http://www.commdiginews.com/life/america...uts-15826/

Quote:CHICAGO, April 23, 2014 — Americans take electricity for granted. Electricity powers our lights, our computers, our offices, and our industries. But misguided environmental policies are eroding the reliability of our power system.

This past winter, bitterly cold weather placed massive stress on the US electrical system―and the system almost broke. On January 7 in the midst of the polar vortex, PJM Interconnection, the Regional Transmission Organization serving the heart of America from New Jersey to Illinois, experienced a new all-time peak winter load of almost 142,000 megawatts.

Eight of the top ten of PJM’s all-time winter peaks occurred in January 2014. Heroic efforts by grid operators saved large parts of the nation’s heartland from blackouts during record-cold temperature days. Nicholas Akins, CEO of American Electric Power, stated in Congressional testimony, “This country did not just dodge a bullet―we dodged a cannon ball.”

Environmental policies established by Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are moving us toward electrical grid failure. The capacity reserve margin for hot or cold weather events is shrinking in many regions. According to Philip Moeller, Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, “…the experience of this past winter indicates that the power grid is now already at the limit.”

Read more at http://www.commdiginews.com/business-2/l...1e1BHyC.99

I'm sure the all knowing tommy will jump in and tell us this is all wrong.

Think of how much of the electrical grid could have been upgraded if only they were considered "shovel ready jobs"...

It'd be great if years ago we made investments to transition to a smart grid. Doing so today would cost untold amounts of money.

You can't be sure that you can build anything today because you never know when you'll run across some 3 legged 1 winged beetle habitat.

(04-23-2014 11:59 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  It'd be great if years ago we made investments to transition to a smart grid. Doing so today would cost untold amounts of money.

Why use untold amounts of profits to upgrade when you can stash it and wait for the government to bail you out?

Just imagine what would happen if the power went offline everywhere for a month.

(04-24-2014 01:59 AM)ncbeta Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 11:59 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  It'd be great if years ago we made investments to transition to a smart grid. Doing so today would cost untold amounts of money.

Why use untold amounts of profits to upgrade when you can stash it and wait for the government to bail you out?

Nice sound byte, but has absolutely nothing to do with the problem in this case.

And by the way, remember that we're going to add charging millions of electric cars to the demand on this grid.

(04-24-2014 01:59 AM)ncbeta Wrote:  

(04-23-2014 11:59 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  It'd be great if years ago we made investments to transition to a smart grid. Doing so today would cost untold amounts of money.

Why use untold amounts of profits to upgrade when you can stash it and wait for the government to bail you out?

The relationship with power companies and the state in which the operate is a little different that GM. If utilities want to raise rates at this point, massive investments must be demonstrated to the PSC. ComEd, Southern Company, PSE&G and Duke Energy are all making multi-billion dollar upgrades to their systems without federal intervention. Because an Electric Utility goes bankrupt, people won't stand from them being bailed out when the states can just take them over.

The real issues that are straining the grid stem from the fact that major cities that consume most of the KWh, don't want a power plants anywhere near them. The transmission losses associated from locating plants an acceptable distance away are phenomenal. And no amount of smart grid, or rooftop solar power will fix that.

Meanwhile, B&W gives up on their m-power reactors this month b/c the Obama Administration refuses to certify them.

(04-23-2014 11:59 PM)Love and Honor Wrote:  It'd be great if years ago we made investments to transition to a smart grid. Doing so today would cost untold amounts of money.

Smart grid technology has its own share of faults... including being more susceptible to solar storms and EMPs.

(04-24-2014 07:55 AM)Jerry Falwell Wrote:  Meanwhile, B&W gives up on their m-power reactors this month b/c the Obama Administration refuses to certify them.

Have they finished relocating their HQ from Central VA to Charlotte yet?

Was that area impacted much by the move?

There are three grids in the Lower 48 states: the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection — and Texas. Texas has its own grid to avoid dealing with the feds. The ERCOT Texas grid remains beyond the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is on its way toward the necessary improvements.

(04-24-2014 10:26 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(04-24-2014 07:55 AM)Jerry Falwell Wrote:  Meanwhile, B&W gives up on their m-power reactors this month b/c the Obama Administration refuses to certify them.

Have they finished relocating their HQ from Central VA to Charlotte yet?

Was that area impacted much by the move?

The vast majority of manufacturing/engineering/etc is still in Lynchburg, so no noticeable change.

This is why I am investing in solar power. The sooner I get off the grid, the better.

(04-24-2014 11:08 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  This is why I am investing in solar power. The sooner I get off the grid, the better.

I hope you have a buttload of money in order to store that power for use during night and cloudy days.

(04-24-2014 10:35 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  There are three grids in the Lower 48 states: the Eastern Interconnection, the Western Interconnection — and Texas. Texas has its own grid to avoid dealing with the feds. The ERCOT Texas grid remains beyond the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and is on its way toward the necessary improvements.

Texas is also well ahead of the pack on renewables.

You need deregulation in order for the economics to work for renewables.

Unfortunately, I'm in the one corner of Texas that is not on ERCOT. That's probably my biggest single regret about my current location. I'd be on Green Mountain or some other renewable source if they could connect to me.

(04-24-2014 11:08 AM)Fitbud Wrote:  This is why I am investing in solar power. The sooner I get off the grid, the better.

A very, very small fraction of solar is off grid.

When I worked for a solar company, we generally talked people out of going off the grid because it is a waste of money. A grid tied solar system is a pretty strong investment, but an offgrid system is a terrible investment.

Solar is a supplemental power source that excels at producing power during peak demand hours. It is a terrible replacement power source though and there will need to be major advancements in storage technology before that changes.

(04-24-2014 01:14 PM)Niner National Wrote:  Solar is a supplemental power source that excels at producing power during peak demand hours. It is a terrible replacement power source though and there will need to be major advancements in storage technology before that changes.

Exactly my point.

(04-24-2014 05:55 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  Just imagine what would happen if the power went offline everywhere for a month.

That would be absolutely amazing. I wish it would happen.

(04-24-2014 07:55 AM)Jerry Falwell Wrote:  Meanwhile, B&W gives up on their m-power reactors this month b/c the Obama Administration refuses to certify them.

I thought the major roadblock was a lack of investors? I'm of the opinion thought that land based LWR were completely unnecessary. There were a lot of good things Rickover did for Naval Nuclear Power, but having a submarine based design become the industry standard onshore isn't one of them.