Level 2 power alert in AB last night.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Interesting , someone should answer that ?

I'm trying. I just called and asked. The relevant party is supposed to call me back with an answer.

Within 3 business days. I'll keep you posted.

[Hamloc]

The folks that quote the AESO figures for wind need to be able to explain why hydro doesn't work either in cold weather. When you get done explaining that maybe explain why several of the gas and coal facilities are producing nothing either.

[ATTACH]5489[/ATTACH]

In doing a quick bit of googling I found a press release from TransAlta stating that Sundance #3 and #5 have been mothballed until Nov. 1,2021 while TransAlta assesses market prices and conditions. It should also be noted that TransAlta has applied and I believe been approved to convert 3-6 from coal to natural gas. As for Sheerness 1 and 2 in Hannah both have been approved for conversion to natural gas. I have a cousin that works in the Hannah area and I believe that conversion has already begun on the one plant which would explain why the one is not producing. As for Hydro certainly an interesting question.

[ajl]

Some of those hydro stations are irrigation projects and likely only work during irrigation season.

[rumrocks]

I was surprised to learn that the city of Lethbridge uses more power in summer than the winter.

Higher amperage for air conditioning compressors and blower motor vs blower motors on furnaces plus auto block heaters, who would have guessed, Lethbridge winters are warmer than Red Deer, but still, am
I missing something.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6412450/cold-snap-energy-use-alberta-lethbridge/ https://globalnews.ca/news/6412450/cold-snap-energy-use-alberta-lethbridge/





r

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Another bitter cold day in AB. Wind power spent much of the day in the single digits, as low as 3 MW out of 1781 nameplate at one point while I happened to check, it may have gone lower. That is 0.17% of what they are rated at. And makes their contribution to the total grid load a whopping 0.027% at that point.

Warnings on the news again today to limit electricity consumption to avoid overloading the system.

On a positive note, the sun must have shone, since the Brooks solar farm did register for a while.

[TASFarms]

I can’t figure out how those wind mills pay. I watched the last few days and zeros and single digits don’t even come close to profit. Now that natural gas generator in Calgary makes some dollars 830 mega watts

[Crestliner]

I can’t figure out how those wind mills pay. I watched the last few days and zeros and single digits don’t even come close to profit. Now that natural gas generator in Calgary makes some dollars 830 mega watts

Yes and they need oil products to operate...grease in the bearings and shaft and petroleum products to be built in the first place (carbon fibre blades).

Windmills are a great source of energy for the north where there are no gas line or limited powerline....but given the long dark nights and calm no wind days.....they better have lots of diesel for the generators and would split and piled if they run out.

[dmlfarmer]

Why do you argue that it is an either/or scenario; either fossil fuels or green energy? Why not have both and use the source that provides the most benefit both economically and environmentally?

Compare this to your harvest system. Given the last few falls, what is the best scenario, making no change in your harvest system, investing in a bigger combine to get the crop off faster, or keeping existing sized combine and adding a dryer?

Arguing that windmills are no good because some days there are no wind is equivalent to arguing grain dryers are no good because some years I will not need to dry grain.

And even if you do invest in a drying system, you still need a combine, just as there will always be a need conventionally generated power,

[Hamloc]

Why do you argue that it is an either/or scenario; either fossil fuels or green energy? Why not have both and use the source that provides the most benefit both economically and environmentally?

Compare this to your harvest system. Given the last few falls, what is the best scenario, making no change in your harvest system, investing in a bigger combine to get the crop off faster, or keeping existing sized combine and adding a dryer?

Arguing that windmills are no good because some days there are no wind is equivalent to arguing grain dryers are no good because some years I will not need to dry grain.

And even if you do invest in a drying system, you still need a combine, just as there will always be a need conventionally generated power,

Dml I certainly agree but it is our politicians that need to be asked this question not fellow farmers. The Green Party of Canada, the federal NDP, Greenpeace on and on. They all say the use of fossil fuels must be phased out period! Ab5 always brings up the point that renewable energy increases the cost of electricity. This week is a perfect example, many articles from various sources talking about Alberta paying $999 a megawatt(the maximum allowed by law in Alberta apparently) for electricity as our generation capacity reached its maximum output. The average cost for the last year was about $50 a megawatt. According to an expert on Danielle Smiths program yesterday one of the reasons we ran out of generation capacity was the mothballing of coal plants and therefore our greater dependency on wind power which was producing almost nothing all week. So yes Dml I agree with your common sense unfortunately there is very little common sense in the environmental movement of late. Also interesting to note Chuck has gone silent this week, go figure. Enjoy your day.

[dmlfarmer]

Dml I certainly agree but it is our politicians that need to be asked this question not fellow farmers. The Green Party of Canada, the federal NDP, Greenpeace on and on. They all say the use of fossil fuels must be phased out period! Ab5 always brings up the point that renewable energy increases the cost of electricity. This week is a perfect example, many articles from various sources talking about Alberta paying $999 a megawatt(the maximum allowed by law in Alberta apparently) for electricity as our generation capacity reached its maximum output. The average cost for the last year was about $50 a megawatt. According to an expert on Danielle Smiths program yesterday one of the reasons we ran out of generation capacity was the mothballing of coal plants and therefore our greater dependency on wind power which was producing almost nothing all week. So yes Dml I agree with your common sense unfortunately there is very little common sense in the environmental movement of late. Also interesting to note Chuck has gone silent this week, go figure. Enjoy your day.

Hamlock, with all due respect, it is not just the left that is committed to reducing fossil fuels. In fact, in June 2015 at the G7 summit in Germany, Harper committed Canada to ending the use of all fossil fuels for energy by 2100 period. Is this possible, I doubt it. But in the 1920's most farmers felt tractors would never replace horses. Technology changes, costs change, needs change so not I am prepared to say ending all fossil fuel is impossible; just I doubt it and I question if such a goal is doable, wise, or practical.

Also, part of the current electricity shortage/sky high electrical prices is due to major breakdowns of 2 generators in Alberta. Highligts the importance of the grid to share power from areas where electricity can be generated to areas which are short. While no wind here, does not mean no wind anywhere. Just as fossil fuel generated power can be sent to places where generators have broke down. Which begs the question of price gouging by a private electrical generation system, not just in production but in the building of transmission lines.