Electricity costs skyrocket along with oil usage

[TexasTowelie]

THE NEW ENGLAND power grid kept the lights on across the region in January, but at a very high cost financially and in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

The cost of the electricity on the regional wholesale market was $1.4 billion, double what it was in December ($721 million) and almost triple what it was a year ago ($488 million), according to data gathered by the region’s power grid operator, ISO-New England.

The fuel mix used to generate the region’s electricity also changed dramatically in January, with power plants running on oil producing 12 percent of New England’s power. Over the last year, oil’s share of the fuel mix had never risen above 0.9 percent; in January 2021, it was 0.2 percent.

The higher cost of electricity and the higher dependence on oil were both caused by slightly higher demand (the temperature in January was 2 degrees colder than normal) and dramatically higher prices for natural gas, the primary fuel used to produce electricity in the region.

Read more: https://commonwealthmagazine.org/energy/electricity-costs-skyrocket-along-with-oil-usage/

[hunter]

1. People who use gas for heating have priority over power plants.

Oil is then used as an alternative fuel, largely because it can be stored on site, unlike gas.

Renewable energy will not solve this problem. It will make it worse.

Large areas of Europe have had to increase their use of coal and oil this winter because the wind wasn't blowing and supplies of natural gas were limited.

[c-rational]

2. Go nuclear anyone. CA was just urged by environmentalists to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear

plant running to meet carbon emission goals.