Did a Helicopter Use Petroleum-Based Chemicals to De-Ice a Texas Wind Turbine?

A viral claim is false for a couple of reasons.

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A viral imagepurportedly shows a wind turbine in Texas frozen by recent winter storms being sprayed with a fossil-fuel-based chemical.

Millions in Texas have lost power as a result of the winter storms, leading some to try to place the blame on wind turbines shutting down. While some turbines aren’t currently operating because of the freezing conditions, only 13 percent of total outages are due to the loss of wind energy. 

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  1. DRHanson

    I looked up Luke Legate, the source of this tweet and presumably the author of its text. Legate is a public relations representative and political consultant whose clients include the Texas Oil and Gas Association, the Texas Pipeline Association, and TIPRO (an organization of independent oil and natural gas advocacy groups).

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    The Stray Goose

    What's powering the helicopter?

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  3. Brett

    Interesting. Are there deicing products in common use made of fossil fuels (oil, plastic)? Why not gently heat the turbines - too expensive? More expensive than helicopter water spraying adventures?

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    1. Seth

      Turbines designed to operate in freezing climates are equipped with features that deal with de-icing, usually either special coatings, or provisions for heating. https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottcarpenter/2021/02/16/why-wind-turbines-in-cold-climates-dont-freeze-de-icing-and-carbon-fiber/?sh=4401e2081f59

      The cause for failing wind turbines in Texas are essentially the same as the failure of fossil plants there; they just weren't equipped to operate in those conditions.

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    Victor Clairmont

    Thank you for the fact check!

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  5. christycronin

    This fact check is inconsistent with other reporting (Thursday’s morning Dispatch, for example) indicating that renewables account for 40 percent of the energy shortage, not 13 percent. I’ve commented on the other two Dispatch articles, so forgive me for repeating my comment again, it’s just really bugging me! I’m sure you’re accurately reporting what your sources have said, which makes me even more curious about how wide the disparity is. Any insight? Thanks.

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      Alec Dent vertical-nib Author

      Hi Christy! The 40 percent figure includes all renewable energy sources, not just wind.

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        Scarlette Tarte

        Which means 60% came from older energy sources. They did far worse.

        But the actual problem is the way Texas buys and sells power. They don't want to have too much on hand, because then the price goes down. In fact, the system is working exactly like its supposed to, to make energy suppliers rich.

        If ever there was a poster child for REGULATION, it is Texas power system.

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        Tom B.

        Not sure if you've seen this particular Twitter thread from Jesse Jenkins (energy systems engineering) at Princeton, but I found it to be a very informative: https://twitter.com/i/events/1361767999200317440

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        1. Dude #7

          The Jess Jenkins' Twitter Thread was really informative indeed. Thanks for the link.

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            Tom B.

            And another very useful thread https://twitter.com/cohan_ds/status/1362024897124335622?s=19

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  6. TragicMishap

    Wow with Trump not on Twitter the fact checking business is going bust.

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      Rick Harlan

      I don't know. It's different. With Trump, it's like a Columbo mystery, because you know going in that it's false, you just stick around to see how Lt. Dent solves it.
      I think this kind of fact checking is more valuable, because in real life policy is messy and complicated; so sometimes the spitballs from the wings could really be true, and the pronouncements of the authorities can be wrong.

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      John D. Wright

      Why do you say that? This looks like a good fact check. I've seen this meme twenty times at least.

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