Martin creek power plant

Just found it will be shutting down operations next year from a plant contractor.

https://youtu.be/NVIbCvfkO3E

And of course, because they plan these things years in advance, there will be another new, more efficient power plant that will come on line just before this one closes down.

NOT!

You have a point, Rayzor. Futures for energy have risen quite a bit over last summer's. The only thing currently increasing output is wind energy in the state. Hopefully they make some gas powered plants that can replace the coal ones on the same lakes and heat them lol

Makes perfect sense considering we are already having blackouts on hot summer days. Maybe a giant purple dragon will appear and poop out enough electricity to power all of our homes.

I'm trying to figure out how our energy policy could get any dumber. So far I am drawing a blank.

Lol it really is funny to me. Its typical of TXU/Luminant. They just spent a million dollars moving the machine shop that was at the old Naval Air Station in Grand Prairie to Martin Lake. In my 35 years with the company I saw countless examples of wasting money like this.

There has been talk of shutting the plant for years. I'll believe it when I see it.

We have to have electricity. Closing plants without viable, dependable replacements in place would be stupid. What are we supposed to do when it's 106 degrees and there is not enough power to keep our people cool? Hope no one dies? Let all the food in our refrigerators and freezers go bad?

Yeah, I heard from a employee of the plant it was shutting down in April of 2019. We've heard this more years and years.

Sweat

I was playing in a golf tournament the day of the big blackout in August. I had to play a three inch fade or draw because like it always is during Texas summers the wind was gusting to 3 mph. I bet those electricity-generating windmills were whirring like Hemis.

And just in case anyone is wondering, the fishing on Martin Creek is tough. I have been fishing it for 25 years and in my last three trips I have caught a total of six keepers. We had a club tournament this weekend and there were two limits, several zeros, and a bunch of people with one to three fish. 8 pounds got a check.

Someone please point out to me where an antiquated power plant was shut down and a new one was put on line. In the last 10 years, I can think of Gibbons Creek, Monticello, and Fairfield as being shut down. Bastrop is rarely used. Is Walter E. Long online? I am sure I have forgotten some.

Ok I will go ahead and say what I think is actually going on. If you can short power then you can actually make more money with less power plants. Normally mega-watts sell for $25 to $30 last year during the shortage mega-watts were at cap price$999. Now during normal time say we have a quick norther then companies that have quick reacting units(can get online quickly) may get $200 to$300 a mega-watt. So they don't have the expense of running Martin Lake and are getting more for their power.
Now the other scenario is that they make the declaration to shut down the plant. ERCOT says that we need the plant for electric grid security so it needs to continue running. Ok now the state pays all the plant expenses except manpower and Luminant/Vistra gets all the profit. This has happened a few times but usually only a year or less. However since there are no new plants or replacement power coming online plus the state growing at one of the fastest rates in the nation I can see where this could be a longer term deal.

Liberty mine still has a couple years of digging left so I don't see Martin plant shutting down before then and they can continue with western coal if the rail prices don't prohibit it. I also retired from Luminant with 35 yrs and I can assure you...they wake up in a different world everyday and have to make adjustments for it so you just never know. Martin Lake might make a few more years or they may walk in tomorrow and send everyone home.

Caught a 3.10 today but I was crappie fishing....