens right?
The gov. has signed a waiver to allow non-emergency use of backup generators for certain installations and sites that can go into an island mode. These sites are responding well but the blackouts will go on until the heat goes away.
During a “heat wave” there is virtually no wind and the biggest power draw is when the sun is setting and afterwards so PV won’t help. They’ve decommissioned San Onofre and Diego Canyon nuclear plants. Just about any power plant on the coast is being shut down because they aren’t pretty.
Sigh…anyone with an ounce of intelligent foresight could have seen this 20 years ago but this is a State run by democrats so….
“During a “heat wave” there is virtually no wind and the biggest power draw is when the sun is setting and afterwards so PV won’t help”
Discussion of these issues is superficial on LI. My background in scientific and engineering, covering multiple disciplines.
For example, batteries are not the only way to store energy. While more industrial buildings use thermal storage systems, they are becoming more common in residential systems.
My house is an example of thermal energy storage, in that I insulated the walls of a walkout basement, and installed two loops of hot water heating, one under the basement cement floor, amd another 16″ deeper. There are multiple sources of heat, solar, diesel cogeneration and a wood fired boiler.
The first loop immediately heats the floor to a set temperature, when it is up to the set temperature then water flows through the deep loop. and that energy rises up over about 16 hours.
Hot water can be used to power absorption cooling.
There is much more to this, it is a complex subject. The key to this is looking at the issues from a system approach. Rightnow we use individual devices fore each task, and that approach is very wasteful. Using high grade fuel to produce low grade heat is wasteful.
Ya”‘ll ever see the pictures of North Korea at night … The it’s completely dark … No lights …. No power … With a little more effort … California can be North Korea with no carbon emissions
What you will see in those nighttime satellite is the well illuminated eastern edge of Cali where people have generators powered by propane and wood burning stoves.
We do not fear the rolling blackouts of summer or the ones in winter when deferred maintenance by PG&E leaves the power grid to the mercy of the elements, specifically, snow.
I’ve been getting a text warning of potential power shut-down almost every day for a week or so; nothing yet.
This is about raising taxes and rates. This area is crammed with people who have solar panels, but the batteries remain very expensive and not terribly efficient. The time frame to catch them by the lads is narrowing.
Yesterday, SDG&E asked via email for people to conserve today; today they sent out another email with even more stringent requirements.
This is very ordinary August weather. We ALWAYS get a couple of weeks in August that are hot. SDG&E sets its rate structure to penalize people who use air-conditioning when it’s hot.
Meanwhile, they have thousands of people on a plan to have lower rates, in exchange for being cut off when it’s hot. Hence the “rolling black-outs.”
You got it. This is not “record heat” despite some new records for that day in certain locations. We have heat waves every year and we used to prepare for them by for one thing, building spare capacity into the system. This is a 100% man-made “crisis”. Planned incompetence to create another “crisis” to lot let go to waste.
Tax savings on money that does not have to be earned is an important consideration in determining the value of investments. A dollar saved is worth about two dollars in earnings. This is a very important issues when it is used over a long time frame, as is sweat equity.
I had an unusual childhood, especially from 7th grade on. There was very little in common with people my own age, but much in common with adults. They enjoyed teaching and I loved learning.
Most of those adults were depression era. They had broad skills and I hugely benefited from being around them.
That was especially true about managing debt, and by 35 I was free of debt.
I see self sufficiency skills as be crucial to getting past debt early. If we look at history, that was also important for or founding fathers, and mothers. Look at what they accomplished.
I imagine another outcome of this is: manufacturers who still actually make things here look at the lack of stability in energy sources in California, and then look elsewhere.
When did Austin TX become a tech hub? When the tech companies relocated their server farms to a state that generates electricity as it needs to.
The People’s Democratic Republic of Austin will soon follow the People’s Democratic Republic of California. Elon Musk announced plans to locate his new Tesla plant near Austin, which is a case of jumping from the fire into the frying pan. He bought himself a few years of (relative) stability but no more.
What a maroon. He seems shocked that the laws of physics can’t be repealed by green decree.
Bugs what is your opinion of Gov. Gruesome?
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DhxGgnI6kCrs&ved=2ahUKEwiR8tvxw6jrAhVHI6wKHbHmCpAQo7QBMAN6BAgBEAE&usg=AOvVaw04XaGlAPL8Twwxe59bk6Ek
less expensive than an official investigation
But then the consultants and lawyers wouldn’t be able to collect their usual exorbitant fees!
It is all Trump’s fault. No need for a probe!
Michigan would look a lot better without the soros marxists occupying all the top offices of government.
Did you boat on by and see my Trump 2020 No More Bullshit flag? Hope you saluted.
I’ve been seeing more and more of those flags and banners in my neck of the cornfields
I lived my whole life in Michigan. I am preparing to leave, probably would already be gone if not for China’s Wuhan virus.
It screwed up my plans.
My assessment is that between a rapidly growing Muslim population (about 4 fold per generation), an increasingly rabid black population, and illegals, that Michigan is doomed.
I have an impaired child, and I need to provide for that child for at least 50 years. It would be unwise to leave the child in Michigan.
I am moving to a conservative state.
Some, Select Green, not green, gray, really, Energy Matters (GEM).
Newsom’s implicit solution is to drive enough people out of the state to match the reduced electricity capacity.
I’ll say again: I’m thankful I live where I do, in a “backward” state. The forward thinkers in California and other similar locations are welcome to join us as long as they leave their politics and failed ideas behind.
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As with so many issues which humans confront, looking only at short term solutions while ignoring long-term consequences is not particularly helpful. If we continue to do things for daily comfort and satisfaction when those things are accelerating the die-off of entire species, threaten our ability to eat, drink, and breathe safely in the long term, then the bulk of our country is doing great and California is wrong. But if we care about our grandchildren and their grandchildren, then attempting to stabilize life on this planet is absolutely vital. Those who cannot see the long-term consequences of short-term satisfactions need better glasses and an enhanced morality.
This disturbing perception extends to human population growth,including the nutso determination that pregnant women must have their unwanted babies (but those kids will get no assistance with food, shelter, health care, or even love), further driving up a disastrous over-population and increasing demand for utility services… but I’ll leave that to the imagination of those three readers of your website who are capable of accurately analyzing these vital perceptions.
Virtue signal much? Could you show us the hockey stick that proves your “scientific” conclusion? Odd how that disappeared. The term for your fact-free argument is “emotional scientism”.
Your words are very pretty but they are the words of a self righteous fool. “Enhanced morality” just because I don’t agree with your diatribe? Anyhow thanks again O Wise One for educating we serfs as to how our high and mighty intellects think.
These blackouts, which occurred without prior warning or enough time for preparation, are unacceptable and unbefitting of the nation’s largest and most innovative state
Is he angry because the blackouts occurred or because they occurred without warning? Does time for preparation mean plan H?
Democrats Remove Abolishing Fossil Fuel From Their Platform…
Desperate
https://www.weaselzippers.us/454356-democrats-remove-abolishing-fossil-fuel-from-their-platform/