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Strategies & Market Trends : Bob Brinker: Market Savant & Radio Host -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wally Mastroly who wrote (11543)	1/10/2001 10:02:43 AM
From: Wally Mastroly	Respond to of 42834

Some market commentary from Batman & Ralphy: gruntal.com prusec.com

To: Wally Mastroly who wrote (11543)	1/10/2001 10:05:49 AM
From: Bill Shepherd	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42834

Wally: RE: At the risk of over simplifying a complex issue, why are we building more electrical power plants fueled by natural gas, when gas seems to be in short supply (without trying to increase the gas supply at the same time)? I've been puzzled by this too. Also, there has been a giant push to convert diesel buses and other trucks to natural gas...where do you suppose all that natural gas comes from, and what impact does it's consumption have on the rest of the natural gas market?? RE: Coal-fired plants. I'm no environmental expert, but I believe that coal plants produce huge amounts of toxic gases. Also, and perhaps more importantly, coal plants produce vast amounts of fine particulates, which science may prove have far-reaching health effects. (Actually, the ill effects of coal dust were proven 100+ years ago in Europe...though I suspect that pollution control efforts have made great advances since...) What amazes me the most, though, is the virtual absence of political attention to this problem (vis a vis a national energy policy), as you mentioned. No energy policy toward oil, gas, natural gas, or alternatives. Politicians will fawn all over themselves to prevent 100 jobs from leaving the state, but seemingly ignore billions of dollars leaving California into the pockets of out-of-state energy barons. Or...at least ignore the problem until it has mushroomed into a disaster. (Where where California politicians one, two, or three years ago on this issue???) Oh...the requisite brinker thought... I wonder if this energy problem in California will become an exogenous event that may explain BB's recent blunders? Regards, Bill Shepherd

To: Wally Mastroly who wrote (11543)	1/10/2001 8:20:22 PM
From: Gary D	Respond to of 42834

Wally, re: "....why are we building more electrical power plants fueled by natural gas, when gas seems to be in short supply (without trying to increase the gas supply at the same time)? Rest assured that the private sector will see to it that the gas supply is increased, if gas prices are expected remain high. There is a time lag in the response of up to several years, depending on where the incremental supply is coming from. Right now, in response to higher prices, significant money is being invested toward increased gas production that won't come online for one or more years. With increased probability of high prices in the future, you can bet that new supply will come online. The problem is that because of the uncertainty of future prices, the supply might not be increased quite enough to satisfy the country's needs. Maybe we need government to guarantee high future prices to the producers <g>.