California: Daniel Weintraub: Just in time for summer, electricity issues return

Sacramento Bee ^ | March 28, 2004 | Daniel Weintraub

[John Jorsett]

One of the legacies of the electricity crisis of 2000 and 2001 is that it is now illegal for Californians to buy and sell electricity on the open market. If I have a spare kilowatt and you need one, too bad. I can no more sell it to you legally than I could deliver a kilo of cocaine to your front door.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

As one who worked in the electric utility field in Wisconsin - and fought with he PSC and FERC constantly - I can tell you that the status quo ante California "Deregulation" was an inefficient mess. Now that California instituted something claimed to be deregulation, which was in fact not deregulation, and made a complete mess of it -not only are they going back to the old regime - but other states that were testing the waters on deregulation are frozen in their tracks or moving in retrograde. Thanks CA!

[seastay]

"The simplest way to avoid such a scenario would be a return to the past" Yea; like making nuclear power generation a pillar of the electrical grid and controlling illegal population growth which is causing a huge load on the existing grid.

[marsh2]

What we need is a good price for cogenerated electricity and policies that encourage all biomass facilities to sell electricity.

After a decade of shut down on harvest in the National Forest, there is a big push to thin and "brush" areas around forest communities that are poised for catastrophic fire. For instance, pre-European density for vegetation in Klamath River forests was just 10% of the present density. Trees are stunted, have small root balls and are vulnerable to catastrophic kill.

The enviros are inflexibly limiting thin to very small diameter trees, so there is no commercial value in a fuel reduction project to offset the costs which can be more than $1,200 per acre after all the environmental reviews. Small trees and brush can be chipped as fuel for biomas to be turned into power through burning. This can generate a small off-setting commercial value to the costs of fuel reduction projects. Unfortunately, that value is lost very quickly in costs of transportation.

Small biomass facilities can produce power through steam that can be used to heat schools and other public buildings. This provides a market for the chipped thinnings. Surplus should be able to be sold to electric companies, but currently, either the price is so ridiculously low or it is not allowed.

[Agnes Heep]

I'm beginning to think that it would be wise for the United States to boot California from the union and let it go its own way.

[SierraWasp]

Hi Wally! I agree!!!

It's kinda like electing a "Fiscal Conservative/Social Liberal" and believing you've actually done something good for Mexifornia's future in bondage!!!

Hydro and Nuclear are the most environmentally and economically feasible sources and solutions. Most other "alternative" sources just are too inefficient and uneconomical in the final analysis!!! "Hydrogen Highway," my A$$!!! "Sierra-Nevada Conservancy," my differential!!!

The problem is both a "supply" and "demand" problem now, after decades of phoney EnvironMentalism's dubious "causes!"

[hoot2]

"...when monopoly utilities..."from the article,

"Now that California instituted something claimed to be deregulation, which was in fact not deregulation, and made a complete mess of it
-not only are they going back to the old regime -
but other states that were testing the waters on deregulation are frozen in their tracks or moving in retrograde. Thanks CA! "

monopoly utilities are controlled by the p.u.c.!!!!
they where FORCED to sell generating plants that they built, owned, n maintained....

kali-fornicans aren't gonna learn, til they're left blinking in the dark...
for a good long time.

[Amerigomag]

Here's a "twofer" bridging mechanism while we're on our way to a solution that works.

Shut the power off in substandard housing until the dwelling's owner brings the premises up to code.

Two immediate benefits:

1)Reduces consumption.
2)The resultant gentrification of the premises helps deny illegal residents shelter.

[SierraWasp]

Naw... They'll shut the power off to the rural regions to encourage rural cleansing! Won't work, however, as too many have a Home Depot generator in their horse trailer with grow lights and the harvested hemp hidden in hollowed-out hay bales!!!

I'm getting the feelin, the CA "Misery Index" is goin to git rather elevated in this decade and will make CA politics git even more unstable, which will wreak havoc on business and industry!!!

"Medical Marijuana" will end up being all that's left of any economic progress as everyone will git so sick of all this crappola and gutless politicos not helping to restore any common sense!!!

It'll be interesting to see such a scenario's effect on the nation's economic progress when Jerry Brown's, Gray Davis's and all the other 60's leftist's "CA Dreamin" turns into a miserable nitemare... sad day in the mornin!!!