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To: Think4Yourself who wrote (82140)	12/19/2000 10:55:51 PM
From: RWS	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 95453

Re: "After reading the below article I now know how to single-handedly turn out the lights in Southern California with a scoped rifle and a box of shells, or even a hacksaw and a few hours. I believe I know exactly where that line is, and there are several more there as well. Take it out during a thunderstorm and it could take them days just to get to the site." It's better IMHO to leave some thoughts unspoken, even more, unpublished. This kind of talk is very unwise. Regards, RWS

To: Think4Yourself who wrote (82140)	12/20/2000 8:50:01 PM
From: gamesmistress	Respond to of 95453

Here's more info on the transmission line aspect of the CA energy crisis. Judging by the way California's politicians have responded so far to this exceedingly complicated problem, all I can see is a descent into hell.... www0.mercurycenter.com Power grid hampers needed supplies WEAKNESSES IN STATE'S SPRAWLING ELECTRIC SYSTEM LIMIT ABILITY TO MOVE ENERGY, AVERT SHORTAGES BY STEVE JOHNSON Mercury News Excerpt: Even on days when California has plenty of electricity, it's becoming increasingly hard to move that power to the Bay Area and other places where it's needed because of serious deficiencies along the state's sprawling network of high-voltage lines. ....Most experts blame California energy difficulties on a shortage of power plants. But they also note that the state's failure to upgrade its transmission lines -- because of environmental, cost and other concerns -- has contributed significantly to the problem. And given the dearth of new lines scheduled to be built in the state over the next few years, many people fear California could be in for bigger trouble in the future. ``There are very disturbing signs that California is not addressing . . . their problem,'' said Larry Makovich, an electricity specialist at Cambridge Energy Research Associates in Massachusetts. In some instances during critical emergencies, he added, ``you simply can't get the power from one place to another.'' Widespread problem Karl Stahlkopf, vice president of power delivery for the Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, said neglect of the high-voltage system is a problem across the country. Over the last 10 years, he said, while transmission line capacity nationwide has increased about 15 percent, ``the demand for electricity has grown about 30 percent.'' Moreover, Stahlkopf said, that discrepancy is expected to widen over the next decade, with demand for electricity increasing at a rate at least five times faster than transmission lines are beefed up or built. Despite its comparatively huge size and fast-growing population, California is expected to add far fewer new lines than many other states in the West, according to the Western Systems Coordinating Council, which helps monitor the flow of power across the region. Through 2008, the council predicts that California will add only 199 of the 2262 miles of high-voltage lines that are expected to be erected across the region. California tends to face more opposition from environmentalists and those who live or work near the lines. While such objections also are common in other states, ``California is probably worse in allowing new lines to be built,'' said Bill Comish, a senior official at the council. ``It tends to get my hackles up.'' That opposition can be a major obstacle for executives at utility companies, which own most of the 670,000 miles of major transmission lines nationwide. But expense is a huge factor, too, with the construction costs for typical 500,000-volt lines running about $2 million per mile. On top of that, the federal government limits how much transmission-line owners can charge others to move their power over those lines. All in all, Comish said, ``when you consider the battle you have to fight to build it vs. what you get in return, a lot of people don't think it's worth it.''