Is it really that cold?

[Terrierman]

2 hours ago, MOPanfisher said:

They are doing rolling blackouts in spfld too according to City Uilities.

That order was lifted shortly after noon.  But.  Subject to change.  This is seems to be different than peak times I've ever been around.

[Terrierman]

1 hour ago, ness said:

We're getting rolling blackouts around here. Nothing at my house yet.

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article249265505.html

 

Good luck.  Nobody needs that to happen to them.

[ness]

32 minutes ago, Terrierman said:

Good luck.  Nobody needs that to happen to them.

We'll be fine. Lots of others not so lucky. 

[jdmidwest]

Rolling blackout would be a PIA for me, I am all electric.  And I am dreading my bill coming down the pipes.  But my pipes are still flowing and home is 70.

[bfishn]

For us west-siders;

 

Current Grid Conditions (last updated Feb. 15 at 5:14 p.m. Central time):

After directing member utilities to implement controlled interruptions of service shortly after noon on Feb. 15, Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has restored load to its 14-state region as of 2:00 p.m. Central time. The grid operator now has enough generation available to meet demand throughout its service territory and to fully meet its minimum reserve requirements.

The SPP system reached a peak electricity usage of 43,661 megawatts (MW) on Feb. 15, and is required to carry additional operating reserves in excess of load. After committing all of its reserves and exhausting other avenues such as importing power from other regions, available generation in SPP fell about 641 MW short of demand for a period beginning just after noon. In response, SPP directed its member utilities to implement planned interruptions of service to curtail electricity use by that amount.

Effective at 2:00 p.m., SPP cancelled the Energy Emergency Alert (EEA) Level 3 it had declared at 10:08 a.m. when its reserves were exhausted, and re-entered an EEA Level 2. SPP’s forecasts anticipate that due to high load and persistent cold weather, it is likely its system will fluctuate between EEA Levels 2 and 3 over the next 48 hours and may have to direct further interruptions of service if available generation is inadequate to meet high demand.

[oneshot 1]

On live camera in South Dakota seen a Guy today with no shirt -7.

oneshot

[Devan S.]

I assume SPP gets some(if not all) of its power from SPA which controls generation on the white river chain. 

Found it interesting that they are NOT running full generation today during that late morning to mid-afternoon time. 

[bfishn]

The sister of my brothers-from-another-mother has taken a daily swim in a local lake for a few years now. Here's todays' dip with air temps of ~2 degrees.

 

[Terrierman]

5 hours ago, Basfis said:

Rolling blackouts with gas wells freezing. Thank heavens we are going green.... I don’t recall the coal plant freezing up....

You may not realize that coal fired power plants are closing fast because natural gas fired generation is cheaper and cleaner.  But it's true.

[Basfis]

6 minutes ago, Terrierman said:

You may not realize that coal fired power plants are closing fast because natural gas fired generation is cheaper and cleaner.  But it's true.

It CAN be cheaper. Prices are exploding now.
CU acknowledged upcoming investigations into price gouging in their press conference today.