Is it something I said?

[morrobay]

I do not understand how the grid can support the city in the summer for months on end with people running AC and temps are in the high 90s to low 100s, and this storm shut them down in a day.  People who lost power on Sunday morning at 1:30 in the morning are still without power...nothing has been restored.

[morrobay]

I don't work at any of the places mentioned in the article, but our company is in the semi conductor industry.  An email went out today that production was suspended until tomorrow and it may go longer than that.  The email didn't say if the city of Austin shut off the power, or if we volunteered to do it...it'll cost us a lot of money...Samsung is one of our biggest customers.

Austin Energy shuts off power to major industrial users

Austin Energy's biggest customers – industrial users like Samsung, NXP Semiconductors and Infineon Semiconductors – have all had their Austin operations completely shut down amid the freeze.

A consortium known as the Coalition for Clean, Affordable, Reliable Energy that negotiates with Austin Energy on behalf of the city's biggest users of electricity confirmed that Austin Energy shut off power to the companies. It was unclear exactly when their electricity was cut off.

It is a rare move that has the potential to cost the companies millions of dollars, as it stops production and also could lead to some products being ruined by interrupting the manufacturing process.

[morrobay]

disgraceful...skyscrapers and empty office buildings blazing with lights, neighborhoods on the left, dark and cold.

[morrobay]

6:49 PM CST February 16, 2021
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AUSTIN, Texas — Travis County Judge Andy Brown said Tuesday that he is signing an order to require Austin businesses, stadiums and skyscrapers to turn off their outside lighting and any other non-essential lights or functions, in an effort to conserve energy during the city's ongoing power crisis.

This announcement comes after social media outrage over photos of the Austin skyline lit up Monday night, as thousands of residents in neighboring areas continued to deal with power outages. Austin Energy said Tuesday that the downtown network is currently excluded from load shedding during controlled outages mandated by ERCOT because it is a part of a "complicated, inter-connected network" that includes critical buildings.

[morrobay]

some quotes from people on Reddit Austin 

I've been here 7 years and after 2 days of no heat I'm breaking down crying typing this.  I've been able to see my breath in my apartment for the past 24 hours. I pay $1350/mo for this.


I just arrived this past Thursday for a new job hoping to make a dent in my life but arrived having zero clue what is to come. Here I am no furniture, none of my stuff, empty fridge, no car or anything stuck here trying to stay warm with only my jacket and hoodie that I fortunately packed with me. I have luckily power but I'm keeping myself in one room and the apartment is at 50 trying to conserve. Water is frozen, so can't shower or even flush the toilet.


39° in my house after 48hrs of no power. Tankless water heater isn’t made for these conditions. East Austin and $2400/monthly rent


what are the dangers of me sleeping in my car tonight?  My apartment is freezing, no power 24+ hours, no water I can’t sleep in there again. My apartment parking lot is open enough so no worries right?


We are on the wait list of multiple emergency plumbing services but they all are booked till March (yes the emergency services) or won't even take calls. What next? What can we do to make the house liveable without running water?


And then there's this:

Where Can I Sign Up To Help?

As the title states, where can I sign up to help out during this? I'm not working this week, so want to help as many as possible who aren't as well prepared/suffering during this. I've already been cruising around jumping cars, pulling people out of ice/mud, handing some gas out, etc.... I'd like something a biiittt more organized to maximize things.

Specifically, I have a nice 4x4 weighted down, crew cab, and fairly set up to handle these conditions (barring other drivers). Hand sanitizer and spare masks out the wazoo for passengers and can transport food/people. A lot of charging ports and a sharable hotspot internet for keeping phones and such online.

[CellarDweller]

What a mess.

I've seen a number of posts by people blaming the wind power set up, but others are refuting that.

I keep waiting (and praying that I won't hear) for stories of people who froze to death because they are without heat.  And if anyone has damage to their homes due to frozen pipes, who will compensate them for that?  It's not their fault they are without heat.

[CellarDweller]

Ex Colorado City mayor catching heat for comments about citizens affected by cold

by: Joey Hollingsworth -  Feb 16, 2021

The now former mayor of Colorado City is catching some heat after a social media post berating citizens affected by the cold.

In a Facebook post made Tuesday morning, Tim Boyd wrote that it is “not the local government’s responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim, it’s your choice!”

Addressing power outages, Boyd writes, “The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING! I’m sick and tired of people looking for a damn handout!”

“Only the strong will survive and the weak will parish (sic),” Boyd continues.

Boyd made another social media post later Tuesday afternoon saying he “won’t deny for one minute” what he said in the post, and that many of the things he wrote were “taken out of context.”

In the same post, Boyd writes that he had already turned in his resignation, although it is unclear if he did so before or after writing the initial Facebook post.

https://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/news/ex-colorado-city-mayor-catching-heat-for-comments-about-citizens-affected-by-cold/

[Jeff Wrangler]

They're always "taken out of context." 

My a_ _ those comments were "taken out of context." 

I can't even imagine what it's like in Austin right now, except for the people without water. I live in a highrise. When our power goes out, so does our water (no power to run the pumps). I do know what it's like when you can't even flush the toilet. 

[CellarDweller]

I can't even imagine what it's like in Austin right now, except for the people without water. I live in a highrise. When our power goes out, so does our water (no power to run the pumps). I do know what it's like when you can't even flush the toilet. 

I had a situation like that.  There was a water main break, and only found out I had no water when I flushed the toilet, and it didn't refill.

I called my parents, and they told me I could go to their place if I needed to later, thankfully, it was only a few hours before it was fixed.

Meanwhile, I'm hearing that 20 people have died due to this, but I heard that earlier today.  I hope the number hasn't gone up since then.