There will be costs/losses by the various power companies which weren’t generating during all this of course, but also fixing this is by definition outside of their control (the grid operators are the ones responsible).
I’m sure public backlash will cause some changes of course. But the same situation in Texas didn’t result in the meaningful changes one would expect.
That’s because there is no effective regulation of the state’s power industry. Since they’re (mostly) isolated from the national grid, they aren’t required to listen to FERC, who told them repeatedly that they should winterize their power plants. And a state-level, the regulators are all chosen by the Governor, who receives huge contributions from the energy industry, so he’s in no rush to force them to pay for improvements.
The real irony was the following summer during a heatwave, when they also experienced blackouts. Texas energy: not designed for extreme cold, not designed for extreme heat. Genius!
I miss the food in Texas, but that’s about it.
Rather, it's the typical Republican approach--reduce costs, never mind the safety systems.
Small diesels could be an option but they're harder to pull start for a given size.
I once needed to jump-start a small marine diesel, many miles from land...
There was a small lever that cuts compression. You have to get it spinning really fast before restoring compression! It's definitely a lot of work!
EDIT - Here is a cheap modern small marine diesel [1]. The operation manual suggests that you don't have to do anything to get it spinning quickly, you just have to crank it 10 times, put away the crank handle, and then flip the compression switch. That's progress!
[1] https://www.yanmar.com/marine/product/engines/1gm10-marine-d...
Cranks and decompression levers are gone for at least 30-40 years now tho.
They're my kryptonite, but I accept it's mostly my ignorance.
Air compressors have more valves and gaskets that are vulnerable to oxidation, especially in salty environments, so I'd have thought the upkeep between the two, the two stroke would be easier.
Look at how the military builds surface-based missiles these days: it's in a factory-sealed box. Molten salt batteries so they last for decades. (You don't see molten salt in most purposes because once it's been triggered it's lifespan is in minutes or even less. They're used in applications that only need to deliver power once.)
Having good, fresh fuel on an oil rig. They need an engine that can run on crude.
It’s not the type of thing that using directly is economically feasible, even for emergency situations.
Maybe there are other concerns for an oil rig.
The hand-pumped air compressor is the tool of last resort. You can try an engine start if there's someone there who's able to pump it. You don't have to worry about how much charge is left in your batteries or whether or not the gasoline for the 2-stroke pump engine has gone stale. It's the tool that you use as an alternative to "well, the batteries are dead too, guess we're not going to start the engine tonight... let's call the helicopters and abandon ship"
Could the batteries be dead and the generators not start? I guess but it's very unlikely. I get that on an oil rig it might be a matter of life and death and you need some kind of manual way to bootstrap but there's not much that's more reliable than a 12V lead-acid battery and a diesel engine in good condition.
I think I'd take Lithium Ion batteries over lead acid for almost every conceivable use-case. They are superior in almost every way. Lighter, less likely to leak acid everywhere, better long term storage (due to a low self-discharge) and better cold weather discharge performance. The only drawback would be a slightly increased risk of fire with Lithium.