From the
Statesman.com - Power company executives passed around a gauge and explained that many of the power plant shutdowns could be traced to simple equipment failures because of a lack of adequate insulation and winterization. They promised fixes to prevent a repeat incident. That assessment would seem familiar to anyone who read the 1990 investigation : "The extreme weather pointed out several weak areas in power plant operations. Inoperative or inadequate heat tracing systems and inadequate insulation on instrumentation sensing lines seemed to be the most common technical equipment problem encountered during the freeze." Heat tracing typically involves wrapping energized wires around pipes to warm them. The companies reported a range of responses to the crippling event, from a total re-evaluation of weatherization protocols, to simply increasing insulation on affected equipment. "Whether the corrective actions being implemented by the utilities are sufficient to prevent future freeze-related power plant failures, only direct experience with another deep freeze will ascertain," the 1990 analysis concluded. Another result of the recent February power shortages is a bill introduced by state Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy . It would require power generation companies to produce a weatherization plan that is available to the public and reviewed regularly by the Public Utility Commission.
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February power blackouts across Texas echoed 1989 failures, state report
From the Statesman.com - Power company executives passed around a gauge and explained that many of the power plant shutdowns could be traced to simple equipment failures because of a lack of adequate insulation and winterization. They promised fixes to prevent a repeat incident. That assessment would seem familiar to anyone who read the 1990 investigation : "The extreme weather pointed out several weak areas in power plant operations. Inoperative or inadequate heat tracing systems and inadequate insulation on instrumentation sensing lines seemed to be the most common technical equipment problem encountered during the freeze." Heat tracing typically involves wrapping energized wires around pipes to warm them. The companies reported a range of responses to the crippling event, from a total re-evaluation of weatherization protocols, to simply increasing insulation on affected equipment. "Whether the corrective actions being implemented by the utilities are sufficient to prevent future freeze-related power plant failures, only direct experience with another deep freeze will ascertain," the 1990 analysis concluded. Another result of the recent February power shortages is a bill introduced by state Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy . It would require power generation companies to produce a weatherization plan that is available to the public and reviewed regularly by the Public Utility Commission. Read more
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Updated link: http://www.statesman.com/news/local/february-power-blackouts-across-texas-echoed-1989-failures-1390558.html
In Dona Ana county, if you plan to build on your land, you have to provide drainage plans for the "100-yr storm". Why aren't electic utilities required to be able to handle 100-yr temperature extremes? Their excuse is that their power plants are designed for hot weather operation. Well, people's pipes don't boil in hot weather, but they freeze and burst in freezing weather. EPE should be paying for every repair of broken pipes and for the resulting damage that occured in areas which were affected by the rolling blackouts.
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