Michael E. Webber @MichaelEWebber Twitter profile | Pikagi

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Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

16,144

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2,079

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Author of & Power Trip & Thirst 4 Power & | @UTAustin @WebberEnergy @energyimpact_ | Father, Husband | RT≠E, opinions my own

Austin, TX

https://t.co/lMtQ9W8zpA

Joined May 2014

Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.

Pinned Tweet

@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

Option A: 1) more power plants Option B: 1) more power plants 2) more transmission 3) more demand response 4) more energy efficiency Option B is cheaper than Option A. It's cleaner, too. And safer for humans. With @joshdr83 @DrewKassel @WebberEnergy Matt Skiles

@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

Our latest musings on improving energy reliability in Texas. Two years after its historic deep freeze, Texas is increasingly vulnerable to cold snaps – and there are more solutions than just building power plants via @ConversationUS

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

Incredible traffic jam in Paris as people try to leave the city before 9 pm curfew and before confinement begins at midnight. Traffic is barely moving in every direction as far as the eye can see. Lots of honking and frustrated drivers.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 months

I just paid my property taxes and anyone who tells you Texas is a low-tax state is LYING. The tax structure in Texas is designed to soak the middle class and protect the richest earners (with zero income tax) and the landed gentry (with agricultural tax exemptions on ranches).

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

@katiemehnert Two points: 1) renewables saved us a lot of money -- every MWh of renewables meant there was some fuel we didn't have to pay for, which kept prices low 2) natgas & coal rocked partly b/c they exceeded emissions standards (w/permission) --which is a reminder that they're dirtier

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

8 months

Just tried to get insurance for a property in Austin, TX & was told that @LibertyMutual is "not taking any additional risks in this area b/c of weather concerns, etc." Affirms what I've been saying: the insurance industry takes climate change more seriously than policymakers.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

Restaurants are crowded, too, as people are going out to eat for what may be their last dinner out for at least one month (and maybe more).

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

5 years

“Oil LOL” Spotted by my daughter on a @Tesla . In Texas.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Wind prices dropped 90%. Then solar prices dropped 90%. Now battery prices have dropped 90%. Exciting trends.

@NatBullard

Nat Bullard

2 years

It’s here - @BloombergNEF 2021 lithium-ion battery price survey. Despite battery metals ⬆️, batteries themselves continue their downward trend to $132 per kilowatt-hour (from $1,220/kWh in 2010). Outstanding work from @JamesTFrith and team

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

This story is one-sided. To be fair they should post a video of a solar spill.

@kristina_coble

Kristina

@kristina_coble

3 years

#BREAKING : Tanker at Marathon Refinery in Texas City is leaking oil. @DevenClarke is headed to the scene to provide live updates at 11 a.m. @KPRC2 #hounews

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

One of the biggest myths is that Texas is a low-tax state. This is patently false. Our property tax rate is 2.5-3x higher than in California. AND residential homeowners are subsidizing industry to the tune of ~$1000/household per year. via @houstonchron

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Huge corporations are saving $10 billion on Texas taxes, and you're paying for it

The biggest corporate tax giveaway in Texas saves companies billions. But would they come...

www.houstonchronicle.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Really spectacular reporting on Winter Storm Uri in Texas: 1) gas failed BEFORE the power system failed 2) gas suppliers made $11B extra, but power companies lost money 3) it was a wealth transfer from consumers and power companies to gas companies 4) a lot of people died

@byjayroot

Jay Root

3 years

Superbly reported, easy-to-grasp story here —> Gas sellers reaped an $11 billion windfall during the five-day winter storm that froze the Texas power grid and led to blackouts across the state via @business #txlege

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

I can’t stop watching this.

@TansuYegen

Tansu Yegen

2 years

History of Europe 1500-2022 in country balls

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 months

I wrote about the myth that Texas is a low-tax state here:

@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

One of the biggest myths is that Texas is a low-tax state. This is patently false. Our property tax rate is 2.5-3x higher than in California. AND residential homeowners are subsidizing industry to the tune of ~$1000/household per year. via @houstonchron

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

I took this shot this morning heading south east from Lubbock to Austin. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than to see new forms of energy silhouetted by sunrise.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

11 months

Whoever designed it such that solar energy output is high when it is hot outside was brilliant.

@douglewinenergy

Doug Lewin

@douglewinenergy

11 months

ERCOT has called for conservation and conditions are very tight indeed today. Solar is making a massive, determinative difference, producing 12 gigawatts on peak. #txlege #txenergy #energytwitter

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Absolutely incredible. The Texas Legislature is unwilling to tackle the root cause of the energy crisis in February. The gas system gets a pass on expectations to winterize and ends up holding the bags of cash at the end.

@MoseBuchele

Mose Buchele

3 years

After every winter blackout in Texas history, state lawmakers have ignored a main cause. It looks like they might do it again.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

My son & I watched the 76ers tonight on TV: Son: Is that Steph Curry? Me: No it's Seth Curry. Son: Brothers? Me: Yes. Their father was an NBA player, too. Son: Incredible that skills can pass from father to son like that. I guess that means I'll be good at Excel and Powerpoint.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

This is what many of us were saying: gas started failing Feb 10; power failed 5 days later (b/c of gas shortages & frozen equipment). Meanwhile the governor blamed wind. It's tiring. Texas gov knew of gas shortages days before blackout, blamed wind anyway

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Texas gov knew of natural gas shortages days before blackout, blamed wind anyway

Official's phone logs offer blow-by-blow account of the disaster as it unfolded.

arstechnica.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

I will quit complaining about online classes.

@jamesdenselow

James Denselow

4 years

Pupils start the new school year in Taez, Yemen

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

8 months

I am very excited to share with you that as of September 1, 2023, I have the honor of holding the John J. McKetta Centennial Energy Chair in Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. It is humbling to be selected for the McKetta Energy Chair.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

11 months

Texas is a pro-death state. Leads the nation by far in maternal mortality Gun violence through the roof 700+ deaths in Winter Storm Uri Middling COVID death rate High # of deaths at work Life expectancy is declining If we’re serious about life, we have a long way to go.

@GregAbbott_TX

Greg Abbott

11 months

Texas will always be a pro-life state. Proud of our efforts to protect the unborn & support families: ✅ Historic funding for Thriving Texas Families, previously Alternatives to Abortion ✅ 12 mo. Medicaid coverage for new moms ✅ Eliminated taxes on products for women & babies

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

The Green New Deal—which is a policy concept that has not been implemented in any state or the federal level–is somehow responsible for the failure of Texas’ gas-heavy grid. A future policy is to blame for the decisions we made over the last 1 to 80 years. That makes zero sense.

@Acyn

Acyn

3 years

Abbott: This shows how the Green New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America...

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

I believe w/great clarity that we'll 1) solve the climate crisis 2) faster than people anticipate & 3) remove CO2 from the atmosphere to get us to pre-industrial levels. IMO it's obvious this will happen. If you're curious, I'll post an explanation. But it's locked in, y'all.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Seems like perfectly normal behavior: @energytransfer is threatening to cut off gas to 2GW of @VistraCorp power plants as a winter storm approaches. But gas is reliable, right? Maybe ETP will find generosity and "let" them buy gas at gouged prices.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

After hearing for decades that we can't afford to spend BILLIONS to prevent long-term climate change, I'm really stunned that we will spend TRILLIONS to serve as a short-term economic cushion for the COVID-19 pandemic. How do we square these two opposing responses?

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 months

@FracSlap They are so high...yet we do not fully fund education. So frustrating.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

I don’t think Americans realize how big a deal the Ukraine invasion is. I don’t think this will be like wars we watched on cable TV like video games for the last 30 yrs. One of the worlds largest militaries wants to violently move the border of the largest country in Europe.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

This tweet makes a key point that I also have been making for many years. STEM teaches analytical thinking. Humanities teach critical thinking. We are having a national crisis in critical thinking, which means we have trouble distinguishing fact from fiction. That’s bad.

@eyelessgame

Al Peṭṭerson

2 years

1992: The humanities are useless. Study STEM. 2002: The humanities are useless. Study STEM. 2012: The humanities are useless. Study STEM. 2022: Why are nazis suddenly about to take over?

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

When I was an Austin Energy commissioner 2008-2013 vegetation management came up in discussion a lot. The problem was that rich, empowered customers in Tarrytown, NW Hills, Westlake, etc. *hated* the tree trimming and fought to slow it down. We're paying the price for that now.

@MoseBuchele

Mose Buchele

1 year

Austin Energy's 2021 Annual Report touted a doubling of the tree trimming budget and hiring of an additional contractor to do more vegetation management. Interestingly, the utility has trimmed more miles in previous years than the 313 it reports here.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

This is Waterloo. He was a very good boy. RIP 😢 May 14, 2009 - June 15, 2022

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

@JohnCornyn Senator, I am happy to host you @UTAustin to explain how this would happen. Basically, cars are replaced every decade or so & the new cars could be EVs manufactured right here in TX & charged w/electricity from natgas, wind or solar also from Texas. A huge $$$ opportunity for TX!

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Texas doesn't believe in gov't. So we understaff it. Which makes gov't underperform. Which makes Texans not believe in gov't. So we understaff it further. And so forth. Right-sizing the staff to oversee a grid the size of England's seems like an appropriate thing to do.

@MoseBuchele

Mose Buchele

2 years

A state government review of the Texas Public Utility Commission finds that the agency’s staff size — only 166 people last year — is not enough to “oversee utility industries vital to the wellbeing of Texans." And there's more..

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Hey #EnergyTwitter I know you share my disgust for woke liberals who want to end our way of life by reducing fossil fuels and use the fake “climate crisis” to make us poor. To help us channel our rage, I collected some statements by members of the woke, liberal movement. A 🧵

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Senator from TX doesn't understand how the grid works & spreads untruths. 1) The idea that Biden designed Texas' grid is preposterous; we make our own power decisions 2) This article (+WSJ + Bloomberg) pin high prices on high NATGAS prices. Renewables are saving us a lot of $$$

@SenTedCruz

Senator Ted Cruz

2 years

The impact of President Biden being beholden to the Green New Deal radicals in his party has electricity costs through the roof in Texas.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 months

I also wrote about it here in 2022:

@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Fact check: True When we moved from CA to TX in 2006 our taxes went UP.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Downside of living in a state that denies climate change: we don't prepare our infrastructure to operate in a changing climate. TX is the energy capital of the world but cannot keep lights on or homes heated. T&D lines down b/c of ice/wind + huge outages at thermal plants. 🥶

@joshdr83

Joshua D. Rhodes

3 years

Buckle up y’all, it’s going to be another wild ride today in Texas! Prices are redlined and over 4 million are still without power as it’s as cold as many have ever seen here.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

11 months

Sad to hear the news of the passing of my colleague John Goodenough, who changed the world with his significant improvement of RAM (random access memory) and Lithium Ion batteries.

@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Proud to call Professor and Nobel Laureate John Goodenough a colleague @UTAustin -- and he and Olga Tokarczuk are correct -- silence can help us think. And to write clearly we have to think clearly.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

Hey #EnergyTwitter ! Many of you are in the throes of preparing to teach your energy courses online or homeschooling. Well, it turns out I’ve spent much of the last 7 years creating a variety of online energy literacy resources, the vast preponderance of which is FREE. [THREAD]

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Hey, everyone--big news! I've joined @EnergyImpact_ It's a great team tackling big problems so I expect to learn a lot and I'm thankful for the opportunity.

@EnergyImpact_

Energy Impact Partners

3 years

We are thrilled to see Dr. @MichaelEWebber join our team. His unique expertise and experience in revolutionary technologies fighting #climatechange will be a great asset for our investment teams, strategic partners and portfolio companies.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

10 months

It's been a wild week. In order of severity: I got COVID Our A/C (& ice machine) broke during a killer heat wave I went to a memorial for a college mate who lost his battle w/ drug addiction My mother entered hospice care & is in her final hours/days😢 Life is real sometimes

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

And they would be replaced by Republican Senators so it wouldn’t change the balance of power but it would send a strong signal that sedition isn’t acceptable.

@lauferlaw

Andrew C Laufer, Esq

3 years

The Senate needs to remove @HawleyMO and @tedcruz They both aided and abetted in yesterday’s insurrection.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

The actual death toll in Texas from Winter Storm Uri was more like 700 people, not the ~150 estimated by state officials. The Texas Winter Storm And Power Outages Killed Hundreds More People Than The State Says via @paldhous

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

Annual extraction of fossil fuels today: 15 billion tons/yr Annual extraction of energy transition minerals/metals decades from now: 150 million tons/yr Would I be willing to extract 150 million tons/yr of metals to avoid extracting 15 billion tons/yr of fossil fuels? YES

@BrosForDecarb

Bros For Decarbonization (not parody)

1 year

We all know this Bro

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

If a gas station raises prices from $2 to $5/gal during a hurricane they go to jail for price gouging. If a natgas provider raises prices from $2 to $200/MMBTU during a cold snap even though their costs didn't materially change, that seems just fine with Texas authorities. Why?

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Petroleum engineering departments should rename themselves “subsystems engineering” or “geological engineering” or “geosystems engineering” b/c we are going to need those skills for geothermal energy, CO2 sequestration, H2 storage caverns…you name it.

@jcarrollhtx

Joe Carroll

2 years

Colleges are expected to turn out just 400 petroleum engineers in the US this year, an 83% decline from 2017, despite surging crude prices via @business

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

If only there were a way to move cheap power from South Texas to the rest of the state. We should invent some sort of lines that can be used for transmitting electricity.

@gjgolding

Garrett Golding

1 year

South Texas transmission congestion strikes again

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

10 months

This would: 1) improve reliability for TX & neighbors 2) make money for rural landowners as solar, wind, geothermal, batteries,... proliferate 3) save money for TX consumers by facilitating the integration of more low-cost power 4) avoid a LOT of CO2 emissions in TX & neighbors

@HoustonChron

Houston Chronicle

10 months

Feds consider forcing Texas to connect to other power grids

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

11 months

Wow. This story. Excellent and thorough reporting by ⁦ @naurtorious ⁩ Lots of great details. Why Natural Gas Makes the US Power Grid Vulnerable

Why Natural Gas Makes the US Power Grid Vulnerable

Natural gas generation can seize up when a climate calamity hits, endangering the country’s swiftly electrifying economy.

www.bloomberg.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

9 months

This is what happens when it is 97 degrees outside at ~8 pm. Demand at 8 pm this year is as high as our 5 pm peaks last year. Insane. Texas Declares Grid Emergency as Heat Stokes Power Demand

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Texas Declares Grid Emergency as Heat Stokes Power Demand

Texas declared its first power emergency since a deadly winter storm two years ago and came close to rolling blackouts as soaring temperatures roasted the second-largest US state.

www.bloomberg.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

One year ago today the grid nearly collapsed in Texas, leaving 10M+ people in the dark for days. Unlike other states we couldn't lean on neighbors for help. We should consider connecting ERCOT to other grids to make $$$, reduce CO2 & improve reliability.

Opinion | When Will Texas Emerge From the Dark? (Published 2022)

A year ago, 10 million Texans lost power in a winter storm. The state has resisted a simple fix.

www.nytimes.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

9 months

It looks like fall, because so many leaves are on the ground. But it isn’t Autumn. The leaves are falling because the trees are dying.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Colorado's front range is burning, entire subdivisions are wiped out, and thousands (tens of thousands?) had to evacuate. I wonder if we should take climate change seriously? Nah. Let's not do that.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

28 days

"Texas is a low-tax state" scream party leaders. Meanwhile I pay a $200 punitive fee for an EV that reduces emissions & noise pollution. Plus taxes on my electric utility bill to charge it. The taxes I pay for my gasoline car are $37.50/year, so this $200 fee is excessive.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 months

I have this optimism that maybe political leaders, media talking heads, journalists,...basically anyone and everyone, will stop propagating the lie that Texas is a low-tax state. It rewards privilege with low-taxes and hits the working- and middle-class with high taxes.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Live shot of the USA withdrawing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

@odala__

Farabalẹ̀

3 years

Each second more chaotic than the last

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

5 years

So.....this happened. 👇 Review: ‘Power Trip’ Ably Guides Us Through the History of Energy

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Review: ‘Power Trip’ Ably Guides Us Through the History of Energy (Published 2019)

Michael E. Webber’s new book examines humanity’s relationship to energy over time and how each transition affected not just what we produce but how we live.

www.nytimes.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Here's the PUCT report from the 1989 TX freeze. Designing for the wrong weather Power plants tripped offline Gas cutoffs Hand-held propane torches to thaw equipment Rolling outages Frequency sags All of ERCOT grid almost went down Sound familiar?

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Incredible chart of the five year stock price of some select energy companies.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

This tweet blew up. I don't have a soundcloud, but if you care about energy & the environment, then check out my 6-part TV series "Power Trip: The Story of Energy" on @pbs @AppleTV @PBS_Docs @PrimeVideo -- it has episodes on CITIES and TRANSPORTATION

Power Trip: The Story of Energy - Power Trip

powertripshow.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

Great reporting. This story is just bananas. Texas, which for centuries has used a can-do attitude & pioneering spirit to make money from its land harvesting resources, has decided it doesn't want to do that anymore (except for fossil fuels). We are moving backwards in time.

@KatherineBlunt

Katherine Blunt

@KatherineBlunt

1 year

Renewable energy has boomed in Texas thanks to its wide-open spaces, regulatory permissiveness laissez-faire power market. Now, Republican lawmakers are clamping down. A story with pretty great lede, gotta say. Latest w/ @Jennifer_Hiller & @Phred_Dvorak

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

BTW, i’m getting a lot of emails from clean energy recruiters saying there is a shortage of capable applicants for the jobs. At the same time a lot of O&G people are looking for jobs. I am offering a short course in a few months with the hopes of helping to bridge this.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Reminder: Widening a highway to fix congestion is like loosening your belt to fix obesity.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

There is an entire industry of advocates who go around saying coal, gas and nuclear are reliable but renewables are not reliable. Concurrent episodes in France (w/the nuclear fleet operating at half capacity) & Texas (w/ wind & solar bailing us out despite thermal outages)...

@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Holy cow. Tough times in the EU power market. Also, the energy-water nexus strikes again: “…b/c of climate change…rivers in the south of France are warming earlier each year, often reaching temperatures in the spring & summer too warm to cool reactors.”

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Thinking out loud 'bout some stuff. California population: 39.5M COVID deaths: ~80k Texas population: 29M COVID deaths: ~80k Australia population: 26M COVID deaths: ~4k New Zealand population: 5M COVID deaths: 53 COVID response: NZ > AUS > CA > TX TX is not a pro-life state

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 months

I also wrote about it here in 2023:

@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

This is true. When I moved from CA to TX my taxes went UP.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

The natural gas system in TX has failed repeatedly over the decades: 1989 2003 2006 2008 2011 2021 So much for gas being "firm" power. Gas supply problems are such a common cause of power outages during winter storms NERC prepared a whole report on it:

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

A good thread. It reminds me of Molly Ivins who said that the reason she was so good at seeing DC politics clearly is b/c she relied on the public record (i.e. what people said & did) rather than insider cocktail parties where protagonists could whisper their spin on stories.

@drvolts

David Roberts

3 years

This article -- about Ted Cruz's aides & how shocked they are at his recent behavior -- prompts me to share a take I've had for a while, that's only gotten stronger in the last few years. (A short thread.)

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

Hey #energytwitter -- floating offshore wind is FOR REAL! Here is an 8.4 MW offshore wind turbine that is on a floating platform about 20 km off the coast of Portugal. It's part of WindFloat Atlantic, a joint project with @ENGIEgroup and @EdpRenewables

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 months

The rise of wind & solar & natural gas along with decline of coal in TX has: 1) reduced energy imports (of coal from WY) 2) reduced emissions of CO2, NOX, SOX, PM,... 3) avoided water use for cooling It's an economic and environmental win-win.

@joshdr83

Joshua D. Rhodes

4 months

The ERCOT fuel mix chart has been updated to include 2023! A few thoughts: - ERCOT is 40% carbon-free - solar looking like wind circa 2010 - coal decline offset by wind + solar - gas variability driven by gas prices - wind & solar are not displacing gas at all

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

If only there were a way to move electricity from where it’s cheap to where it’s expensive.

@joshdr83

Joshua D. Rhodes

2 years

Houston wants more power.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

"Oh, hey, you're not gonna believe this, but we pushed a bill out of the Senate that makes the grid dirtier, doesn't solve reliability, tosses competitive markets aside, undermines our energy leadership position and costs $18 BILLION. Whoopsie." --Texas Senate Republicans

@MoseBuchele

Mose Buchele

1 year

Document reveals that Texas lawmakers may have underestimated plan to finance gas power plants... by 8 billion dollars. It's a big deal.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

10 months

I have mixed views on this: 1) EV's should pay their fair share of road maintenance and an annual fee (vs. a fuel tax) is a reasonable way to do that. 2) $200/EV is intentionally high compared to gasoline cars and was designed to serve as an indirect subsidy for oil companies

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Fun fact: @WSJopinion has rejected every op-Ed I have ever sent them about clean energy and climate change

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

I don't know who to tell, so I'm putting this on twitter. On August 13 I started a new book project that is important to me. Today, October 14, I have a complete draft of the book top-to-bottom with 33,000+ words. Lots of editing remains, but amazingly enough, the thing exists.💪

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

Rosie was a very sweet dog. May she forever chase a tennis ball in the great dog park in the sky. 😢 May 14, 2009–February 5, 2023 #RIP

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Very proud of my daughter who had her senior recital today and will graduate from @ButlerSOM @utaustin in a few weeks!

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

9 months

An absolutely stunning amount of load growth in one year. That load growth is driven by population growth, economic growth, electric vehicles, data centers,… and climate change. Official policy in Texas is that climate change is not real, yet here we are…

@russellgold

Russell Gold

9 months

What's happening on ERCOT power grid this summer is stunning. Going into summer, the record demand was 79.8 gw. Last week, we hit 85.6 gw-- a 7.2% increase! In one year! Most afternoons, grid is being held up by solar & natural gas.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

I know there’s a lot of #EnergyTwitter discussion about electric heating as part of a society-wide decarbonization strategy. Let me share with you some details about how this might look in France. In brief: it will be hard to electrify heating in France. [THREAD]

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Holy cow. Tough times in the EU power market. Also, the energy-water nexus strikes again: “…b/c of climate change…rivers in the south of France are warming earlier each year, often reaching temperatures in the spring & summer too warm to cool reactors.”

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French Nuclear Power Crisis Frustrates Europe’s Push to Quit Russian Energy (Published 2022)

France typically exports electricity, but now it risks blackouts and a need for imported power because of problems at the state nuclear operator.

www.nytimes.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Since I wrote this op-ed in @nytopinion one week after Trump was elected president, coal-fired power generation has dropped ~40%. The Coal Industry Isn’t Coming Back

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Opinion | The Coal Industry Isn’t Coming Back (Published 2016)

Market forces, not environmental regulations, have doomed coal.

www.nytimes.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

True story: I once gave an invited talk @google on their main campus and ZERO people showed up. Anytime I start to feel a little too full of myself, I think back to that day. 😀

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Bad news: I am stuck in France with COVID. Good news: I have a nice view out my window.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

7 months

Something I think about a lot: Texas is a villain, victim & victor of climate change. As one of the world's largest GHG emitters TX is villain. With a long coastline & exposure to severe weather TX is victim. With rapid growth in solar, wind, batteries, H2 & CCUS TX is victor.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

My latest rant. Let’s face it, Texas: natural gas let us down. Again

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Let’s face it, Texas: natural gas let us down. Again

This op-ed is part of a series published by The Dallas Morning News Opinion section to explore ideas and policies for strengthening electric reliability. Find...

www.dallasnews.com

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Texas vs California 2009 & 2019 @TheEconomist TX today is like 1980s CA in terms of population (~30M) & politics (Republican). Other than stints in Paris & Lausanne, Switzerland I have lived in TX or CA my entire life so this tension between their two examples fascinates me.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 months

I guess it's been on my mind a lot...here's another post on it:

@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

As I have said many times, when we moved from CA to TX in 2006 our tax burden went UP.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

Nothing affirms the unreliability of renewables quite like forced outages at two coal plants totaling >3 GW causing rolling blackouts on 15-minute intervals across a huge service area. See kids, the lesson is clear. Fossil fuels are reliable. Except when they're not.

@DicksonElectric

Dickson Electric System

@DicksonElectric

1 year

... (continued) This is due to an outage experienced by TVA at Cumberland plant and Bull run plant. DES intends to comply with this directive. Thank you for understanding.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Hey #EnergyTwitter —today we released a big report on decarbonizing Texas by 2050! Main findings: there are many ways to net-zero, doing so is economically beneficial, and the O&G industry has a key role to play! Great news for Texas!

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Report: Texas Can Get to Net-Zero by 2050 and Simultaneously Bolster the Economy

Texas could eliminate its carbon pollution in fewer than 30 years, and decarbonizing would actually strengthen the state’s economy, according to new research from energy scientists at The University...

cockrell.utexas.edu

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

I get 1-2 messages/day from people in O&G who want to switch to clean energy. They tell me O&G looks dirty, dangerous, prone to layoffs, and with a bleak future in terms of profits, grwoth & market capitalization. I think the way O&G recruits & retains talent will have to change.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 months

And another one in 2023. I'm a broken record.

@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

I don't know the details of Newsom's claim, but I will say that when we moved from CA to TX our taxes went UP, not down. Texas doesn't have an income tax, but its property taxes are really high. via @Yahoo

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

If only there were away to move the cheap, clean renewable power from West Texas to reduce cost and air pollution for consumers in East Texas. Anyone have any ideas?

@JeffClarkUSA

Jeff Clark

2 years

Think Houston could use some cheap power? I know a cowboy looking to sell some.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

The Texas Oil & Gas Association (TXOGA) paid ENVERUS to prepare a report. The report says gas = good & wind/electricity = bad Are you surprised that a consulting company gave its customer a report that makes them look good? The report is highly flawed. Let’s dig in. [THREAD]

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

11 months

Thank you for having me on @pbsnewshour to discuss the Texas grid during a heat wave.

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Texas power grid struggles with system-wide stresses caused by brutal heat wave

A record heat wave, and its connections to climate change, are highlighting again the growing concerns around America’s electrical grid and whether it can withstand the added stress. In Texas, which...

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

9 months

~30 yrs ago I proposed to Julia on the 50 yd line of the @UTAustin Football Stadium in front of 350 members of the @LonghornBand I am holding a ring her father made w/my grandmother’s diamond. She was struggling to remove a ring that had been on her finger for several years. ❤️

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

2 years

Nothing says you love America, democracy and freedom quite like taking the same side as Russia and Iran.

@HeathMayo

Heath Mayo

2 years

Kevin McCarthy is now saying that a GOP House majority will end US aid to Ukraine. The GOP as an institution is now against continued support for Ukraine. Vote accordingly.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

9 months

Y’all….it is happening. #energytwitter will love this a lot.

@RepCasar

Congressman Greg Casar

9 months

I am drafting federal legislation to connect Texas to the national electric grids. People shouldn’t lose power in a heat wave or a winter storm. When we need help, we’ll draw power from other states, and when other states need help, we can sell power to them. It’s that simple.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

3 years

Wife reading by candlelight all bundled up in the cold. This is what it’s like right now in the nation’s most energy-abundant state.

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

Nothing says you believe in free enterprise and competitive markets, quite like using regulatory fiat to mandate and finance the construction of gas power plants with socialized costs.

@MoseBuchele

Mose Buchele

1 year

This morning the Texas House State Affairs Committee voted out a bill to put $10 billion in public money toward financing the construction of gas power plants. Vote made in state agriculture museum. Not broadcast, not audio recording made. #SB2627

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

1 year

The idea that coal and gas are always there when we need them but wind and solar are not is laffable. A more honest way to think about it is that they fail in different ways and we need to plan accordingly.

@nickhedley

Nick Hedley

1 year

Power plants that burn coal and gas to produce electricity had significant drops in generation as a winter storm hit the US Southeast, forcing blackouts via @markets

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@MichaelEWebber

Michael E. Webber

@MichaelEWebber

4 years

@BrightonCap Good question. The French already cooked at home a lot before the pandemic, so maybe it’s just an overall economic effect; in the United States the pandemic shifted people from eating out to cooking at home.

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