What I don't understand is why electric utilities can charge me to build
a nuclear power plant long before they start construction. Don't get me
wrong. I believe we should have more nuclear power plants. But if Ford
want to build a new factory so they can increase their output of cars,
they don't tack a surcharge on the price of each new car they sell now.
They take the money from their bank account or raise new capital from
bonds or stock. They retire the bonds or pay dividends with profits
from selling the increased output.
At the rate nuclear power plants are built and brought on line, I may
never live to see the output from the plants Progress Energy is or will
be building.
David
KW4DH
On 1/17/2012 9:47 AM, EDWARDS, EDDIE J wrote:
> Jim,
>
> Based on your message I'm sure you already know this.
>
> Factors that affect electric system load (base or peak)--in no particular
> order:
> 1. Building new power plants (or not building in some cases).
> 2. New regulations affecting the types of power plants being built.
> 3. Consumer usage.
>
> I long for the good old days when utilities could build as many power plants
> as they thought they would NEED and only worry about the engineering (system
> load, etc), safety and costs aspects. Those days are gone (along with my
> dept. budgets).
>
> The major changes affecting power generation today are regulatory changes.
> Utility companies have to balance system base load and peak load requirements
> against new environmental regulations. They are walking on an economic tight
> rope, and consumers (and investors) will feel the pain if or when they slip.
> Shifting peak load won't change the regulatory problems, but perhaps make it
> less painful unless consumers also consider altering their lifestyle just as
> painful.
>
> My apologies for drifting off topic. The smart meter thing will eventually
> work out the technical RFI problems over time. But meeting power load versus
> new regulations will probably be far more troublesome due to the politics.
>
> 73, de ed -K0iL
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Brown
>
> On 1/15/2012 10:56 AM, Eddy Swynar wrote:
>> It's all for the sake of "conservation" the authorities tell us, but it's
>> more like a cash grab.
> Hardly. This thinking ignores the issues of real world power loading.
> Power generation and distribution must be built based on worst case peak
> demands, and peak demands are during workday daylight hours, and
> especially during the summer. If some large discretionary loading
> (running an air conditioner or a clothes dryer, running a pump to water
> crops or a garden, cooking a meal on an electric stove or in an electric
> oven) can be shifted from those peak hours to off-peak hours, the power
> system doesn't need to build as much capacity.
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
>
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them."
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