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[quote user="schlimm"] Sounds pretty serious, according to ERCOT. <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/20120522-texas-electrical-grid-operator-warns-of-shortages-in-coming-decade.ece">http://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/20120522-texas-electrical-grid-operator-warns-of-shortages-in-coming-decade.ece</a> "ERCOT was formed in 1970, in the wake of a major blackout in the Northeast in November 1965, and it was tasked with managing grid reliability in accordance with national standards. The agency assumed additional responsibilities following electric deregulation in Texas a decade ago. The ERCOT grid remains beyond the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which succeeded the Federal Power Commission and regulates interstate electric transmission. Historically, the Texas grid's independence has been violated a few times. Once was during World War II, when special provisions were made to link Texas to other grids. Another episode occurred in 1976 after a Texas utility, for reasons relating to its own regulatory needs, deliberately flipped a switch and sent power to Oklahoma for a few hours. This event, known as the "Midnight Connection," set off a major legal battle that could have brought Texas under the jurisdiction of federal regulators, but it was ultimately resolved in favor of continued Texan independence." [/quote] The point of my post was to point out the difficulties of long term planning, as per my experience in the electric utility industry, which is as capital intensive as the railroads, as it relates to long term planning for passenger rail services. It was not intended as a discussion of electric power in Texas. The article, which only scratches the surface, mentions a potential power shortage in 2022, with some constraints showing up in 2014.  There are numerous solutions being discussed, all of which are potentially workable. The ERCOT history lesson is superficial and irrelevant for an understanding of Texas's energy challenges.     A discussion of the Texas electric utility business, especially as it relates to my company, which neither you or blue streak know anything about, is beyond the scope of these forums.
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