Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stribe30 who wrote (137828)	6/30/2001 5:08:21 PM
From: hmaly	Respond to of 1585088

Stribe30 Re.The main reason tho? California;s power generators are back online. He then points out that in March, with a lot of the air condittioners turned off in the state, there should have been spare generating capacity.<<<<<<< The guy appears to be a dem. lackey. The main reason the prices were so high last yr. is that PG&E and CALPINE were going broke, and no one wanted to sell electricity to some one who was going bankrupt. Would you sell your car to someone who was going to pay you with a bad check? Reliance and Duke et al. sold elec. on the market; and sold it for what they could get; just as any other company does with their product. If CA thought they were being gouged, all they had to do is say no. The politicians were too spineless to raise the rates and clear up the financing mess, and now are blaming the producers for their mistakes. He asks the questions of why the state's plants are operating now and not back then....<<<<< How many producers did he call to find out ??? The simple truth is, most electric plants, especially non nuclear have to be off line for a significant proportion of the year for routine maintenance. This maintenance is routinely done at periods of slack demand; which in CA would be March before air conditioning demand peaks.. Until recently, the evidence for this market manipulation was purely circumstantial, but it has now been reinforced by former employees of 1 generator"<<<<<<<<<< That is your impeccable unimpeachable source, a former employee with an ax to grind. ggg Get real. The question then becomes why market manipulation stopped.. If anyone needed proof of our failing high schools, this guy should be the poster child. The prices are dropping now because, 1. the plants out for routine servicing are back on line. 2 it isn't the peak season so demand is down. 3 Ca. has taken over payments for Calpine and PG&E, thus producers can sell cheaper if they can be assured they will get paid. Re... And the real realists were those silly people who thought that Californians could solve its crisis by saving energy and suing energy producers." <<<<<<< I am surprised. I never thought all of that hot air coming from the politicians and lawyers could be used to generate electricity. As far as I know, the number of blackouts in CA are still increasing, despite conservation and being a slack season. And I suppose those 15 power plants coming on line in CA. won't be needed either. The simple truth is CA is solving their electricity problems the Cheney way. CA is building 15 plants; the first of which will come on line this summer, and the extra capacity will stop the crisis, period. There is obviously good reason and compelling evidence to conclude that the Bush Administration's energy policy is nothing but a sop to their Big Oil Friends.. and that Big Oil, if left with a laissez faire attitude and no regulatory controls or a watchdog federal body to keep an eye on it. as some of our conservative friends would have in teir version of a utopic world,, . would be gouging consumers left right and centre down in the US. <<<< Would this be the same agency that pays $750 for toilet seats?? Get real. Name one government run business that runs efficiently. All one has to do is look at the public school system and the post office as shining examples of government run businesses. And now you guys want to ruin health care and big oil. What a laugh.

To: stribe30 who wrote (137828)	6/30/2001 8:29:50 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1585088

Energy Market Manipulation Paul Krugman wrote a column that appeared in my London Free Press today.. he is a columnist for the NY Times and writes economic and financial viewpoints for them. I dont have an online link yet.. so I'm paraphrasing it as best I can and direct quoting where I can. He talks about the fact that Power supplies have become fairly reasonable in California and prices have dropped dramatically: a year ago from 750$ US a megawatt hr and now going for less then 100$ sometimes less then 50$. Scott, what surprised me on my recent trip to LA is that gas is about $.20-.30 more expensive in CA than WA even though most gas is refined in CA. It has to be the gas companies taking advantage, or a new tax surcharge on gas in CA. Otherwise, it makes no sense. ted

To: stribe30 who wrote (137828)	7/2/2001 10:46:01 PM
From: i-node	Respond to of 1585088

He talks about the fact that Power supplies have become fairly reasonable in California and prices have dropped dramatically: a year ago from 750$ US a megawatt hr and now going for less then 100$ sometimes less then 50$. Yes, and today, we have reports of rolling blackouts in Vegas. Totally as predicted, you cannot solve California's supply problems by artificial means. You need more supply.

To: stribe30 who wrote (137828)	7/5/2001 10:30:34 AM
From: TimF	Respond to of 1585088

The main reason tho? California;s power generators are back online. He then points out that in March, with a lot of the air condittioners turned off in the state, there should have been spare generating capacity. But mysteriously 15000 megawatts was unavailable - or 1/3 of the states capacity. Now, off-line capacity is down to less then 4000 megawatts. He asks the questions of why the state's plants are operating now and not back then.... Because if the maintenance was done now instead of then things would be really bad. No need for any conspiracy to explain why there would be more off line capacity at times of lower demand. It makes sense to do it that way. Tim