[Paleopsych] Wind Power Falls Under $0.01/kwh

[Werbos, Dr. Paul J.]

At 02:49 PM 9/18/2004 -0700, Steve wrote:
>Where in your opinion are the major
>areas of inefficiency in our system?
>
>generation?  transmission? usage?

The folks in the IEEE Energy Policy Committee generally use
much stronger terms than I have here to describe the state
of the US grid system today.

Transmission... generation... regulation... control strategy...

There are a mix of things which cry out for action, some short term,
some long-term...

In October 2001, NSF and EPRI joint sponsored a workshop
on near-term transmission issues which was a real eye-opener for me,
for one example. You've heard immense noises about California's state deficit
and the shock to the economy which resulted. But screwed up
grid stuff is still a major part of it. The Brazilians -- who fund more
advanced real grid research than the US government does by far --
epxlained how they could increase capacity on key lines from Rockies to 
California
by 60 percent IN A FEW WEEKS, at a cost about 10 percent of the initial 
line costs, with no
new right-of-ways... and the US ISOs all said it sounded fine... but the 
present environment
wouldn't let them do it. Something like disincentives for investment, lack 
of clear authority,
and such. A FEW WEEKS!!! But stringing up wires is too hard for us to do.

Just one little drop...

By the way, in the mountain area are underutilized existing coal-fired 
plants that
could've offered much lower prices than the gas guys at overcapacity, that were
not hitting environmental constraints... but I think I heard something 
about political problems
with folks who didn't understand that and feared California would steal 
"their" cheap electricity
and drive electricity up elsewhere; not a realistic fear, but politics is 
full of
unrealistic fears.






>Steve Hovland
>www.stevehovland.net
>
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