FFB Review: The Grid: A Jon Cantrell Thriller (A Jon Cantrell Thriller Book 3) by Harry Hunsicker

With the recent weather event that had a devastating effect on Texas, Texans, and our power grid, it seemed like a good time to remind you of another potential threat to the Texas power grid. My review of The Grid: A Jon Cantrell Thriller by Harry Hunsicker first ran in October 2015. Just like the weather threat that remains as some in the Texas leadership have already started backing away from needed fixes they promised to undertake, nothing has actually been done about this issue either. 

This third thriller in the series (The Contractors and Shadow Boys) finds Jon Cantrell away from Dallas and down the road to the south about a hundred miles. Now, a few months after recent events, he is the relatively new Sheriff Jonathan Cantrell of Peterson County. Located in the Waco area, the county has various businesses including a private run for profit prison. It also has an out of control deputy wanted for drug abuse and beating on his wife (currently in the hospital recovering from broken ribs, a cracked orbital socket, and other injuries), as well as some other legal issues. When found, the man isn’t going to go peacefully.

 

Jon Cantrell got his job thanks to his checkered past and some connections he has made over the years. All of that is about to haunt him again when Price Anderson shows up. These days he is head of security for Sudamento. They own a third of the electric power plants in Texas including at least one in the immediate area. Based on the two area wide power failures in the last 90 minutes during this clear and hot day, they have a problem.

 

A problem that Jon Cantrell wants no part of as his current job is a chance at new start and some stability in his life. He has plenty to deal with privately regarding Piper and their new baby, not to mention the situation involving the deputy. Before Cantrell could get the deputy into custody he got himself murdered. Cantrell probably even saw the suspect leaving the scene at a nearby motel. None of that matters to the multiple tentacles of Federal Law Enforcement that insist he must become fully involved in the apparent attack on the power grid. He could refuse as this is America after all, but they have plenty of leverage that can be bought to bear to make his life unbearable.

 

The Grid: A Jon Cantrell Thriller is another good one that shifts in point of view from Jon, to the killer, and a few others at various points in the complex three hundred plus page read. Frequently graphic in terms of violence and sexual content, Cantrell works multiple investigations that span significant sections of the state. Neither situation is easily solved which makes for quite the read in The Grid: A Jon Cantrell Thriller.

 

  

The Grid: A Jon Cantrell Thriller

Harry Hunsicker

http://www.harryhunsicker.com

Thomas & Mercer (Amazon)

http://www.apub.com

ISBN# 978-1477827659

Paperback (also available in audio and e-book forms)

330 Pages

$15.95

 

 

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015, 2021

NEWS RELEASE: ERCOT expects sufficient electricity for upcoming winter, spring

ERCOT expects sufficient electricity for upcoming winter, spring

Unusually severe conditions could result in tight reserves, conservation requests

AUSTIN, TEXAS, Oct. 31, 2014 –The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), grid operator for most of the state, expects the region will have sufficient electric supplies this winter, based on a broad range of planning scenarios in the Seasonal Assessment of Resource Adequacy (SARA) released today.

“We have more generation resources available than we did this time last year,” said Warren Lasher, director of System Planning for ERCOT. “Although some areas could experience colder-than-normal temperatures this winter, we are not expecting peak demand to be as high as we saw this past winter.”

Generation resources for this winter in the ERCOT region total more than 77,350 megawatts (MW). The forecast, based on 12-year average winter temperatures, projects peak demand at about 53,000 MW. One MW is enough electricity to serve about 200-500 homes, depending on weather conditions.

Under the full range of planning scenarios, available ERCOT reserves during this winter’s peak could range from more than 16,000 MW to less than 1,200 MW, with the latter representing a worst-case scenario of very high demand, extensive generation outages, and fuel supply limitations that would further reduce generation capacity. In that scenario, peak demand could exceed 59,640 MW, more than 2,000 MW higher than the 57,265-MW winter record set in February 2011.

“In recent years, generation providers in the ERCOT region have improved their procedures to prepare their facilities for extreme winter conditions,” said Ken McIntyre, vice president, Grid Planning and Operations. “We continue to monitor these efforts to help assess the preparedness of the system overall.”

In addition to new resources that began operations in 2014, the increase in generation capacity also reflects a change in the percentage of installed wind capacity that ERCOT expects to be available during peak demand periods. A new methodology, approved by the ERCOT Board of Directors on Oct. 14, enables ERCOT to project wind generation availability based on location (Coastal or non-Coastal) and historical performance during seasonal peaks. The winter SARA includes Coastal wind generation at 36 percent of installed capacity and non-Coastal at 19 percent, bringing the expected Peak Average Wind Capacity Contribution to nearly 2,500 MW.

ERCOT continues to caution residents in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of potential reliability challenges as transmission providers work to improve the system that serves that rapidly growing region. The SARA is a systemwide assessment and does not reflect this localized issue.

Based on input from generation owners, ERCOT does not expect drought conditions or coal transportation issues to affect generation availability during periods of peak demand this winter. To date, ERCOT also has not received reports from generation owners of expected capacity changes associated with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s potential implementation of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which could be in place in January 2015. Although generation owners likely will wait for additional guidance from the EPA, ERCOT believes it is reasonable to expect some coal-fired units to reduce operations to comply with the new rule and will continue to monitor these developments.

ERCOT today also released a preliminary SARA for spring 2015, which currently projects adequate resources to meet expected demand. The final spring assessment is scheduled for release Feb. 27, 2015. ERCOT also plans to release its next Capacity, Demand and Reserves report, with an updated 10-year outlook, on Dec. 1.

Visit ERCOT’s website to see what Chris Coleman, ERCOT meteorologist, expects for this winter’s weather: www.ercot.com/about/weather/updates.html

###

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) manages the flow of electric power to nearly 24 million Texas customers — representing about 90 percent of the state's electric load. As the independent system operator for the region, ERCOT schedules power on an electric grid that connects more than 43,000 miles of transmission lines and 550 generation units. ERCOT also performs financial settlement for the competitive wholesale bulk-power market and administers retail switching for 6.7 million premises in competitive choice areas. ERCOT is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation, governed by a board of directors and subject to oversight by the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Texas Legislature.

Media Contact: Robbie Searcy, (512) 225-7213

rsearcy@ercot.com

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ERCOT NEWS RELEASE-- Rotating outages in Rio Grande Valley---UPDATED

Rotating outages in Rio Grande Valley

Consumers urged to conserve to reduce necessity for outages

5:05 pm,  Oct. 8, 2014 – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has instructed Valley-area transmission and distribution service providers to reduce demand on the electric system immediately due to voltage concerns on the transmission system in that area.

This situation is limited to the Rio Grande Valley area and does not affect other areas of the electric grid serving most of Texas.

Rotating outages are controlled, temporary interruptions of electrical service initiated by each utility.  Without this safety valve, generators would overload and begin shutting down to avoid damage, risking a domino effect of a region-wide outage.

Rotating outages primarily affect residential neighborhoods and small businesses and do not typically include critical-need customers.

The outages are typically limited to 15-45 minutes before being rotated to a different neighborhood.  Some customers may experience longer outages if power surges cause equipment failure during the restoration process.  Customers can minimize the risk of power surges by turning off appliances, lights and other equipment, except for one task light to determine when power has been restored.

ERCOT is asking consumers in the Rio Grande Valley area to reduce energy consumption:

• Turn up thermostat a couple of degrees if possible.
• Turn off and unplug non-essential lights and appliances.
• Avoid running large appliances such as washers, dryers, and electric ovens during peak energy demand hours.
• Close shades and blinds at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
• Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
• Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

Rotating outages will continue until voltage is stabilized. 

See more conservation tips at www.ercot.com/about/conservation/index.html.

 
***********  RECEIVED AT 7:55 PM*********

ERCOT discontinues rotating outages in Rio Grande Valley

7 p.m., Oct. 8, 2014 – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) at 6:29 p.m. instructed transmission and distribution service providers to restore electric service following rotating outages in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. While most affected consumers will be returned to service immediately, some providers indicate it could take about an hour to restore service to all affected consumers.

Earlier this evening, unplanned power plant outages resulted in electric transmission issues in the Valley, which required action by the grid operator to protect the system in that area.

At 4:47 p.m., ERCOT instructed the transmission and distribution providers to reduce system demand by 200 MW to protect the Valley region from the risk of an uncontrolled blackout situation. Additional power also was imported from the power grid in Mexico to help address transmission system issues in the area, and ERCOT is working with the affected generation owners to return their units to service.

“We appreciate the patience and help from Valley residents during this situation,” said Ken McIntyre, ERCOT vice president, Grid Planning and Operations. “We have been working with transmission providers on projects to improve future electric reliability in the Valley region.”