Mexico helping TX keep it's electric on

[rainbow4321]

Now wonder why the state is telling us there may not be rolling blackouts today..Mexico has come to our rescue!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110202/ts_alt_afp/mexicousweatherstorm_20110202234748

Mexico's state electricity company on Wednesday started supplying electricity to the US state of Texas, where demand shot up amid unusually cold temperatures and caused power outages.

Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission "was determined to support Texas with electrical energy faced with the problems the state is suffering due to climatological conditions," a statement said.

An energy transfer of 280 megawatts began at midday (1800 GMT) via the north Mexican border cities of Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa and Piedras Negras, it added

[dkf]

1. As long as they aren't depriving Mexicans of electricity that sounds nice.

[TBF]

2. I can't figure out why we're having outages in any case -

the draw in winter down here is so much less than summer. My power bill is about 1/3 of the summer bill in any winter month, sometimes even less. It is really strange that we are being told rolling blackouts are needed when it's 30 degrees outside.

[Statistical]

8. Do you have gas heat or heatpump?

Below freezing heatpumps lose efficiency rapidly and switch over to resistive heating elements. This puts huge demand on the grid.

Many powerplants use late winter as a time to go offline and perform annual maintenance. Demand is normally lower, so prices are lower making it a good time to get required maintenance in.

An unexpected severe and long cold snap at this point in the season caused combination of huge increase in demand at a time when significant number of plants were idled for maintenance (and couldn't easily or quickly spin up).

Heat pumps are a lot more common in South where winters are much less mild. A cold spell in VT for example would have caused a negligible change in electrical consumption as people simply burned more natural gas, propane, and heating oil.

[TBF]

11. That maintenance could be it - that makes sense to me.

The furnace and hot water heater are powered with gas. Our house was built in the late 90's. I've heard homes build in the 80's often had electric. But that maintenance thing is the one explanation I've heard that makes sense.

[Statistical]

13. It is the combination.

When it got colder you burn more gas. When it got colder people with heat pumps use more electricity. If it gets too cold the heatpump has to switch from compressor to high draw resistive heating and electrical demand skyrockets.

While total demand is likely still less than peak summer demand the reduced capacity (due to maintenance idling) couldn't handle that unexpected load at this point in the year.

[oldhippie]

15. Yep. My heat pump electrical coils have been working overtime .....

It's currently 14 F here in Central Texas. My heat pump is very efficient in the cooling mode, not so much in the heating mode. When it's below freezing here the electric coils (auxillary heat) kick in. They have been kicking in a LOT in the last week. When they are on they draw up to 80 amps at 240 volts, or 19.2kW. (That's in addition to the normal heat pump cycle current draw when using the cooling mode.) So it's much, much more than the cooling load. Multiply tens of thousands of heat pump resistive coils kicking on and you have quite a peak load on the grid.

[TBF]

16. Interesting - thanks to both of you for the explanations.

I really couldn't figure out what was going on.

[Xenotime]

3. So immigrants can't cross the border but electricty can!??!

:crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead: :crazy: :grr: :banghead:

[KansDem]

6. Ironic, isn't it?

Perhaps it's time to start the "anti-immigrelectrification" movement...

[Fumesucker]

10. You have to realize that the actual electrons don't really cross the border..

The electrons oscillate back and forth sixty times per second and only move somewhat less than an inch, in some cases a lot less..

:)

:hi:

[Statistical]

17. Why is that hard to believe?

Borders protect standards of living.

Global median income is $7,000 annually. More specifically the average Mexican worker makes $6,134 annually.

No matter what job you perform someone in Mexico can do it cheaper. Hell a couple million would gladly do it for half of what you are paid and would be immensely grateful for the opportunity.
http://www.worldsalaries.org/mexico.shtml

No immigration control = US wages reach parity with global wages - $7,000.

[badtoworse]

22. There are rules covering both immigration and the transfer of electricity.

Both should be done according to those rules, i.e. legally.

[hobbit709]

4. Ricky's accepting foreign aid from Mexico.

[Statistical]

14. It isn't aid. It is commerce.

Wholesale power rates in TX right now are at very high levels.
It is hugely profitable for Mexican utilities to pump power into Texan grid at highly inflated prices.

Saying it is Mexican Aid is like saying an oil tanker from Saudia Arabia is Middle Eastern "aid".

No it is global commerce.

[hobbit709]

18. Maybe I should have added this for those that don't understand goodhair

:sarcasm:

[HowHasItComeToThis]

5. HEY TEXAS, NO TAXES ...NO HEAT

OR AIR CONDITIONING

[madokie]

7. I'm sure the energy boys will be filing lawsuits against Mexico soon

substitute energy for oily

[somone]

9. Another good reason to secede

is it from the U.S. or Mexico?

[itsrobert]

12. The power companies have found a way to produce their dirty energy

Just do it in Mexico. This is just the start.

[Motown_Johnny]

19. If the drug cartels were smart they would shoot out those power lines

just to screw things up

[Statistical]

20. Drug Dealers are smart ...

It is a business not an ideology. A business that is extremely profitable.

How would shooting down powerlines make selling drugs more profitable?

[rainbow4321]

21. Update: Mexico says "on second thought...we need our electricity"

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iNNMw-dDPvOB21bkooBnPMUWa58w?docId=538ccbe2b8594d4d92d3c07a0a310729


Mexico said Thursday it was temporarily suspending an offer to provide electricity to Texas to help the U.S. state weather an ice storm that forced rolling blackouts, because of severe cold in Mexico's own territory.

Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission had said Wednesday it had agreed to transmit 280 megawatts of electricity to Texas.

But on Thursday, the commission said it was temporarily suspending the transfer because below-freezing temperatures in northern Mexico have caused some damage to the generating capacity of its own plants, causing some power outages in several parts of Chihuahua state and a reduction of about 3,800 megawatts in generation.