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Originally Posted by Efthreeoh
Thank you for this post.
When someone says Texas "privatized" its power grid, it is clear they don't understand the subject matter. Utilities are private companies that "own" the nation's electrical "grid" at the state level. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) can have regulatory jurisdiction over a state's grid IF the state subrogates jurisdiction to the Feds. Large states like Texas and California have their own state-level Energy Regulatory Commissions. I had to learn the regulatory side in a prior life because I used to write contracts for a company that was trying to establish and sell drone flight inspection services to the electric utility industry. The Federal government makes doing anything a complete pain in the ass.
Your description of the physics behind electrical generation and transmission should better understood by those who argue such things as "planet saving". The problem with such people is one has to write an internet thesis paper to explain things that these people don't understand and therefore don't believe what is being told to them, or there is some sort of political agenda behind the words. Things are engineered on purpose as an amalgamation over time makes engineered systems better. Trying to go carbonless via "sustainable* energy" in the future is retrograde.
* the new buzzword is "Renewables".
Thanks.
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Texas deregulated or privatized only the generation and retail electric markets. The "wires" side of the business i.e. transmission and distribution lines, are still regulated by the PUC and they pretty much follow NERC and FERC guidelines across the state but are not forced to do so except at the interconnections between ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) the Eastern and Western grids, there are only DC ties and not AC to rest of the country. Texas/ERCOT is independently operated as are the other 2 grids.