I guess Texas can be cold at times

[iceknight]

Thought I would check in after a while. Quick summary.
Another very typical partisan political thread with some standard elements.

1. Some people just making fun of Texas .
2. Cruz bad (from libs and some people even on conservative side who note the optics are bad, as well as lack of leadership). If he did need to go out of Texas, he could have at least chosen somewhere inside the US, to support the US economy. But instead he goes to Mexico, mightve as well gone to China, ok?

3. Diehard conservatives taking it too seriously and supporting Cruz no matter what and doing whatbaoutism of "but but Cuomo, but but Newsome and but but that mayor of Austin who went to Colorado, forgot to add Pelosi's haircut (I personally hated her even more for this) - all valid points of course, but doesnt give a pass to Cruz's actions during a really bad crisis). To be clear, I do lean more towards positions of the Left mainly because the Republicans have handed everything to the tea party and trump, and not standing anywhere close to orig Republican principles.

4. Some general back and forth on Biden, Trump, Kamala Harris etc.
5. Some points about AOC, Beto doing fundraising, crisis management etc
6. Some points about Federal vs State matters in general.

End of the day, absolute normal day in PA off topic, and everybody patting their own back.

If I missed any key elements in the Cliff notes summary, please add. thanks.

[iceknight]

Originally Posted by fast4522

This country has protected our electric grid in the event of a EMP attack, but failed to protect our people from the green whack jobs. I fault no man for spending time with his family, none of us are perfect.

Texas is (intentionally) not part of the various grid interconnections. "None of us are perfect, but none of us chose to represent the people and collect a cushy senate pay and benefits either". Weakest argument ever.

[xtb]

"They recreated an old-style Soviet bureau and it's collapsed just like the Soviet economy did,” Hirs says.

He says if you’re a company that generates power, there’s no incentive to be ready for winter.

"In Texas, every generator really is geared toward providing service in July and August and September when it gets really hot,” Hirs said. “And throughout most of the year, not all of those generators are necessary. And because we don't pay the generators unless they're bringing electricity to market - at the end of September, they button up and go home."

https://13wham.com/news/nation-world...ion-02-19-2021


Interesting piece from 2013.

https://www.chron.com/opinion/outloo...ty-4301693.php

[davew]

the cold weather in Texas is being attributed to climate change? wtf


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/te...?ocid=msedgdhp

[Marshall Bennett]

AOC says we were lacking enough green energy.
Someone needs to throw that stupid bitch off a cliff.

[xtb]

Originally Posted by davew

the cold weather in Texas is being attributed to climate change? wtf


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/te...?ocid=msedgdhp

People will recall fondly the days of global warming when we are in the grip of a Maunder Minimum.

[JustRalph]

I just heard that the real number for renewable energy that froze or stopped working is 35% and as of today it’s still just under 30%.

WTF?

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by davew

some very high electricity bills showing up in Texas



do they have brokers and different sellers from the same lines?

I was a Broker (small to mid sized businesses targeted- not residential) until 2 yrs ago (late 2016-2019), never once tried to sell a short term contract to small business. People who tried to go w/ those 90 day contracts are now paying 5k a month, but those "know it alls" are few and far between.

People who don't take common sense into consideration eventually get whacked.

Until a couple of years ago selling energy as a Broker was a good way to make $$ in a bad economy. A broker talked me into the industry. Hard to make it on your own but if you have a lot of contacts and knew their businesses (having been in supply chain for a long while w/ 100s off suppliers) you have a shot at helping businesses save money.

Now it's much harder. Margins are way down due to REPs having expanded sales staffs. Getting competitive pricing from REPs is a tougher road. Without access to competitive pricing it isn't worth the effort

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by davew

I found it interesting that some ERCOT directors do not live in Texas and one doesn't even live in the USA.

5 that I've read of don't live here. They need to find employment elsewhere given their Org's disdain for the people who suffered because of poor management

I bet any Engineer working for ERCOT that mutters the words "standard deviation" will get bitchslapped on the spot

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by ElKabong

I was a Broker (small to mid sized businesses targeted- not residential) until 2 yrs ago (late 2016-2019), never once tried to sell a short term contract to small business. People who tried to go w/ those 90 day contracts are now paying 5k a month, but those "know it alls" are few and far between.

People who don't take common sense into consideration eventually get whacked.

Until a couple of years ago selling energy as a Broker was a good way to make $$ in a bad economy. A broker talked me into the industry. Hard to make it on your own but if you have a lot of contacts and knew their businesses (having been in supply chain for a long while w/ 100s off suppliers) you have a shot at helping businesses save money.

Now it's much harder. Margins are way down due to REPs having expanded sales staffs. Getting competitive pricing from REPs is a tougher road. Without access to competitive pricing it isn't worth the effort

I had to negotiate a deal for my restaurant last year. Our locked in price/contract expired and the corporate types didn’t realize it. I got a 36k electric bill for 35 days. Normal was about 7-8k. We went into an “open market” deal which means we paid the daily market rate during August. It was as high as 63-70 cents a kWh on some days.

I refused to let corporate renew or negotiate a contract. I dealt with several brokers and right before signing with someone else the original company Starts with a “Reliant” ends with “screw you”
Came back and matched any offer we received. We ended up getting .02 cents less than our lowest offer from the others. I signed an 8 yr contract with an opt out at 5 if I want it. They cannot opt out. The numbers they make commercial/business customers pay are 4 times what residential Custm pay. I’m reading about 15k bills coming to residential customers.......I have only one choice in electricity at my home. Entergy. I’m hoping I don’t get killed.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by iceknight

Thought I would check in after a while. Quick summary.
Another very typical partisan political thread with some standard elements.

1. Some people just making fun of Texas .
2. Cruz bad (from libs and some people even on conservative side who note the optics are bad, as well as lack of leadership). If he did need to go out of Texas, he could have at least chosen somewhere inside the US, to support the US economy. But instead he goes to Mexico, mightve as well gone to China, ok?

3. Diehard conservatives taking it too seriously and supporting Cruz no matter what and doing whatbaoutism of "but but Cuomo, but but Newsome and but but that mayor of Austin who went to Colorado, forgot to add Pelosi's haircut (I personally hated her even more for this) - all valid points of course, but doesnt give a pass to Cruz's actions during a really bad crisis). To be clear, I do lean more towards positions of the Left mainly because the Republicans have handed everything to the tea party and trump, and not standing anywhere close to orig Republican principles.

4. Some general back and forth on Biden, Trump, Kamala Harris etc.
5. Some points about AOC, Beto doing fundraising, crisis management etc
6. Some points about Federal vs State matters in general.

End of the day, absolute normal day in PA off topic, and everybody patting their own back.

If I missed any key elements in the Cliff notes summary, please add. thanks.

Speaking of patting one's back.

Feel better now?

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by iceknight

To be clear, I do lean more towards positions of the Left mainly because the Republicans have handed everything to the tea party and trump, and not standing anywhere close to orig Republican principles.

And why do you think this happened?

It was precisely BECAUSE your "orig Republican principles" were NOT BEING carried out by Republicans!

That's why the "Tea Party" and Trump rose to prominence.

Do you honestly believe prior to the TeaParty or Trump, "orig Rep principles" were all the rage among elected representatives in the Republican party?

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

I had to negotiate a deal for my restaurant last year. Our locked in price/contract expired and the corporate types didn’t realize it. I got a 36k electric bill for 35 days. Normal was about 7-8k. We went into an “open market” deal which means we paid the daily market rate during August. It was as high as 63-70 cents a kWh on some days.

I refused to let corporate renew or negotiate a contract. I dealt with several brokers and right before signing with someone else the original company Starts with a “Reliant” ends with “screw you”
Came back and matched any offer we received. We ended up getting .02 cents less than our lowest offer from the others. I signed an 8 yr contract with an opt out at 5 if I want it. They cannot opt out. The numbers they make commercial/business customers pay are 4 times what residential Custm pay. I’m reading about 15k bills coming to residential customers.......I have only one choice in electricity at my home. Entergy. I’m hoping I don’t get killed.

Ralph,

In the future, do this... sign up with BOX/ Broker Online Exchange. Before doing so, look at the website and see what I'm talking about. YOU pay zero commission for YOUR business and you're under no obligation to sell to anyone else

If businesses had known this I wouldn't have made a dime selling energy for 3 yrs. Business owners can be their own broker. Get a VERY low pricing and not pay any commission

2 yrs ago I was selling different REPs (tri eagle, ambit, txu etc) as an Independent Broker at 3.75 cents per kwh on 36 month terms. Those prices don't exist now, but if you sign up w/ BOX you'll get lower pricing as humanly possible

I'd sell a 24-30 month deal with a convenience store, annual commission with my sale would be anywhere from $700 to 1k. And I was severely under cutting what REP sales people had offered the businesses.

Deregulation was both good and bad. Good if you're smart, bad if you're not.

Check out BOX, you have nothing to lose. No yearly fee, nothing. For the life of me I don't know why small business owners don't do this. BOX markets that angle to no end

[ElKabong]

Originally Posted by iceknight

If I missed any key elements in the Cliff notes summary, please add. thanks.

MKAY....

[summersquall]

Originally Posted by JustRalph

I’m reading about 15k bills coming to residential customers.......I have only one choice in electricity at my home. Entergy. I’m hoping I don’t get killed.

I to am a reidential Entergy customer. Unlike ERCOT Entergy is a part of the MISO grid which stretches from Canada to GoMx. It is my understanding that Entergy remains a fully regulated utility, responsible for both the energy component and the delivery component of electricity. As a result, your energy prices should not be subject to the spot market, as many who have chosen their own energy suppliers will be. That said, there's the possibility/likelihood that Entergy requests a rate increase in near future as a result of significant costs incurred during this weather event.