I will admit, I don't know the source of this BUT I think it's likely true. How could it not be?
Subject: The coldest day of the year
I dont know how factual this article is but it certainly asks some
questions from those who know the answer.
According to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) website, on
December 31, 2021 the province's 13 grid-connected solar facilities
were rated at 736 megawatts of capacity but were contributing only 58
megawatts to the grid. Their 26 wind farms, with a combined rated
capacity of 2,269 megawatts, were contributing only 18 megawatts.
So, on a day that averaged somewhere around -30C across the province
(not exactly a rare event), at noon the total contribution of ALL
solar and wind capacity was only 76 megawatts, or 2.5% of the rated
solar/wind capacity. That means that someone (taxpayers?) paid for
97.5% of capacity that was totally absent at that particularly point
in time.
At that same time, the total load was 11,232 megawatts. So solar and
wind was providing only 0.7% of the total electric energy that was
demanded of the grid.
What would have happened that day if all of the existing coal and
natural gas fired plants had been mothballed - as some "experts" are
calling for in the near future? How many people would have frozen to
death? How many electric cars would not have started? If, on the
coldest day of the year, we can only count on 2.5% of the rated
capacity of solar and wind power, what's really going to happen? Will
we be subjected to rolling blackouts and brownouts? Will the
fundamental requirements of our modern society be available to us? Or
will we be jerked back to medieval times burning wood in our homes and
pulling our wagons with horses? Next time you're talking to Justin
Trudeau or David Suzuki, perhaps they would care to answer these
questions.
So forget the debate of how much the government should rebate people
when they buy an electric car or install a high-speed charger in their
garage. Forget the debate on how much carbon Canada emits into the
air. And ignore the people who believe that electric power somehow
magically comes out of the wall socket without considering the immense
complexity of operating a modern-day electric grid with power demands
changing literally on a minute-by-minute basis 24/7/365. Perhaps
someone should, finally, start talking about where all of our power is
going to come from, how reliable it will be, and how much it will
really cost (both to install and operate) - after our so-called
leaders shut down all of our fossil fuel and nuclear options.
