Texas State totally shut down

[jdrong]

Decided not to comment, can't delete post.

 

[dware]

Putting all energy production on one source is plain stupid. All types of energy has there plus and minus. Here on the east coast, coal plants have huge problem with coal ash disposal. Gas plants have issues with right away issue with hundreds of miles for pipelines.

Personally I favor mix of nuclear and hydro for base load and supplements with wind/solar. Local solar works great in off setting the air conditioning loads.

If any one is out by Fort Peck, Montana stop by the 1930’s earthen hydro dam And take a tour of power plant (if they still do it).

It is sadden me to see America does not have the will/power to take on huge projects any more as a nation. The ‘Greatest Generation’ did not have ‘It can not be done’ in their vocabulary.

What percentage of generation in Virginia is hydro >1% ? You have Bath county ( which is pump storage ) Lake Anna dam , Lake Gaston Dam , Smith Mountain Lake dam and a small one near Buena Vista . You have to have either a large drop in elevation or a great volumn of flow for hydro which for the most part Virginia does not have.

 

[Stu]

Well, this is an interesting discussion, its good to see different opinions. Thanks to all for keeping it calm! I regards to over-regulation, yes there certainly are egregious examples of it, as an engineer I had to do a lot of work on complying with regs on our machines. Some made sense, some didn't. My personal pet peeve is the new outlets that require a certain amount of force to get the plug in to push the "safety" blockers out of the way... so junior can't stick a knife in and get zapped. How's he gonna learn? It's real hard to kill yourself that way... As the Texas power grid is largely un-regulated (compared to the rest of the states) and seperate, it didn't work out too well right now. The same scenario happened down there 10 years and nothing was changed as there aint money to be made preparing for rare events - tho with the changing climate they will become less rare.

 

[Rgausman]

What percentage of generation in Virginia is hydro >1% ? You have Bath county ( which is pump storage ) Lake Anna dam , Lake Gaston Dam , Smith Mountain Lake dam and a small one near Buena Vista . You have to have either a large drop in elevation or a great volume of flow for hydro which for the most part Virginia does not have.

Regarding hydro - I was speaking at nation level. I wish I had the elevation for a year-round stream flow to setup a micro hydro to gen my electric. I am member of local electrical coop. Our coop does not produce but buys power from other generating producers. Most of our mix is coal based/natural gas, nuclear and wind (WV). By the way Lake Anna which is about 35 miles away as the crow flies, is not used much for hydro but for cooling for the North Anna nuclear reactors.

If you have falling water it is free energy about 2.3 psi per foot of drop. The most Swiss electric production is hydro which is why their rail network is all electric.
ALCOA owns dams in western NC and eastern TN for aluminum production.

Guess you have to pick your poison if you want to live in the modern world.

Bob G.

 

[Rgausman]

Well, this is an interesting discussion, its good to see different opinions. Thanks to all for keeping it calm! I regards to over-regulation, yes there certainly are egregious examples of it, as an engineer I had to do a lot of work on complying with regs on our machines. Some made sense, some didn't. My personal pet peeve is the new outlets that require a certain amount of force to get the plug in to push the "safety" blockers out of the way... so junior can't stick a knife in and get zapped. How's he gonna learn? It's real hard to kill yourself that way... As the Texas power grid is largely un-regulated (compared to the rest of the states) and seperate, it didn't work out too well right now. The same scenario happened down there 10 years and nothing was changed as there aint money to be made preparing for rare events - tho with the changing climate they will become less rare.

Neither over regulation or no regulation is good. Some over sight of an industry is required.

 

[Stevenovick1]

Let’s be Real. We are a Bad species. We are a self being. The outcome is never Good.

 

[JPrattico]

Let’s be Real. We are a Bad species. We are a self being. The outcome is never Good.

Can't argue with that!

 

[gary noblit]

Can't argue with that!

A daughter and I discussing wasteful expenditure: She said," you just don't understand the instant gratification generation" ....still don't

 

[bjames]

Does anyone else think social media is wrong?
Blizzard of '78' we didn't blame anyone, we just dealt with it.

 

[JPrattico]

There should be no such thing as an "instant gratification generation". Although I'm still young I've been taught that you have to work for happiness. And I'm sure that's just how most all the members here were raised. Working on these old machines, none of us are strangers to having to work towards keeping them in good shape. They don't just repair themselves do they!

No generation should be given "instant gratification", but it happens anyway. The way I see it, it's just pure laziness. Kids these days with no desire to do anything but sit inside all day and let their parents do everything for them. In the real world you can't sit around and expect people to do everything for you. That's just not how it works, and yet some people still think it does.

And yeah Social media is just ridiculous. Everything is over dramatic and everyone complains about it but nobody does anything about it! Can't deal with it but won't do anything about it either. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[gary noblit]

Does anyone else think social media is wrong?
Blizzard of '78' we didn't blame anyone, we just dealt with it.

Bill...a serious "amen" to 78....JP, Aristotle said the same thing about kids..wish I could find the quote...

 

[gary noblit]

Social media is human "herd effect"...Ever seen a path made by cows across a field,all following the same path for no reason....It's a need to be part of the herd....No, I don't appreciate nor participate in it....

 

[Paul Young]

Cows meander across a field but get there. They climb a hill gently but get there. Common sense! Sheep and goats will go straight up the hill. They are climbers. goers. Are we climbers, goers or do we use common sense? You should all ways have a back up for heating and cooking especially in the winter. Hydro went out here for a week, so you need a generator for back up. Hydro oil heating is to expensive in Canada. Someone thought we needed a million wind turbines and solar panels. Who pays for that ! We will use time of day hydro billing plus add 10% or more for each time period. So you have work all night and sleep all day. Now that is common sense. So if you can water generate hydro ,solar battery generate ,have a wood fire, propane furnace , natural gas from you own well, furnace etc, etc. Common sense tells you to not freeze to death and you must eat. God Will Fix The Earth In His Do Time. Common Sense !

 

[Stevenovick1]

I’ll be 56 in March I have to service 6 restaurant and 2 strip malls. Plow and Salt . One truck and one shovel. I can’t find No one to shovel walks for me . And i would Pay good. out to mention 20 private driveways. All my Friends have Plowing business also. All the guys are over 35.

 

[Stevenovick1]

I’ve been doing this for 40 years. And that’s not my Day job. I have to Paint cars 7 days a week. Kids today won’t do that. My wife works 5 Hard days a week 8-7 Pm. every night she makes dinner 6 kids. 4 of them Adults.
an you imagine a women today newly married doing that. They do. But how many REALLY do it.

 

[Stevenovick1]

And Now with the Government controlling our life’s and telling us to shut up and do what we say. Where is this leading

 

[Stevenovick1]

When was the last time you saw a kid cutting the grass

 

[Stevenovick1]

or taking out the Garbage

 

[dschwandt]

Or a woman that wants a nice wedding that hasn't ALREADY had the honeymoon several years ago already!!

I'm 76+ and still part time trucking from 3AM till 4 or 5 PM many days
April thru Nov here lately.

 

[dware]

Regarding hydro - I was speaking at nation level. I wish I had the elevation for a year-round stream flow to setup a micro hydro to gen my electric. I am member of local electrical coop. Our coop does not produce but buys power from other generating producers. Most of our mix is coal based/natural gas, nuclear and wind (WV). By the way Lake Anna which is about 35 miles away as the crow flies, is not used much for hydro but for cooling for the North Anna nuclear reactors.

If you have falling water it is free energy about 2.3 psi per foot of drop. The most Swiss electric production is hydro which is why their rail network is all electric.
ALCOA owns dams in western NC and eastern TN for aluminum production.

Guess you have to pick your poison if you want to live in the modern world.

Bob G.

North Anna has two Westinghouse pressurized water reactors producing about 900 MW each . The lake was built to provide cooling water for the reactors operation . If my memory is correct your Co Op ( REC ) owners a percentage of the plant . In the lake Anna dam there is a 1 MW hydro unit that puts power in the grid . I lived 15 miles from there when it was built and worked there during construction and later.
Hydro is great if you have enough fall in elevation .