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California power grid survives heat wave

July 3, 2013

diabThe California power grid made it through the first heat wave of 2013  minus the San Onofre nuclear plant and another reactor at the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant without much trouble. [Reuters]

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant’s Unit 1 was shut down on June 26 for maintenance and remained down until July 2, as it started to cool down.

California’s ISO, which operates the power grid for much of California, issued a “flex alert” on Sunday for Monday and Tuesday. The alert asked people in cooler areas of the state to conserve power in order to avoid a power shortage.

Electricity prices spiked on Tuesday delivery into the $100s per megawatt hour setting a five-year high, but returned to normal summer levels of $60s on Wednesday.

 


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For some unexplained reason…California politicians don’t dare build new power plants and we are supposed to be happy that the power did not go out over the weekend? give me a break! is this America or Zimbabwe? If the current crop of representatives can’t get you the basics like water and power than WAKE UP AND VOTE THEM OUT! STOP BENDING OVER AND TAKING IT! If a community leader/congressman tells you to conserve water or power he or she is not doing his or her job!


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If by “conserve” you mean “do not waste” – then that is sound advice in any aspect of consumption.


However, the lack of a real plan to deal with our growing resource needs is pretty damn startling.


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Wastefulness is never a good thing, but it goes on all of the time…in my opinion that is a different subject. The main concern should be acquiring power for the people of the state. We know how to do it.


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I disagree. Leaders recommending that people conserve water and power is a good thing and if heeded, will benefit our community for years to come.


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With 3 of 4 reactors not producing, and a record heat wave, it kinda blows a huge hole in the argument for nuclear power.


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OR maybe it shows the incredible efficiency that only 1 reactor can produce the needed energy (for now). Maybe the other 3 should be considered for future use when 1 reactor does become over burdened?


What percentage of this energy was produced by wind turbines and solar farms? I’ll give you a hint: “slightly more than 0” (take out hydro-electric, that’s been around forever, and “green energy” is really “no energy”)


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And STILL we have no viable explanation from PG&E as to why we had an unprecedented massive power outage throughout the Central Coast a couple weeks ago. And STILL the news media tends to repeat any and all statements PG&E releases without any independent verification of their truth or accuracy.


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Ahh the anonymous media critic and back seat driver…


PS There will be a detailed report available but good of you to get all worked up before it is issued.


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When will the public see this “detailed report”? And when and if it is issued, why should anyone consider it credible? What credibility does PG&E have? There is little or no news media oversight regarding the inner operations of PG&E. And it is doubtful if even the lapdog Nuclear Regulatory Agency will have any oversight or investigation into this since PG&E is already suggesting it has nothing to do with the nuclear power plant.


PG&E’s hellbent effort to do that absurd and murderous seismic blasting pretty much shows PG&E leadership is off its rocker. Why should the public accept ANYTHING that PG&E says at face value?


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those illuminatus smart meter gangs behind another energy distribution bunko coverup http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enron_scandal


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Since I am a reasonable person, I know that I have no legitimate reason for concern here… but it just gave me a really strange feeling that the power went out last week and then the humidity hit the next day and the temperature began soaring.


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It was humid that night. My guess is a dirty insulator that flashed over when a switch was opened.

Lack of maintenance (dirty damp conductive film) to gear that is almost always hot.


Such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1LeDTl2GDg


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I appreciate the explanation of what might have happened. Even if it is speculation, it is a hell of a lot better than what we got from PG&E which was NOTHING.


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It was the most massive power outage on the Central Coast EVER and we’re left with folks having to GUESS what happened, with the PG&E apologists and cheerleaders trying to tell us it was likely just some minor malfunction based on a humid summer night (and it wasn’t even very humid!)


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I would consider a price increase of 66% to be trouble.


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I’m just surprised it wasn’t “66.6%”


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