Renewable Energy - Where is it? Calif. Limps Along Under Threat of Power Outages
Gaia News
Calif. Limps Along Under Threat of Power Outages
By James Jelter
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Bombarded by dire warnings to turn off their
Christmas lights or risk being plunged into darkness, Californians are
trudging through the holiday season feeling betrayed by the state's
power industry.
With about a third of the state's power plants out of service and
little power to buy or beg from neighboring states, California is
teetering on the brink of widespread blackouts.
``We're about to hit the Perfect Storm here,'' said Patrick Dorinson, a
spokesman for the California Independent System Operator (ISO), the
agency that oversees the operation of about 75 percent of the state's
power grid.
He was referring to the book and Hollywood blockbuster about a fishing
boat lost in the vortex of colliding storms.
Facing shortages this time of year, when power demand is far lighter
than during the heavy air conditioning loads of summer, is
unprecedented and especially unsettling in California.
``We have a large number of plants off line. We haven't had any rain,
so we're not getting any power from hydro generators. And we're not
getting as much power from the Northwest as we used to,'' Dorinson said.
The situation is so precarious that state officials have urged
Californians to keep their outdoor holiday lights off until after 7
p.m., when the evening power peak has passed.
These immediate problems are symptomatic of more fundamental issues
tied to a fast-growing population, now topping 33 million, and
California's red-hot economy.
The economic boom, fueled by high-tech industries, is pushing up demand
for electricity at 4-5 percent a year in some counties, well above the
2 percent national average.
But little has been done to keep up with demand.
Californians, known for their environmental activism, have resisted
building new power plants. Consequently, almost no new generation has
been installed here during the past decade.
``You can't keep adding about a half a million people to the state
every year, with all the lights, heaters, air conditioners, and
computer warehouses that go along with that, not build any power
plants, and not expect a problem,'' Dorinson said.
Plea For Imported Power
California has long been dependent on power imports, with about 20
percent of its electricity purchased from huge hydroelectric dams in
the Northwest and a variety of coal-fired, hydro, and nuclear power
plants in the Southwest.
But power from those dams is typically scant this time of year, with
Western rivers running low after a long, dry summer.
Oregon and Washington, heavy power exporters in the spring and summer,
are currently holding back water to serve the needs of their own
residents when the weather turns cold, as meteorologists predict it
will this weekend.
While Northeast power officials remain confident they have enough
electricity to met loads on their local systems, they warn there will
be little -- if any -- left to help California.
This raises the urgency behind California power producers' efforts to
get their downed units back on line.
Currently, more than 11,000 megawatts of generation are shut in
California of a 30,952 megawatts statewide total, with most of the
outages stemming from overdue maintenance work after running the units
hard all summer to meet heavy air conditioning demand.
One megawatt is roughly enough to power 1,000 homes.
Adding to the outages is the fact that several big power plants,
totaling about 2,700 megawatts, have used up their annual allotment of
pollution credits and cannot restart without facing stiff fines.
Natural Gas Also In Tight Supply
Some of the slack is being taken up by gas-fired power plants, but
tight natural gas supplies -- blamed on two years of mild winters, low
prices and dwindling production -- and high demand for home heating and
power generation have pushed the operating cost of these units through
the roof.
Natural gas prices at the Southern California border soared this week
to $35 per million British thermal units, 16 times its price a year
ago, and industry analysts warn they are likely to remain strong
through the winter.
That price is contributing to the astronomical rise in wholesale
electricity prices across the Western states.
Electricity delivered Thursday into the power grid at substations along
the Columbia River, a major trading hub, fetched between $550.00 and
$750.00 per megawatt hour Wednesday.
The same power a year ago could be bought for just $28.00.
Faced with cold weather and regional energy shortages, California power
industry officials are warning that the current supply crisis could
last for the next two weeks.
Meanwhile, San Francisco is putting a brave, civic-minded face on the
otherwise gloomy situation.
City officials said they would go ahead with the annual Christmas tree
lighting tonight in Golden Gate Park using a portable generator instead
of tapping the overstretched power grid.
``We are using the generator out of respect for the energy shortage
that is affecting San Francisco and other parts of California,'' said
Becky Ballinger, spokeswoman for the city's Recreation and Parks
Department.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Don Libby
>
> Wednesday December 6 7:54 PM ET
>
> Calif. Limps Along Under Threat of Power Outages
>
> By James Jelter
>
> SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Bombarded by dire warnings to turn off their
> Christmas lights or risk being plunged into darkness, Californians are
> trudging through the holiday season feeling betrayed by the state's
> power industry.
A soaring electricity price is exactly the prod that rich Californians
need to make them install solar panels on their roofs -- why not let the
price rise to levels where solar panels are break-even or profitable?
Problem is, this discriminates against poor Californians. Nuclear?
Now, thanks.
-dl
--
*********************************************************
* Replace "never.spam" with "dlibby" to reply by e-mail *
*********************************************************
Jim Webster
Don Libby wrote in message <3A2FA024...@tds.net>...
>Gaia News wrote:
>>
>> Wednesday December 6 7:54 PM ET
>>
>> Calif. Limps Along Under Threat of Power Outages
>>
>> By James Jelter
>>
>> SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Bombarded by dire warnings to turn off their
>> Christmas lights or risk being plunged into darkness, Californians are
>> trudging through the holiday season feeling betrayed by the state's
>> power industry.
>
>need to make them install solar panels on their roofs -- why not let the
>price rise to levels where solar panels are break-even or profitable?
>Problem is, this discriminates against poor Californians. Nuclear?
>Now, thanks.
drop nuclear from the correct altitude and it doesn't discriminate at all
:-))
Basically you want a balance, no one wants the country thick with windmills,
no one wants too much black smoke belched out by oil or coal burning, and
solar panels help but are unlikely to be the answer for everyone. You also
want a reliable, steady core of energy production you can rely on which
nuclear can provide. I'd hate to be told by the surgeon my operation was
scheduled for the next windy day because then they could recharge the
batteries :-)
Jim Webster
We worship the inexorable god known as Dangott.
Strangers are automatically heretics, and so are fed to the sacred apes.
Phil Hays
> It's Nudds....
Have you tried Turkey Spam? I hear it's great with beans.
--
Phil Hays
Scott Nudds
: A soaring electricity price is exactly the prod that rich Californians
: need to make them install solar panels on their roofs
It's exactly the result of deregulation. Wherever there has been
deregulation of the power industry there has been price increases. The
same is true of the telephone industry and every other state controlled
monopoly that has been deregulated.
Of course there has been and continues to be a big lie campaign coming
from conservatives that the opposite is true - now changed to someday will
be true.
I for one, don't tollerate liars.
Uncle Al
Scott Nudds wrote:
[snip]
It's Nudds, the Miracle Fruit(tm)! Hey Nuddsie, is it worth chrewing
through the leather straps in the morning?
--
Uncle Al
http://www.mazepath.com/uncleal/
http://www.ultra.net.au/~wisby/uncleal/
(Toxic URLs! Unsafe for children and most mammals)
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" The Net!
Scott Nudds
: It's Nudds, the Miracle Fruit(tm)! Hey Nuddsie, is it worth chrewing
: through the leather straps in the morning?
Self professed racists like Uncle Al, do little else but spout hate.
---
'The only good indian is a dead indian. We new that back in the
1600s." - Uncle Al. Nov 6, 2000 - Sci.Environment
Chuck Robinson
Scott Nudds <af...@freenet.hamilton.on.ca> wrote in message
news:90sfs7$cuf$6...@mohawk.hwcn.org...
>
> Self professed racists like Uncle Al, do little else but spout hate.
Uncle Al is a self professed and universally known member of the human race
and is racist only to the extent of removing all non humans (you) from their
misappropriated news sites.
Keep up the good work Unk
CR
Scott Nudds
: Scott Nudds <af...@freenet.hamilton.on.ca> wrote in message
: news:90sfs7$cuf$6...@mohawk.hwcn.org...
: >
: > Self professed racists like Uncle Al, do little else but spout hate.
Chuck Robinson (ch...@corridor.net) wrote:
: Uncle Al is a self professed and universally known member of the human race
: and is racist only to the extent of removing all non humans (you) from their
: misappropriated news sites.
We regularly find extremists like Robinson and Uncle Al. - universally
conservative - prepairing for thier new <final solutions> by first
labeling <the enemy> as less than human.
Grave yards are filled with examples of their workmanship.
Chuck Robinson
My golly you're brilliant. How'd you know that Unk and I were Journeyman
stone masons?
Incidentally, you labelled yourself.
And please don't hate us 'cause we have a profession and you don't
CR
>
>
>
Scott Nudds
: > : Uncle Al is a self professed and universally known member of the human
: race
: > : and is racist only to the extent of removing all non humans (you) from
: their
: > : misappropriated news sites.
: >
: > We regularly find extremists like Robinson and Uncle Al. - universally
: > conservative - prepairing for thier new <final solutions> by first
: > labeling <the enemy> as less than human.
: >
: > Grave yards are filled with examples of their workmanship.
Chuck Robinson (ch...@corridor.net) wrote:
: My golly you're brilliant. How'd you know that Unk and I were Journeyman
: stone masons?
As I said in an earlier post. Stop kissing my ass Robinson. It will
get you no where. My response to you and your <final solution> brethren
will not change.
Chuck Robinson
Since you're all A**, how would anyone possibly know where to start?
>
>
>
>
m...@my-deja.com
> We regularly find extremists like Robinson and Uncle Al.
> - universally conservative - prepairing for thier new <final
> solutions> by first labeling <the enemy> as less than human.
>
> Grave yards are filled with examples of their workmanship.
What are you planning on doing about this, Nudds?
Scott Nudds
: > We regularly find extremists like Robinson and Uncle Al.
: > - universally conservative - prepairing for thier new <final
: > solutions> by first labeling <the enemy> as less than human.
: >
: > Grave yards are filled with examples of their workmanship.
m...@my-deja.com wrote:
: What are you planning on doing about this, Nudds?
The purifying light of public exposure is always the best policy.
m...@my-deja.com
How will this "best policy" will prevent the "graveyards" from being
"filled"?
Scott Nudds
: > : af...@freenet.hamilton.on.ca (Scott Nudds) wrote:
: > : > We regularly find extremists like Robinson and Uncle Al.
: > : > - universally conservative - prepairing for thier new <final
: > : > solutions> by first labeling <the enemy> as less than human.
: > : >
: > : > Grave yards are filled with examples of their workmanship.
: >
: > m...@my-deja.com wrote:
: > : What are you planning on doing about this, Nudds?
: >
: > The purifying light of public exposure is always the best policy.
m...@my-deja.com wrote:
: How will this "best policy" will prevent the "graveyards" from being
: "filled"?
It's rather evident isn't it? Expose evil to the light of day, and it
snakes it's way back into the shadows where it is constrained.
"A rebel hero like Timothy McVeigh should rise to glory by pointing an
assault rifle at the head of a federal agent or Janet Reno, and have the
courage to pull the trigger." - Conservative John Drake -
Sci.environment - April 2000
m...@my-deja.com
af...@freenet.hamilton.on.ca (Scott Nudds) wrote:
> : af...@freenet.hamilton.on.ca (Scott Nudds) wrote:
> : > : af...@freenet.hamilton.on.ca (Scott Nudds) wrote:
> : > : > We regularly find extremists like Robinson and Uncle Al.
> : > : > - universally conservative - prepairing for thier new <final
> : > : > solutions> by first labeling <the enemy> as less than human.
> : > : >
> : > : > Grave yards are filled with examples of their workmanship.
> : >
> : > m...@my-deja.com wrote:
> : > : What are you planning on doing about this, Nudds?
> : >
> : > The purifying light of public exposure is always the best
policy.
>
> m...@my-deja.com wrote:
> : How will this "best policy" will prevent the "graveyards" from being
> : "filled"?
>
> It's rather evident isn't it? Expose evil to the light of day, and
it
> snakes it's way back into the shadows where it is constrained.
Can you cite any case where this "policy" has actually worked re:
prevention of "graveyards" from being "filled"?
Scott Nudds
: Can you cite any case where this "policy" has actually worked re:
: prevention of "graveyards" from being "filled"?
Clearly. The post war policy of continment of the NAZI right in
Germany, and their sympathizers in both the U.S. and the rest of Europe.
Perhaps you view is that a 4th Reich would be beneficial for your
people.
Jim Webster
Scott Nudds wrote in message <916ioc$bqk$4...@mohawk.hwcn.org>...
the 4th Reich has already fallen, The German republic is currently on the
5th