Did Michigan's Consumers Energy lose 50 billion cf in the compressor fire this week?

On Wednesday the utility was reported to have 350 billion cubic feet of natural gas in storage. Tonight it is reported that the utility has 300 billion cubic feet, 50 billion cubic feet less than a day before. That would mean 14% of its storage went up in flames in the fire in Macomb County.

No one was bright enough at today's press briefing to ask about this.

This was a catastrophic loss of capacity during the most severe cold snap in twenty-five years, rescued only by the efforts of consumers and businesses who voluntarily cut their consumption while the utility scrambled to bring reserve fields on line.

You can turn your heat back up after midnight, Consumers Energy says:

The Jackson-based utility has 300 billion cubic feet of natural gas in storage across Michigan. On Wednesday, the company broke a record, needing 3.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas.

Laugh of the Day: Reddit spelling flash mob

The number one thing holding back American cities?

I'll see your $100 billion and raise you $100 billion, you desperate, clawing grifter

No more goat-f*cking sand refugees

The New Republic attacks The Jew Howard Schultz for getting The Protestant debt religion

Which teaches that real capitalism is about risking savings, not about leveraging debt.

It's The New Republic which has learned nothing, not Howard Schultz. As usual the liberals engage in projection of their own failings onto their enemies. 

Howard Schultz Learned All the Wrong Lessons From His Childhood:

Without savings—and with his mother seven months’ pregnant—the family was forced to rely on Jewish Family Services. Later, when debt collectors called their home, Schultz’s parents would put him on the phone to turn them away; when the family ran out of money, they sent him out to family and friends to ask for loans.  

NeverTrump Ben Shapiro reassures America today about Howard Schultz

BS: Howard Schultz is Jewish, not white. And he'll siphon votes from Trump, not the Democrat candidate.

Thank you, BS. Finally one of you admits you are not white.

Go Howard!

Heh.

Trump threatens to take down border wall in California, reinstall it in Arizona and Texas

Haha.

Trump: "Nancy Pelosi Will Be Begging For A Wall"

How much natural gas does Consumers Energy have for its customers in west Michigan?

Fire out at Consumers station, company relying on gas reserves, decreased usage:

Consumers has 15 storage fields with 350 billion cubic feet of natural gas storage, [Consumers Vice President Garrick] Rochow said.

"There's not only a large supply to meet our customers' needs for the entire winter, but there's the ability to pull even more gas into state through the pipeline system," Rochow said. "So there is no risk from a long-term reserve perspective."

The utility has 1.8 million business and residential natural gas customers.

Here's the math (I think):

350 billion cubic feet of natural gas = 350 trillion btu (1 billion cf = 1 trillion btu);

I use roughly 156 million natural gas btu per year, on average, in my single family household (approximately 150,000 cf X 1.037 million btu per 1000 cf.);

If all Consumers' customers were like me, which they aren't, Consumers Energy could supply 2.24 million such households for one year before needing to resupply the storage fields, or 59% of Michigan's households.

Michigan has roughly 3.8 million households X 2.55 people per household = 9.7 million. Estimated population in 2017 was just under 10 million.

Supplying electricity is a completely separate issue.

Michigan residents asked to keep thermostats no higher than 65F through Friday evening during cold snap

No heat interruptions yet, but Consumers Energy still asks Michigan to keep thermostats at 65:

A Wednesday night plea for customers to turn their heat down made an impact, [Consumers Energy spokesman Brian] Wheeler said.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took to Facebook to ask Michiganders to reduce usage and an emergency alert was sent to cellphones.

Residents should keep thermostats down through the end of the day Friday, officials said, to avoid the possibility of service interruptions.

I went out in the subzero temperatures to grocery shop yesterday, and it was chilly in the store: Now I know why

The natural gas company had a fire at a compressor station and basically had to burn off an entire natural gas storage field yesterday in a controlled manner in order to prevent an explosion. It was their main field supplying us here in Michigan for the winter. Now they'll have to tap reserves.

They're asking everyone to reduce thermostats to 65F to conserve gas in the meantime.

It's -11F this morning.

Now ain't that a kick in the head.

Learn to code: Diversity is just code for . . .

. . . nonwhite.

The utility companies in Minnesota wouldn't have to say this if natural gas were reserved for residential heating and coal for electricity

Extreme Cold Straining Xcel Energy’s Natural Gas System, Residents Urged To Turn Down Thermostat:

“We need those in Becker, Big Lake, Chisago City, Lindstrom, Princeton, and Isanti to reduce use of natural gas. Until further notice, you are urged to turn down your thermostat to 60 degrees or lower and avoid the use of other natural gas appliances including hot water,” Xcel Energy said. WCCO’s Reg Chapman said shortly before noon Wednesday that Xcel Energy is asking customers to lower thermostat to 55 degrees. Xcel Energy says residents’ cooperation is critical to prevent widespread natural gas outages. The company also suggests using electric space heaters.

About 39% of utility-scale electricity generation in Minnesota came from coal-fired electric power plants in 2017, down from 49% in 2014.

Increasing amounts of natural gas are fueling electricity generation in the state. In 2016, about one-seventh of the natural gas consumed in Minnesota went to the electric power sector, more than double the amount of natural gas used for electricity generation in 2011.

Why were the Tiananmen Square protests so Asian?

No diversity for Asia: China für chinesische, Ausländer raus!

Hey Donald Trump next time let them eat road kill

I wonder if Ron Fliegelman has been to Oregon lately

Weather Underground bomber unmasked — as city schoolteacher

Antifa member gunned down in Eugene, OR, explosives suddenly turn up at police station

Explosives found outside Eugene police station

Obama beat Romney but never got the House back, best case scenario now for Trump

No, until Hillary Clinton the GOP had no path.

Six more years of gridlock is the future, at best.

And to think, he coulda been a contenda.

"I used to love her, but it's all over now."

Trump never got that separation of powers thingy, didn't realize even a Republican legislative is his enemy

Separate! Separate! Dance to the music . . .