California's Power in Perspective

[weber1048]

Statland

The GRID is a set of systems that are tied together. The power from the NW goes to Californoa thru the 500KV DC tie (Celilo/Sylmar)where it is converted back to AC for your use. Texas is the SWPA along with OKLA and Kansas. The NW is BPA and the rest of the west is the WAPA. This system goes to a fragile state as demand goes up. If say Coulee looses a 700MW unit depending on powerflow and loading the loss might not be felt in the NW but in Arizona or California or just isolated area's such as Salt Lake City or it might start cascading from one area to the next. This might result in Texas to become isolated from the rest but because of there capicity there lights don't go out but yours do.

Doug



[This message has been edited by weber1048 (edited 05-31-2001). ]

 

[weber1048]

just a little more fuel to the fire

In the May 30 San Francisco
Chronicle, David Lazarus reports the astonishing news that
Pacific Gas and Electric is asking a federal bankruptcy court
to allow it to give $17. 5 million in bonuses to its top
management team, including nearly $1 million to PG&E
Chairman Robert Glynn (thereby doubling Glynn's current
salary). The worry is that if it doesn't fork over the cash, the
California utility will have trouble retaining the crack team that
ran it into the ground! OK. That's a little unfair. The causes of
the current electricity crisis in California are many and
complex. No one deserves the sole blame. But it's hard to see
how anyone deserves any reward, either. Are you losing
sleep over possible management turnover at America's most
cash-poor electric utility? Chatterbox's guess is that PG&E's
creditors, which include the Bank of New York, the
California Power Exchange, Bankers Trust, and assorted
other suckers (click here for a list of the top 20), have rather
different ideas about how to spend that $17. 5 million.
Particularly since PG&E already doled out $50 million in
bonuses and raises right before its April 6 bankruptcy filing.
And it's a cinch that California ratepayers would prefer that
any available loose change be applied toward lowering their
electricity bills.

The PG&E motion requesting the bonuses is an important
contribution to the burgeoning field of Chutzpah Studies. Here
are some choice excerpts:

The Management Retention Program ... provides for
payments ranging from 25% to 100% of annual base
salary as of the Petition Date (the "Retention
Payments") to certain officers and other members of its
leadership team if they stay with PG&E over the next
several years and continue to contribute to PG&E's
successful operation [italics Chatterbox's] and
restructuring during these difficult times. The program
classifies eligible participants into four "tiers," with
participation ranging from 25% to 100% of eligible
employees in each tier. ... To place a cap on the cost of
this program and to ensure that it is employed as a
retention tool only where it is needed, no more than one
third [italics Chatterbox's] of the approximately 682
management employees occupying eligible positions in
these four tiers (i. e. , 226 employees) would be entitled
to payments under the Management Retention
Program. ... With certain limited exceptions, [italics
Chatterbox's] to receive Retention Payments,
Participants must be employed by PG&E [italics
Chatterbox's] at the time of such payments. ...

 

['956Wheel]

Doug, I have an understanding of the grid and have gone to plant operator school, bottom line, from my understanding, supply and demand runs it. And I have spent many days at Sylmars converter station, I live 20 miles or so from it, made a lot of $ there after the '94 quake.

Are you Hydro, Steam, or a Nuke operator?

Maybe you can give a short course in power to some of these "Einsteins".

Tell me one thing Doug, what role does vaporizing mercury have in a thyristor?

Mike

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9535hundred, 5 speed, 3:54, westach (Boost/Egt), Dead feline, 4" turndown, KDP inspected-in place, "tabbed", LOUD Grover

 

[FDIESEL]

Did you ever wonder why a state that uses the 3rd least electricity per person in the country is having a power crisis. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to think that maybe the politicians in Calif. don't know what is best for their people when in comes to power usage.

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1998. 5, Dually 3500, AT, 4:10, 4X4, QC, BD Torqloc, PresLoq, Valve body, Bluebox

 

[JConley]

Hey Statland, your statement proves just how little you know. During Y2K roll over, the Emergency Operating Center could have isolated the Texas power grid from the rest of the nation if things started going to he$$ in other parts of the country. I really dont care if you believe me or not. I just cranked up the AC #ad


I do agree that Cali is the envy of other state natives. If you are gay, a flaming liberal, or tree hugging environmentalist that doesnt bathe, then California is the place to be! You must be proud of the San Fran law that will use tax dollars to pay for the city employees sex change. I agree that you wont see these people moving out of California, and I couldnt be happier!!

BTW, Thanks for not doing anything about your power situation. The extra income from natural gas royalties is coming in handy #ad


------------------
98 QC 2500 2WD 12 Valve Automatic, 3. 54 Mag-Hytec transmission pan. DTT Valve Body. Wrap around black Grill Guard (BIG solid steel one. AFC controller adjusted, Mopar mud flaps, Camper package, 2001 Tow mirrors, Cat ran away, No Muff
My Mustang
My Ram
The Wrecking Crew web site for Junkyard Wars
Go Aggies!!!

 

[SLVRBLT]

Brian-
Can you spell satire? Here in Oklahoma we usually refer to it as "pulling someone's leg". I know perfectly well how to spell Sonoma, Napa, Silicon, and all those other valleys you have. I also know that fonetic is not the way to spell phonetic.
Dave

 

[weber1048]

Statland

I spent 10 yrs at Nukes and the last 28 in Hydro. I have not worked at a DC/AC convertor and the thyristors we have had were small. But the mercury vapor aids in the firing of the valve and helps as a conductor.
If you want more than that you can do your own research.

Doug

[This message has been edited by weber1048 (edited 06-01-2001). ]

 

[hotel6]

enviros

Its nice that we have a page to vent on. The Ca power crisis is to me a true example of wishful thinking on the part of liberal politicans and their fund raising supporters from the extreme environmental left. On the one hand you have a California Governor and Senator wanting price controls to protect their life style. On the other hand you have free market forces known as supply and demand that will correct the imbalance and reduce power usage if allowed to operate. And when the investment risk is right, folks will invest in new power plants. Heck just turning the lights out in the business buildings at night ought to generate a big savings! But if CA continues to operate with the NIMBY syndrome the issues will not get solved. Over the last 40 years CA has tied itself up with the most constraining set of enviro laws that have been held up as the way for the nation to go that it scares me that other states will continue to fall into the same trap. We need to remove many of these ill conceived laws from the books and the courts. Create a higher level of standing for appeals of projects and begin to bring many of the environmental organizations into a position where they can pay for the damages they are inflicting on the public as a result of their demands.

 

[5thram]

This has to be the most refreshing thread I've ever read. You contributors should be on Johnny Carson.

 

[NVR FNSH]

Dave,

Let me know when you figure out how to convey dripping sarcasm thru the keyboard/screen - I can't seem to find the button

 

[Jetson]

Texas energy costs should be going down every day that Cal. environmental regs. keep power plants from producing or being built. Since I live in Texas, I LIKE IT!