Posted on 03/22/2012 10:03:38 PM PDT by BenLurkin
SAN CLEMENTE (CBS) — Parts of the Los Angeles Basin and San Diego could face power shortages this summer depending on whether the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station units remain offline.
“Safety is the top priority during ongoing inspections and testing of the nuclear power plant,” said Steve Berberich, president and chief executive officer of the California Independent System Operator Corp., the grid operator for the majority of California’s electric transmission system.
“Our focus is contingency planning should SONGS remain offline this summer,” he said. “Fortunately, there are resource options available to help mitigate reliability risks. We are actively working with San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison and others because prudent mitigation planning takes adequate lead time and summer heat is only a couple months away.”
Unit 3 of the plant south of San Clemente has been shut down since Jan. 31, after station operators detected a leak in one of its steam generator tubes. Its two steam generators are undergoing extensive testing and inspections in order to fully assess their condition and the cause of the leak. Unit 2 was taken down for planned maintenance Jan. 9.
Neither unit will return to operation “until we are satisfied it is safe to do so,” said Jennifer Manfre, Southern California Edison’s senior manager of media relations.
Technical studies presented at Thursday’s Cal-ISO board meeting show very tight reserve margins for San Diego and the Los Angeles Basin, especially during potential summer heat waves.
Contingency planning will likely include servicing Huntington Beach Power Plant units previously slated for retirement, accelerating completion of Barre-Ellis & Sunrise Powerlink transmission projects, re-activating the 20/20 demand reduction program and Flex Alert TV and radio conservation campaign, according to Cal-ISO.
The ISO peak demand is projected to reach 46,352 megawatts this summer under normal conditions, 923 more than the actual peak of 45,429 recorded in 2011, but less than the 2011 forecast under normal weather, according to the grid operator.
The decrease in the 2012 peak demand forecast is because of a conservative economic recovery prediction by Moody’s Analytics for 2012 as compared to its 2011 economic forecast, according to Cal-ISO
And your reasoning for that wish?
Time to buy Generac stock (GNRC)....I did.
The risks of nuclear power are unacceptable to me when we have other alternatives. The risk to the bottom line in the event of failure is simply too great.
Since you will probably ask what alternatives I favor, I will advance the conversation. The model for Southern California should be to allow Feed In Tarriffs at the consumer level. The requires only a simply legislative change.
Under that FIT model, consumers will be allowed to be paid for the electricity they generate, not just have their bills reduced but to actually be paid for the amount of electricity that is pumped into the system. The most common type of generation would be roof top solar, a system that is already working. The only part of FIT that is not working residential roof top generators have no profit incentive to create more electricty.
The profit motive is a mighty engine of capitalism. With it in place, I might conserve electricity (become more efficient) to get a better profit at the end of the year. That profit would also drive innovation to make my system produce more.
The truely conservative view would be to allow the free market to apply to residential roof top solar and other means to generate electricty at the point of use.
You said - The truely conservative view would be to allow the free market to apply to residential roof top solar and other means to generate electricty at the point of use.
Riiight, because solar is so economical and reliable. Got your Volt yet? Perhaps you could put panels on that too to augment its feeble power train.
I assume you live in SoCal. I used to, got smart and left. You on the other hand, remain and actually echo the lefty mantras regarding nuke power.
ENJOY your summer of paying more for electricity while it is actually available there.
Anti-nuke people DESERVE all the rates they pay, all the electricity shortages they get.
ALL technology entails risk. But that risk is evaluated versus the benefits. Nuke is a power source that generates large benefits, with a risk that, over time, hasa diminished. Case in point, SONGS 1. Too old to retrofit, now it is gone. Units 2 and 3 are fine, will be shown to be so. But regardless of fitness for use, I’m sure there will be protests, unending hearings, etc.
You should show you are not willing to support such risk-filled ventures like electricity production and get off the grid. But you know, even fabricating solar panels has risks. Oh, the hugh-manatee of it all.
I was in downtown LA a while back. I was in my car sitting at a red light and the power went out in a 20 block area. It took all of 30 seconds before I heard windows breaking and alarm bells start to ring.
I got out of the area real quick.
With all due respect, that is not a very thinking reply. I mean, I jump in to conversations like that also. I understand the larger issue you are speaking to.
But, on the subject of roof top solar, I am looking out my window right now at three homes that have solar panels. All three neighbors said if they were allowed to be paid for the electricity they generate, they could receive a check at the end of the year. Instead they just put up massive Christmas light displays.
Let's get into this in a bit more detail. Explain to me your objection to a residential homeowner being paid for the electricity they generate and put into the grid. Let's stick to that simple proposition. I think we agree on the larger political conversation.
Too funny. Boy do they have a surprise in store for them during rolling black-outs. I can envision all those cars stranded in the middle of the interstate dead as a doornail, out of gas and three miles to the nearest charging station on a hot Friday afternoon in the summer. Kind of like what we went through when we evacuated for Katrina and so many people ran out of gas because they didn’t think ahead.
I have NO objection to a homeowner generating his own electricity. At all.
However, the idea of shtting down nukes because we can all just use solar, is just another version of “We can all stop using oil if we all drive electric cars.”
Same animal different words.
Unthinking is eliminating a valid, reliable, only expensive due to over-regulation energy source out of ignorance or fear.
I don't know who you are quoting with that statement but it sure is not me. I never said what you are quoting.
I said that we should allow the free marke, a conservative approach to government and profit to be applied. Why are you against that?
The question I asked is what would happen if the free market and profit incentive (profit is not a dirty word you know) was applied? Even without FIT for residential homeowners, we are already seeing electricity use in homes reduced by 50% to 70% and people enjoying the same lifestyle.
In my home, if I was allowed to be paid for the electricity I put into the grid, I would be getting a nice check each month.
You dissemble. You had the following exchange in post 20:
Unit 3 of the plant south of San Clemente has been shut down since Jan. 31
Good and let it stay that way.
I asked why you felt that way and we had our conversation to the present.
Thre free market, in regards to solar, has said solar is NOT the answer to our power needs. IF solar were ‘profitable’ it would be common. It is not profitable at all. It is heavily subsidized, which is neither conservative or free market in nature. You want solar, buy it, paying its FULL COST, don’t ask me to subsidize it, which it is now.
Free market? Not likely where solar is concerned.
Yes, I know I started out talking about nuclear power. I may be guilty of jumping subject a bit.
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