Another California energy crisis looms, draft report warns

ap on San Diego Union Tribune ^ | 9/16/05 | Don Thompson - ap

[NormsRevenge]

SACRAMENTO – Four years after electricity prices soared and blackouts rolled across California, the state is in danger of another energy crisis – this one involving gasoline and natural gas as well, said a draft report Friday. The state is a captive of its own geographic and regulatory isolation, separated by miles and mountains from many refineries and fossil fuel sources. Moreover, the state sets stricter fuel standards to trim air pollution, driving up prices and limiting availability as is evident in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, said the California Energy Commission.

"California's way of life is threatened by its growing dependence on oil and natural gas, spiraling energy prices, potential supply shortages and an inadequate and aging energy delivery infrastructure," said the report that, in its final version, will go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators.

The draft was released as a three-day international global warming conference hosted by the commission and the California Environmental Protection Agency concluded. Commissioners are to vote on adopting the report Nov. 16.

An EPA panel separately released draft proposals for how the state can meet Schwarzenegger's goal of cutting the state's emissions of greenhouse gases to 2000 levels by 2010, 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. A final version will go to Schwarzenegger in January.

The problems are interlinked: Warming temperatures could harm the Sierra Nevada snow pack that provides hydroelectricity, while hotter summers will drive up electricity demand.

"As the state's demand for electricity intensifies, California could face severe shortages in the next few years," partly as a result of the warming trend, the energy report warned.

Both panels recommended conservation, improved technology and regulatory changes among responses.

But the energy commission report warns that "the state has made only minimal progress" since it made similar recommendations two years ago, and calls for policy-makers to "take immediate action." Few new power plants are operating despite an intensive drive after the last electricity crisis, with 7,000 megawatts worth of approved plants on hold due to regulatory and market problems.

California's demand for transportation fuels has increased nearly 50 percent in 20 years. It is second only to Texas in consumption of natural gas, 87 percent of which is imported from other states or nations and much of which goes to produce electricity.

Electricity transmission problems last year cost the state's economy more than $1 billion, the energy report estimated, and this summer led to Southern California's first rolling blackouts since the 2000-2001 crisis.

[peyton randolph]

If all Californians would modify their Hummers to run on alternative energy sources, just like the Governator, there would be no crisis. Perhaps horse manure as a source of fuel. /sarc

[msf92497]

Savage had an interesting idea:

Invoice Mexico for one barrel of crude/illegal in the USA every year. I'd up the ante to once a month.

Failing that ( my idea ):

1. Establish a government-recognized program by which Greenies voluntarily stop driving, stop using refrigeration, stop using electricity, produce their own food ( w/o ANY commercial energy input) and start using only rainwater or (yuck) reclaimed "graywater".

They can wear little gold stars to let everyone know just how SPECIAL they are.

Hello, Ariana? Ariana? Buehler???

2. Build the F'ing nuclear power plants.

3. Harvest the oil shale, tar sands, and coal fields.

[lakey]

Make it illegal to own an air conditioner, home, auto or business - and no excuses, Mr. Governor, you can't use one either in that blazing hot Sacramento. No guns, why not abolish creature comforts?

Stupid thought, but California's laws bring that out in me.

[lakey]

I took too long to post. Your ideas are better than mine.

[msf92497]

Thanks. Coffee is good food.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

We all need more clean burning natural gas fired electric generating plants. S\

The natural gas shortage has been artificially created by insistence upon using it for generating electrical power. Now the reality of stiff competition for home heating has driven the supplies of NG low, and prices for home owners through the roof. Gotta love the dem lefty Greens, their actions assured us all one hell of a mess, then they sanctimoniously exploit said mess to the fullest.

[Carry_Okie]

Gotta love the dem lefty Greens, their actions assured us all one hell of a mess, then they sanctimoniously exploit said mess to the fullest.

They were just doing what they'd been paid to do, by natural gas investors.

[Grim]

"California's way of life is threatened by its growing dependence on oil and natural gas, spiraling energy prices, potential supply shortages and an inadequate and aging energy delivery infrastructure," said the report that, in its final version, will go to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators.

What a load of crap. The CEC consumers millions annually to generate idiotic reports that re-state the obvious. We should drop the CEC immediately and fire all the free-loaders wasting taxpayer money.

[GregoryFul]

They are mighty proud of themselves for stopping the building of nukes in this country in the 70's. I wonder if they will be so proud when the hundreds of millions of their fellow Americans are struggling to deal with exponentially rising energy prices due to their moronic, self-centered, myopic vision.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Your reasoning is beyond understandable, so will excuse it to ignorance. (not stupidity)

I am retired oil field trash (smile when you say that) who has just a bit (decades) of knowledge on the subject, from exploration, drilling, production, (onshore/offshore) to refining.

[Carry_Okie]

Your reasoning is beyond understandable, so will excuse it to ignorance. (not stupidity)

Nonsense. Read the whole post.

I am retired oil field trash (smile when you say that) who has just a bit (decades) of knowledge on the subject, from exploration, drilling, production, (onshore/offshore) to refining.

Little do you know about who funds the environmental move-mint.

[Steel and Fire and Stone]

"2. Build the F'ing nuclear power plants.

3. Harvest the oil shale, tar sands, and coal fields."

=====================================================================================

You missed the point.

"The draft was released as a three-day international global warming conference hosted by the commission and the California Environmental Protection Agency concluded. Commissioners are to vote on adopting the report Nov. 16." (emphasis added)

The report has nothing to do with predicting or satisfying California's future energy needs. It's about perpetuating the myth of "global warming". Building nuclear power plants or developing the abundant and available alternate fossil fuel sources, would only accelerate the effects of global warming, in the world of their twisted little minds.

Beyond their focus on the mythical global warming, the report builds upon the false premise that California's high fuel prices has anything to do with the source of California's fossil fuels. Transportation is not the primary reason for high-energy costs, it's government-induced scarcity. By not allowing development of indigenous source of fuels within the USA, including off-shore, Alaska, and nuclear power, the US government has ceded the market to off-shore providers, who of course have no qualms over acting the role of a monopoly to increase the price of their product.

"Global Warming", of course, is intended to target hurt the Western 1st world countries, in behalf of the oppressed third world. If the CA EPA and the Liberal so-called Scientific community was serious about global warming, they wouldn't exempt the developing countries (such as China, Russia, and the former Russian republics) from the proposed Kyota restrictions. If, in fact, greenhouse gases produced by man's use of fossil fuels are destroying the planet, then EVERY country needs to "conserve", and EVERY class needs to conserve. The Environmenta movement is merely reconstituted Marxists peddling "economic class warfare" and anti-"Western imperialism" using a "green" wrapper.

The "scientists" pushing Global Warming are, as their Marxist predecessors, totally non-serious, unworthy of consideration. And, they wrote this report. If the CA Governor does anything but toss it in the trash, he's also non-serious.

The entire report was an exercise of religious (albeit secular humanism) faith, not science. If California makes energy policy based on this myth, then market forces will punish California business, as both high-priced and scarce energy forces markets away from California-produced goods and services. The market-force guided economic cycle, unlike global warming, has been proven through repetition. It's a repeatable phenomenon, where as the truth about "global warming" cannot truly be known for hundreds if not thousands of years.

SFS

[Jaysun]

The environmentalist have set our sails for the waterfall at the foot of sh*t creek.

Their crusade to see America undone meets little resistance. Indeed, most people unwittingly support their efforts. They're attacking our energy supply, our food supply, our housing - we have to lay them down before this reaches critical mass.

I'm afraid that if we wait until their intentions become apparent to all it'll be too late. By then we'll be flying red flags and standing in bread lines. Socialism isn't easily reversed (consider the poor bastards in Europe) even when its destructive nature becomes apparent because the lemmings still insist on their paltry handouts.

Let's face it, it's difficult to make a moral argument against their false front so we'll have to get down on all fours with them and fight like hooligans. They've purchased a great deal of influence but we can easily out spend them. Our first focus should be castrating the EPA by whatever means necessary.

In my opinion the environmentalist and their ilk rival terrorism in threatening our way of life.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

We are all entitled to our opinions, but not the facts.

[backhoe]

Remember when?

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[Prophet in the wilderness]

Another California energy crisis looms:

Solution ?

Make the envirowackos, liberals, Democrats, greenies get rid of their cars and air condition in their homes, make them walk to work and deal with the heat in their homes.

[Joe Boucher]

Calif hasn't built a new energy plant in decades.
Busnissmen in Texas figured that Calif would need additional evergy and so built extra plants in business friendly Texas and sold futures in energy to Calif at inflated prices.
Then Calif lawmakers lamblasted these businessmen but still no new energy plants in the antibusiness mood that is Calif.
The hell with them. If Calif needs more energy, let them pay Texans exorbitant prices.

[MARTIAL MONK]

If the Mohave Generating Station is forced offline at the end of the year as is scheduled, Southern California will lose enough electricity for a million homes. To stay online they have to settle water disputes with the Indians and install a billion dollars worth of air pollution control equipment in the next three months. I'm going to California and sell candles.

[Carry_Okie]

We are all entitled to our opinions, but not the facts.

Yhrn post some. Here are a few of mine.

Welcome to reality. It's a tough road.