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That might account for some of the issues during Uri, but it does not explain the issues during Elliott. During Uri some power plants had their gas supplies curtailed, which when they were forced offline, de-energized electric powered gas compressors. From there things started to cascade on the Texas gas system.

Elliott the gas line pressure simply dropped below operational pressure for many combined cycle plants. Most large frame gas turbines need in excess of 600 psi gas pressure to operate. Spot market gas purchases had nothing to do with it.

It should be noted the incoming energy secretary was a big mover in pushing gas transmission compressors to electric power.

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Electrifying NG transmission system compression was a huge mistake.

Gas pipeline pressure drops when the quantity of gas withdrawn from the system exceeds the volume of gas entering the system or the pipeline demand exceeds design capacity. Firm transmission contracts would support pipeline capacity expansion. Interruptible contracts don't.

Operating critical systems on the ragged edge of disaster can be exciting. ;-)

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Ed that's kind of the case for on-site LNG storage, then you take the cold weather pipeline issues out of the equation. We can argue over pipelines all day, but it doesn't fix the problem.

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Would it be practical or cheaper to store natural gas underground, e.g. salt caverns?

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For effective cold weather reserve the storage would need to be nearby to avoid pipeline issues. It's not uncommon for power plants to reent space in gas storage fields. Redding originally rented space in Wild Goose Storage and has moved to Colusa storage field in the last 15 years. They use it to balance gas purchases against burn.

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Natural gas is routinely stored in abandoned gas wells when available.

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Much of the natural gas supply problem is the result of spot market purchases and interruptible transmission contracts. There is not much spot market gas available during extremely cold weather, nor is there much available transmission capacity. Firm capacity for both supply and transmission cost money.

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