Tomas, I receive Bureau of Reclamation reports on the Colorado River inflows at Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell).
Inflows were 27% of normal in September, 54% of normal in October, and 74% of normal in November. Snowpack through November in the Rockies is estimated to be running at about 118% of normal at this time.
In addition there is an environmental lawsuit called Defenders of Wildlife v. Babbitt on the lower Colorado River that may affect water flows and reduce hydro capability too.
Anyone linked to the Bonneville Power Administration out there who can provide Pacific NW inflow reports?
Hydro power is pure peaking power. It is generally only replaced with natural gas-fired peaking units. So water inflows at hydro projects directly impact demand for natural gas in western state power producers. For e.g., there is about 3700 megawatts of very cheap hydro capability on the Lower Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam southward.... In a related note, one of my friends worked on a NG supply contract between a Pacific NW utility and a Permian Basin natural gas producer in the last few days which included FTR's. Contract price for the NG was $15/mcf. I bet that that NG was intended to replace non-existent hydropower resources in the NW (Perhaps the BPA hydro power that the Feds ordered BPA to send south to help California recently?).
So drought conditions impact hydro generation which in turn is one factor impacting price of NG in western markets...
Finally (OT) on SUPER MARIO's return tomorrow:
Mario returns: Tonight's the night!
Despite a few jitters, Lemieux is eager for 1st game
Wednesday, December 27, 2000
By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
The wind was whipping across Neville Island yesterday morning, the chill bitter enough to cause parts of the surrounding Ohio River to freeze.
Mario Lemieux steps onto the ice for his final home game April 23, 1997. Tonight, he'll walk the same runway to start all over again. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette)
And there was Mario Lemieux, skating outdoors, sporting only a tousle cap, a hooded sweatshirt and some shiny hockey equipment. Looking very much like a Canadian child who had rushed out to the nearest pond on the day after Christmas to try out his new stuff.
His father, Jean-Guy, watched admiringly from outside the rink, just as he did when Mario was growing up in suburban Montreal. Mario's 4-year-old son, Austin, was looking on, too.
But the weather got the best of both of them.
"Hey, Dad!" Austin yelled about an hour into the session. "I'm cold!"
"Five more minutes," Mario replied softly. "Just five more minutes."
So he went 10 minutes.
And he went hard.
Special Penguins Coverage:
With personal trainer Jay Caufield pushing him one final time, Lemieux's skates carved into the ice five times around the rink, and he completed each lap with a slap shot from the right faceoff circle. One off the crossbar, one wide, and three top shelf. The dozen or so children braving the cold to watch from a nearby walkway gasped and giggled.
When Lemieux was done, he and Caufield posed together for a photograph, a memento of their five weeks of grueling training which had just come to an end.
"If we did five rushes up the ice, he went hard five times, up and back," Caufield said. "From where we started to now, I can tell you he's ready to go. He's done everything he needs to do. All that's left is for him is to play in the game. Today, I just wanted him to get the feel of the puck, show his speed, maybe work those Christmas legs out of him. You could see in that last drill. That's a hard grind, but he handled it well."
Lemieux appreciated the tutelage of his old acquaintance and former Penguins teammate. Caufield, a fitness fanatic, played the role of drill sergeant and confidante throughout Lemieux's workouts.
"It's been great to have a good friend, somebody who knows the game, who understands what it takes to get there," Lemieux said. "Jay's meant a lot to me."
Lemieux rode the stationary bike at his Sewickley home last night, and he will participate in the Penguins' game-day skate today at Mellon Arena.
And then, the real work begins.
Mario Lemieux is upended while on his way to the goal during a 1997 game. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette)
At 7:38 tonight, Lemieux and his Penguins will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Mellon Arena. It will mark his first taste of real competition since April 26, 1997. And judging by his serious tone yesterday, Lemieux is plenty prepared for it.
"I feel good. I'm excited," he said. "And I know it's going to be exciting for everybody in the building to be a part of it."
He is 35, and he has achieved the highest fitness level of his life, trimming his 6-foot-4 frame to a sturdy yet mobile 238 pounds. He is gliding across the ice with his customary grace, making the puck dance on his stick like a puppeteer, looking more than capable of fulfilling his oft-stated projection that he can regain his standing as the finest player in the world.
And yet, he readily confessed to a slight case of the jitters.
"A little bit. Obviously, I've been off for a long period of time. Sometimes, you don't know what to expect. It's just going to be a matter of adjusting myself to the game, to the speed of the game."
He paused.
"Sure, I'm a little bit nervous."
The speed of the game tonight could be considerable. The Maple Leafs are among the fastest and most talented teams in the NHL, and they rank among the Eastern Conference's elite.
Toronto's plan tonight is to have defensemen Dmitry Yushkevich and Daniil Markov on the ice each time Lemieux takes a shift. It's also possible that the Maple Leafs could further hound him by deploying a forward line of Shayne Corson, Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker, all punishing and diligent checkers.
Lemieux confessed he hasn't spent much time scouting his opponent, even though he has had weeks to focus on them. As he explained, "I've had a lot of other things to think about."
But he is more than a little aware of what the Maple Leafs can do, having watched the Penguins face them twice already this month.
"They're a good team, obviously one of the best in the league. I think it's going to be a good test right off the bat to measure where I'm at in my game. I might as well get used to the physical play because that's the way it's going to be for the rest of the year. I've been preparing myself physically and mentally for that. I'm looking forward to it."
Caufield believes it might be a blessing in disguise, if only because Lemieux has yet to be subjected to anything resembling game conditions during his training.
"Those are all competitive, honest, hard-working players," Caufield said of the Maple Leafs' checking forwards. "He's faced those kinds of players his whole career. That'll be great for him, if it happens, to go against a good, hard-working line like that right away."
Lemieux still isn't certain whether he will play his traditional position, center, or slide to the left wing. He plans to discuss that this morning with Coach Ivan Hlinka.
He is, however, finally sure that his linemates will be Jaromir Jagr and Jan Hrdina. It had long been known that he would skate alongside Jagr, but the identity of the third member was a mystery. Lemieux said yesterday he had talked that over with Hlinka late last week.
"He's a good defensive player," Lemieux said of Hrdina. "He's also able to handle the puck, and he's a good passer. I think for myself and Jaromir, it's good to have somebody who thinks defense first and gives us the opportunity to do our job offensively."
That line has the potential to be one of the most memorable in hockey history, if only because of Lemieux and Jagr, the two greatest players of their respective generations. Each has skills so potent, so difficult to counter, that they can take a divide-and-conquer approach to attacking defenses.
But those opponents, for the most part, will be younger than Lemieux, some by as many as 17 years. And nearly all of them have trained just as hard as Lemieux has in the past few weeks, meaning that all the conditioning work he and Caufield did will do little more than put him on an even keel with his peers.
"These guys in the league right now are great athletes," Lemieux said. "They're all young guys, healthy and in great shape. I think that's really changed over the past 10 years. Everybody on the ice is that way. They're all strong, able to take a hit and make plays. That's OK. I feel I'm ready for it."
After Lemieux was done yesterday, a hush fell over the rink area. The children who had been watching from outside had dispersed. And Lemieux's father and son, along with Caufield, followed quietly as he walked to a tiny locker room to untie his skates.
Tonight, the world will watch.
More than 17,000 fans will fill Mellon Arena well beyond its seating capacity. Television cameras and newspaper reporters from across North America will strain the venue's media capability like never before. And hockey fans from across the globe will have their eye on Pittsburgh when the city's favorite son returns to the rink.
No more practice.
No more waiting.
It's time for the game.
"I'm looking forward to the first time I step on the ice and having the chance to play again," Lemieux said. "It won't be long now." |
