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Wyzz Kydd · 01-05-2023, 07:07 PM

Big Growth in Electric Heat Set Stage For Blackouts in US South

The states hit hardest by blackouts in last week’s winter storm have significantly increased reliance on heating homes with electricity over the last decade, putting more strain on the power grid when temperatures plummet.

The number of households using electric heat in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina increased by about 20% from 2009 to 2020, according to government data that survey a sample of households. The generating capacity of power plants in the region, meanwhile, has remained relativity flat and increasingly dependent on natural gas.

…“We have moved too swiftly over the past two decades to electrify residential heating,”
said Pat Wood, chief executive officer of Hunt Energy Network and former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “When that is combined with poorly insulated housing and low-efficiency appliances, we tax all of our resources across the board.”

…The push to electrify household appliances and heating has changed consumption patterns and created regions where electricity demand now peaks in both summer and winter, according to Sanjeet Sanghera, head of grids and utilities at BloombergNEF. That’s a shift from the past when electricity demand peaked in the summer due to air conditioner use but not in the winter as homes burned natural gas or oil for heat.

In Tennessee, the number of households using electric heat has increased by about 22% from 2009 to 2020, driven in part by population growth, according to government data. Over that same time period, the percent of households dependent on electric heating jumped to 69% from 63%, the data show.

That rise in electric heating demand came as Tennessee’s total power generation remained largely unchanged…

… In North and South Carolina, which were also hit by blackouts as energy use overwhelmed the grid, the number of homes using electric heat rose about 20% from 2009 to 2020, the data show. The total overall percent of households in those states relying on electric heat also climbed from 65% in 2009 to 70% in 2020.

Over that same time period, the total power supplies for the two states grew at just 2%, with coal being displaced mostly by natural gas units and some solar farms, the data show.

But hey! No worries! Let’s tax the grid even more by switching to EVs. What could go wrong?

01-05-2023, 07:07 PM	#184
Wyzz Kydd Banned Drives: 2018 Camaro SS1 1LE Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,595	Big Growth in Electric Heat Set Stage For Blackouts in US South The states hit hardest by blackouts in last week’s winter storm have significantly increased reliance on heating homes with electricity over the last decade, putting more strain on the power grid when temperatures plummet. The number of households using electric heat in Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina increased by about 20% from 2009 to 2020, according to government data that survey a sample of households. The generating capacity of power plants in the region, meanwhile, has remained relativity flat and increasingly dependent on natural gas. …“We have moved too swiftly over the past two decades to electrify residential heating,” said Pat Wood, chief executive officer of Hunt Energy Network and former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “When that is combined with poorly insulated housing and low-efficiency appliances, we tax all of our resources across the board.” …The push to electrify household appliances and heating has changed consumption patterns and created regions where electricity demand now peaks in both summer and winter, according to Sanjeet Sanghera, head of grids and utilities at BloombergNEF. That’s a shift from the past when electricity demand peaked in the summer due to air conditioner use but not in the winter as homes burned natural gas or oil for heat. In Tennessee, the number of households using electric heat has increased by about 22% from 2009 to 2020, driven in part by population growth, according to government data. Over that same time period, the percent of households dependent on electric heating jumped to 69% from 63%, the data show. That rise in electric heating demand came as Tennessee’s total power generation remained largely unchanged… … In North and South Carolina, which were also hit by blackouts as energy use overwhelmed the grid, the number of homes using electric heat rose about 20% from 2009 to 2020, the data show. The total overall percent of households in those states relying on electric heat also climbed from 65% in 2009 to 70% in 2020. Over that same time period, the total power supplies for the two states grew at just 2%, with coal being displaced mostly by natural gas units and some solar farms, the data show. But hey! No worries! Let’s tax the grid even more by switching to EVs. What could go wrong?