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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (904)	7/10/2005 6:07:08 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 24213

Without new plants, blackouts loom Toronto needs more generating capacity or it will run short on power, report warns By MURRAY CAMPBELL Saturday, July 9, 2005 Page A11 Toronto could face rotating blackouts unless new power-generation plants are built in the downtown area within three years, says the agency responsible for managing Ontario's electricity system. In a 10-year forecast released yesterday, the Independent Electricity System Operator said transmission lines into the city are already operating at or near capacity on hot summer days. It said demand is growing faster than new transmission lines can be built, which is why new generation capacity is needed near the downtown core where electricity consumption is high. The IESO forecast that Toronto would be hit by "emergency load shedding" -- blackouts -- without new generation and significant conservation initiatives to cut demand. The agency also said that Ontario's commitment to shut down all its coal-fired generation stations by early 2009 poses "significant risks and challenges" to the electricity system. It says the coal plants should be kept in reserve to ensure replacement plants get through their teething problems. This latest IESO report indicates the supply-shortfall problems that emerged under the Progressive Conservative government have not evaporated under Dalton McGuinty's Liberals. The IESO said it was pleased to note that significant additions to generation capacity have been announced since its last 10-year forecast in March of 2004. It noted, for example, that a 650-megawatt gas-fired plant has come on stream and that the restart of a unit at the Pickering A nuclear station has added another 515 MW. As well, the agency said, the government has announced a further 2,595 MW of new supply initiatives and that there are discussions and negotiations for adding 9,000 MW of capacity. But it said "timely decisions" on these projects will be necessary to deal with the projected shortfall resulting from the shutdown of the coal plants. "That progress must continue in order to ensure continued reliability of Ontario's electricity system," IESO president Dave Goulding said. Demand for electricity in Ontario is projected to grow by 1 per cent annually, although the IESO said it couldn't yet determine the impact of the government's conservation efforts. As well, it predicted that the amount of electricity required during periods of intense weather will continue to grow. A new record was set on June 27 when demand reached 26,029 MW, surpassing the previous record of 25,414 set in August, 2002. The IESO said the summer peak is projected to be near 30,000 MW by 2015. The province's current generation capacity, including 6,500 MW from four coal plants, is 29,663 MW. The Toronto situation is particularly acute because of a combination of rising demand and inadequate transmission facilities. A plan to build a 550-MW, gas-fired plant in the Port Lands district on the eastern edge of downtown has stalled in the face of citizen opposition. Energy Minister Dwight Duncan has asked the Ontario Power Authority to procure 500 MW of new supply for Toronto and 1,000 MW for the western part of the Greater Toronto Area, but no plans have been announced and it is unclear when shovels would go into the ground. The IESO's fear is that unless this new supply, particularly for Toronto, comes within three years, there will be no choice but to institute rotating blackouts during peak-demand periods. It said a new downtown power plant such as Mr. Duncan envisages would provide only short-term relief. "This risk [of blackouts] will again grow to unacceptable levels as electricity demand in downtown Toronto continues to grow and new transmission or even more generation must be built to provide more supply capability to downtown Toronto," the report said. theglobeandmail.com

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (904)	7/10/2005 11:17:25 AM
From: Bill on the Hill	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 24213

Wharf, I still sing white rabbit in my head. My summer of love was 69 in Berkeley. Hassled by cops in Oakland. Hitched from Colorado to San Francisco. Panhandled the airport. Stayed south of Monterrey in the woods. Ojai was great. Ended up in a pond with some biker chick with tattooed breasts watching a giant dance around a fire. Was the night after a Tom Rush concert at UCSB field house where we were tear gassed. Never was a good concert without some tear gas. Got everyone in the mood. I was tear gassed at a Janis Joplin concert, once at a Hendrix gig, once watching Tommy Bolin (friend), and then this Tom Rush time. The first time I was tear gassed I was wearing my high school letter jacket. It was early summer 69. I ended up on the field of Bears stadium in Denver after vacating the stands. All around me were young long haired people raising there fists and shouting "OFF THE PIGS, OFF THE PIGS". I was a gymnast jock fresh out of high school and that moment galvanized a change within me. I still remember Janis in the background pleading for the 200 or so riot equipped cops to quit swinging their batons and call off the german shepherd riot dogs. You should have seen how organized the riot squad was as they moved through the crowd of kids. That was the moment that changed the basic way that I view the world and it has stayed with me through my life. My distrust of authority has been finely honed and I still end up in serious discussions and debates with any contact I have on a government level. The ladies at the license plate window actually enjoy it when I come in. Jefferson Airplane was and is one of my favorites.