A major heatwave has hit Texas and put the Lone Star State’s energy grid under severe stress. At the same time, low wind speeds mean that wind turbines in Texas are operating at just eight percent of their capacity. Ultimately, intermittency is a major problem for wind power, especially during periods of hot weather when demand increases and wind speeds fall. Texas is suffering a major heat wave. Three-digit temperatures are straining the state’s grid and earlier this month prompted ERCOT, the Lone Star State’s grid operator, to ask Texans to conserve energy. It also severely affected wind power generation. Bloomberg reported this week that wind turbines in Texas are operating at just 8 percent of their capacity because of low wind speeds. This is really unfortunate because demand for electricity is on a strong rise because of the weather. There is a certain irony that the biggest wind […]