Update by the edhat staff
September 8, 2022
California ISO extended the flex alert through Wednesday, September 7 and Thursday, September 8.
Update by the California ISO
September 6, 2022
With high temperatures in the forecast and record-high demand for electricity predicted, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation, today, Tuesday Sept 6th to help stabilize the state’s electric grid and deal with uncertainty created by the extraordinary conditions.
During a Flex Alert, Californians are strongly urged to lower electricity use by setting thermostats to 78 or higher, health permitting, avoid using major appliances, and turning off all unnecessary lights. Energy reduction during a Flex Alert can prevent further emergency measures, including rotating power outages.
To minimize discomfort and help with grid stability, consumers are also encouraged to pre-cool their homes and use major appliances before 4 p.m., when solar energy is typically abundant. The Flex Alert is scheduled between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., when the grid is most stressed from high demand and less solar energy on the system.
Goleta City remind the public that the Goleta Valley Library (500 N. Fairview Ave) is available as a Cooling Center during their regular operating hours. Hours of operation are:
- Tuesday-Thursday 10am-7pm
- Friday & Saturday 10am-5:30pm
- Sunday 1pm-5pm
For information on Flex Alerts, and to find more electricity conservation tips, visit FlexAlert.org.
Update by the California ISO
September 3, 2022
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has issued another statewide Flex Alert, calling for voluntary electricity conservation for today, Saturday, Sept. 3 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., due to increasing high heat, tightening energy supplies and more potential strain on the grid.
Update by the California ISO
September 2, 2022
For the third straight day, high heat and heightened demand for electricity has resulted in the California Independent System Operator (ISO) issuing a statewide call for voluntary electricity conservation. The most recent Flex Alert has been issued for today, Friday, Sept. 2., from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
With triple-digit temperatures in much of California and the West, the power grid operator is again expecting high electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use, and needs voluntary conservation steps to help balance supply and demand.
Flex Alerts have been resulting in some helpful conservation and grid operators and an emergency proclamation from Gov. Gavin Newsom, requested by the ISO, has also freed up some additional resources.
A Restricted Maintenance Operations (RMO) remains in place through Tuesday, Sept. 6, each day from noon to 10 p.m. The declaration orders market participants to avoid any scheduled routine maintenance during those times to ensure all available resources are in service. View the Emergency Notifications fact sheet for more information.
The Flex Alert covers that time of day when the grid is most stressed from higher demand and less solar energy. During that time, consumers are urged to conserve power by setting thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits, avoiding use of major appliances and turning off unnecessary lights.
To minimize discomfort and help with grid stability, consumers are also encouraged to pre-cool their homes and use major appliances and charge electric vehicles and electronic devices before 4 p.m., when conservation begins to become most critical.
Reducing energy use during a Flex Alert can help stabilize the power grid during tight supply conditions and prevent further emergency measures, including rotating power outages.
For information on Flex Alerts, and to find more electricity conservation tips, visit FlexAlert.org.
Update by the California ISO
September 1, 2022
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has extended its statewide Flex Alert, calling for a second consecutive day of voluntary electricity conservation tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 1, from 4 to 9 p.m., due to continuing extreme temperatures pushing up energy demand and tightening available power supplies.
By California ISO
August 31, 2022
The California Independent System Operator (ISO) has issued a statewide Flex Alert, a call for voluntary electricity conservation, for today, Aug. 31 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., due to high temperatures pushing up energy demand and tightening available power supplies.
With excessive heat in the forecast across much of the state and Western U.S., the grid operator is expecting high electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use, and is calling for voluntary conservation steps to help balance supply and demand.
Additional Flex Alerts are also possible through the Labor Day weekend as recordsetting temperatures are forecast across much of the West. In what’s likely to be the most extensive heat wave so far in the West this year, temperatures in Northern California are expected to be 10-20 degrees warmer than normal through Tuesday, Sept. 6.
In Southern California, temperatures are expected to be 10-18 degrees warmer than normal. Death Valley is currently forecast to peak at 126 degrees on Saturday, which would tie the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth in the month of September.
Today’s Flex Alert is scheduled between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., when the grid is most stressed from higher demand and less solar energy. During that time, consumers are urged to conserve power by setting thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits, avoiding use of major applicances and turning off unnecessary lights. They should also avoid charging electric vehicles while the Flex Alert is in effect.
To minimize discomfort and help with grid stability, consumers are also encouraged to pre-cool their homes and use major appliances and charge electric vehicles and electronic devices before 4 p.m., when conservation begins to become most critical.
Reducing energy use during a Flex Alert can help stabilize the power grid during tight supply conditions and prevent further emergency measures, including rotating power outages.
For information on Flex Alerts, and to find more electricity conservation tips, visit FlexAlert.org.
Flex Alert Conservation Actions
Before 4 p.m.:
- Pre-cool home by setting the thermostat to as low as 72 degrees
- Use major appliances, including:
- Washer and dryer
- Dishwasher
- Oven and stove for pre-cooking and preparing meals
- Charge electric vehicles
- Adjust blinds and drapes to cover windows
From 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.:
- Set thermostat to 78 degrees or higher, if health permits
- Avoid using major appliances and charging electric vehicles
- Turn off all unnecessary lights
About Flex Alerts
A Flex Alert is issued by the ISO when the electricity grid is under stress because of generation or transmission outages, or from persistent hot temperatures. View the fact sheet on Emergency Notifications on our News webpage. Follow grid conditions in real time at ISO’s Today’s Outlook, download the free ISO Today mobile app, and follow us on Twitter at @California_ISO.
We are asked to not use major appliances, charge electric vehicles and keep unnecessary lights off from 4-9pm. Keep in mind this is the time period when many are arriving home from work, cooking dinner, doing homework, laundry and plugging in EVs for the following day. It is unrealistic that this state believes we should live in all electric houses and only drive EVs, when the grid cannot handle the current situation.
So, we can’t meet our current electric loads yet we want to shut down Diablo Canyon?
Makes no sense.
Do you know how to program your car to charge during off peak hours? If you set it to start charging at midnight you should be fine.
Agreed Alex. But when talking about EV’s for everyone, you have to solve the problem at the lowest common denominator
If you’re going to get an EV, then you better look at getting a generator! I understand california is trying to outlaw those too, but they’re still pretty easy to get. The new EV pickups would make an excellent choice because they have the capacity to carry a generator, making longer trips and driving during increasingly frequent power outages more feasible. Not sure what the situation is regarding a tow package and trailer for a tesla to haul a generator. In any case, I’ll stick to my traditional combustion engine vehicles. Nothing beats being able to fill the tank in minutes, drive hundreds of miles in a single day, and being able to keep a couple cans of spare fuel on hand in case of emergencies.
Right. Let’s just keep digging the hole deeper.
Very safe and sane hauling gas cans around in a smog machine. And what makes you think you can pump gas without electricity?
@3:56
Or, you could do the smart thing and go solar with an EV, and not rely on the macrogrid at all. But, you’re not interested in smart, obviously.
I don’t need electricity to fill my tank using a jerry can, as long as gravity is still on Im filling up and I can do it in minutes. You can’t charge a battery that fast under any circumstances. I can drive on the order of 800 miles or more in a single day if I choose to push it, you cant do that in an EV under any circumstances. I can bring a couple jerry cans with me and extend the range of my car by hundreds of miles if I wish. That simply can’t be done with an EV. My car weighs around half of what an EV weighs, so I use way less energy when I drive. EVs are extremely heavy on account of the batteries and require much more energy to operate. Long after all the Tesla’s are scrapped and their toxic dead batteries are sequestered away somewhere to prevent environmental contamination, I’ll pull my decades old car into the gas station fill it up.
CARB does not allow the sale of many generators including the very efficient Honda 2200 inverter generator that I use to keep the refer going every time the power goes out.
I’m looking forward to the Aptera and other EVs that have solar panels right on the vehicle. Some might become available in the next couple years. They’d be great for southern Californians running errands around town. Probably not good for long distance travel.
Nothing beats being a self-centered sociopath unconcerned with the effects of one’s actions.
“My car weighs around half of what an EV weighs” — also a liar; EVs are heavier, but not nearly by a factor of 2. And battery reuse and recycling is a matter of ongoing research and legislation. Chip always cherrypicks madly, hypocritically ignoring the negatives of his own fossil fuel preferences and treating the problems of renewables as if they were fixed in stone.
@4:28 – You seem to think ICE engines are efficient. Not so. Most of the energy in your toxic fuel is wasted to produce heat and air pollution, and heat up the atmosphere. You FUDdiness is showing.
Chip Repugs always have been deep in big oil pockets. We get it. You’ll never change. I bet you still use kerosene lanterns too – and have a mule for snow days.
Yes – there is no such thing as progress. Look backward, not forward. What year do repbulicans want to go back to in order to make america great again in the maga time machine? Pre WW2?
I’m not the one dismantling modern infrastructure and reverting to the old days. I am advocating for keeping our existing infrastructure, improving on it, and elevating the standard of living. It is the push for “green” energy that will cause people to go back to burning oil lamps for light and wood fires to keep warm once the power goes out. If you drive an EV, you might also find yourself riding a mule when you can’t charge it.
mar-
“And battery reuse and recycling is a matter of ongoing research and legislation. ” True, just like nuclear waste… Still ongoing research and legislation all these years later.
Chip, LOL, how many times have you had to do any of the things you are talking about?
Probably….never.
But keep dreaming about the apocalypse.
Gas stations have generators?
Some generators run on natural gas?
Alex, he’s a fear mongering forest raking MAGA follower…what do you expect?
Chip, I would be laughing, but your comment is so true. When CA bans gas stations we will be forced to move. I hear CA will be banning generators in 2028? What to do without electricity or backup generators?
Chico, you’re an expert in energy management but apparently you don’t know how to do the most basic research on a topic.
My Tesla model 3 long range weighs in at about 3800.
You can cherry pick the heaviest vehicle out there if you want, but that means you’re sort of intentionally FOS.
The carbon fantasy pushers here are paltering, as usual. Gasoline powered generators, beyond the gross polluters already banned, will be banned starting in 2028.
Of course there are generators not fueled by gasoline, but spreading FUD requires you to ignore that.
Says a self centered hypocrite.
Tesla weighs in at about 5300 lbs.
By contrast my 911 weighs just in at 3000 lbs.
Your right but doesn’t make the other guy wrong.
3 people get away with verbal murder on this site.
In contrast just an average person gets berated by some perceived wrong that hasn’t happened but you get to use words that would have you tossed off any other site.
I have been in Energy management before most of you born and longer than you fools who think you know “science”.
Same folks were sure that covid would kill MILLIONS.(1.04m total in US)
See how that works?.
Which of course didn’t happen in reality but keep drinking whatever it is they serve zero experience political know it all’s at the rally.
SACJON What is your trusted source of news? I will forward you their news flash from a year ago. Generators got lumped in with lawnmowers ,chainsaws and other equipment that uses a small ICE.
10:26 _ I’m sure you’re well acquainted with porches. When it comes to Porsches, though, not so much, as is apparently true for many subjects you pontificate on.
Shutdown nuclear and fossil fuel power generation plants. Vigorously eliminate ICE engines for vehicles, lawn mowers and everything else. Forbid natural gas for home heat and cooking. Provide vigorous subsidies for EVs. Don’t promote national sources for rare earth materials or solar panel manufacture. And don’t invest in a more robust electrical infrastructure. Yeah, no one could have possibly predicted this scenario and to suggest otherwise is to believe conspiracy theories.
Looks like you’re not following the news about recent federal legislative packages that have passed. But, since your goal is spreading FUD, you would ignore those, anyway.
We’re just out here living in the real world. Hard not to be sarcastic and not affected much by perspectives of SB-rich-white-guy-bubbles. I presuppose that you should enjoy leaning into the Wired review of the Rivian. Smells like FUD. Enjoy and good night!
Appropriate moniker.
https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/renewable/the-environmental-impact-of-lithium-batteries/
This is actually quite scary. But, hey, as long as it’s not in California right?
3:46 – No surprise that you’re pushing carbon propaganda.
From SourceWatch:
The Institute for Energy Research (IER), founded in 1989 from a predecessor non-profit organization registered by Charles G. Koch and Robert L. Bradley Jr., advocates positions on environmental issues including deregulation of utilities, climate change denial, and claims that conventional energy sources are virtually limitless.
It is a member of the Sustainable Development Network. The IER’s President was formerly Director of Public Relations Policy at Enron.
IER has been established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit group. It is a “partner” organization of the American Energy Alliance, a 501c4 organization which states that it is the “grassroots arm” of IER. AEA states that, by “communicating IER’s decades of scholarly research to the grassroots, AEA will empower citizens with facts so that people who believe in freedom can reclaim the moral high ground in the national public policy debates in the energy and environmental arena.” AEA states that its aim is to “create a climate that encourages the advancement of free market energy policies” and in particular ensure drilling for oil is allowed in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and in US coastal waters.
We have running water at least – unlike Mississippi with failed Jim Crow era infrastructure. We have electricity in the winter – unlike Texas who is working off an antiquated grid with multiple single points of failure. But yes – repuglicans insert your complaints now about how horrible California is even though you continue to live here.
A definition of a 3rd world country is one that primarily, imports finished goods and exports raw materials. The US achieved this distinction decades ago, so no need to go to Mississippi to find 3rd World.
“We have running water at least…” Now THAT is a 3rd world perspective! There does not seem to be much hope for US infrastructure or, from energy/food perspectives, that of most of the World. Trickle up economics are almost complete while the people fight Left vs Right vs everyone else amongst themselves. Few countries seem to have this together, Uruguay being one (98% renewable electric w/ no shortages). We actually use electric heat/cool, electric hot water, pump our own water and our total power bill still averages only $200/month) Our SB City water bill was often over $200/mo! While not easy to implement, there are quality alternatives in life.
Correct – Mississippi is third world – because their leaders don’t have a problem with citizens not having running water.
How are all the electric cars going to charge up…. What about after 2035…? How will our modern society cope without have A/C…? Dependency on Chinese sourced lithium batteries, Solar Panels , Wind turbine components will raise our standard of living…? For the rich? Who exactly can afford this RUSH into “Green Sustainability” without fossil fuel / petroleum usage…? The Chinese are continuing to build COAL plants, mine lithium and all the components needed to supply these “Green mandates” in the West. Germany and Western Europe are already feeling the pain of limited Natural Gas…. WHY are we as a society, taking 10 steps backwards? Bring back Nuclear Power Plants . Petroleum manufacturing AND incorporate “Sustainable Energy” WE are not at the point where Wind Machines and solar can generate enough power to keep people warm in the winter, cool in the summer and Charge electric vehicles….
I got so tired of the all or nothing politically motivated BS arguments. No, we aren’t going to abandon non-green energy sources tomorrow. Yes, we need to innovate a way out of our dependance on fossil fuels. Why are people so committed to extremist thinking?
Indeed. My electric bills have double in the last few years.
12:28@
Not surprising to see you’ve fallen for the “balanced energy” propaganda playbook of the carbon fuels industry.
Living in an all electric world will be unaffordable for many and the unreliability of infrastructure and sources will doom us all. Never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket. Diversifying energy sources and methods is vital.
Innovation:
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2022/08/chinas-2-megawatt-molten-salt-thorium-nuclear-reactor-has-start-up-approval.html
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2022/08/texas-applies-to-build-molten-salt-nuclear-by-2025.html
If Newsom would have had his way two years ago, he would have shut down Diablo Cyn and almost all of the Natural Gas power plants. Addition and subtraction are hard but he did good. Inadvertantly.
When it comes to power, you build to 10-15% beyond demand to allow for replacement, breakdowns etc and then subtract 10% (Diablo 24/7/365) AFTER you add 10% of a similar 24/7/365 source not before.
9:49 – Molten salt reactors have huge safety issues with regard to corrosion of the plumbing used to circulate the molten material. Leave it to Texas to not care.
Its a permit for an engineering department to try it out. I highly doubt they are going to do it in a way that would destroy their entire campus.
Besides:
#1 Low concentrations of fissible materials… a stark contrast to LWR and HWR designs where the all the fissile material is present in the core and reactor safety is maintained with control rods.
#2 The second safety feature comes from physical properties of the fuel-salt. The fuel-salts are known to physically expand on heating to such an extent that temperature increases in the core will push fuel-salt out of the core and decrease the amount of fissile material in the core. [6] The fuel salts are also known to decrease neutron production on heating which further decreases the amount of fission events taking place in the core in the event of a temperature rise. [6] The combination of these two features lends a unique safety advantage to MSRs compared to LWR and HWR designs and essentially precludes the possibility of a fission run-away event
#3 Mitigation of major concern. Corrosives
Current research in containing MSR waste is focused on sequestering the MSR waste in glasses, taking inspiration from the way high level waste in current spent fuel reprocessing is stored diluted in chemically inert glasses.
From Stanford in 2021, an even handed assessment
Safety Features of MSRs
Safety features are built into the reactor and materials design of MSRs. The first, and potentially most crucial safety feature, comes from the formulation of the fuel salt itself. The fuel-salt is designed with a low enough concentration of fissile material that the only time a fission reaction can be sustained in the fuel-salt is when the fuel-salt nears a moderator (graphite in MSRs). [7] This only occurs in the reactor core and means only a fraction of the total nuclear fuel is undergoing a sustained fission reaction at any given time, a stark contrast to LWR and HWR designs where the all the fissile material is present in the core and reactor safety is maintained with control rods. [3] The second safety feature comes from physical properties of the fuel-salt. The fuel-salts are known to physically expand on heating to such an extent that temperature increases in the core will push fuel-salt out of the core and decrease the amount of fissile material in the core. [6] The fuel salts are also known to decrease neutron production on heating which further decreases the amount of fission events taking place in the core in the event of a temperature rise. [6] The combination of these two features lends a unique safety advantage to MSRs compared to LWR and HWR designs and essentially precludes the possibility of a fission run-away event – what researchers at Oak Ridge National Lab termed a “major accident”. [5] A core temperature rise due to increased fission activity (which can only occur in a small amount of fuel) would self-correct and decrease the neutron population of the core. The design and material properties of MSRs provides impressive safety features, but also presents other safety concerns.
Safety Concerns
An important concern comes from the method of removing contaminants and fission by-products from the fuel-salt. Fission reactions generate products that are strong neutron absorbers (neutron poisons) that can destroy the neutron population in a reactor. A well-studied example of this is the generation of the strong neutron absorber, Xe-135, as a decay daughter of various species. Xe-135 can be removed by operating the reactor carefully such that the buildup of Xe-135 is balanced by its removal so-called burning of the Xe-135. However, other neutron poisons can not be removed in a reasonable time scale during the reaction and are only eliminated by physically removing fuel rods that contain these poisons. [8] This presents an interesting design challenge for MSRs that do not have individual fuel rods, but instead contain a continuously circulating fluid. This was a recognized problem as early as the first MSR experiments performed at ORNL, and the proposed solution involves an onsite processing facility (chemical processing plant in Fig. 1) for cleaning the fuel-salt after it has spent time in the reactor and generated neutron poisons. [5] However, this solution leads to a general design challenge of moving radioactive waste safely from the reactor core to the processing facility and handling radioactive contamination in the structural components of the processing facility (e.g. pumps, pipes, etc.). The structural components are primarily nickel-based alloys that withstand corrosive attack from the fuel-salt, and radioactive isotopes of nickel, such as Ni-59 and Ni-63, are long-term storage issues that present radiation hazards for greater than 1000 years. [9,10] Handling contaminated structural components does not necessarily present an impossible challenge: reprocessing of spent fuel and structures around the spent fuel already does occur on the order of ~4000 metric tons of material per year, and structural components of MSRs would in principle be designed for durability. [5,11,12]
A more difficult challenge arises for handling the fuel-salt waste from the reactor. Extensive work was performed in the 1970s at ORNL to identify fission by-products in the MSR waste and to develop processes for “cleaning” the fuel-salt of certain neutron poisons and contaminants. [13,14] However, cleaning the fuel-salts still generates hazardous waste that must be dealt with. The ORNL scheme for cleaning the fuel-salts of a MSR highlights the kind of waste products that exist. For the 2250 MWth MSR developed at ORNL, the fuel-salt cleaning process was estimated to generate 2 m3 of waste every 220 days. [15] This particular process was designed to recover U-233 present in the waste stream. The final waste composition was 76.3-12.3-9.8-0.64 mole % LiF-ThF4-BeF2-Zr4 and 0.96 mole % rare earths (including Sr-90 and Zr-95). [15] Though modern MSR designs will have varied waste streams from the ORNL experiments, common waste elements remain, including lithiated fluoride or chloride salts, left-over fuel (e.g. U or Th isotopes), and a host of fission by-products. [16,17] This is high level radioactive waste that must be managed carefully. Though management of high level waste already exists, MSR waste presents a challenge in that some form of containing the salt waste must be developed, since the MSR waste is corrosive (even in the solid state highly corrosive gases are produced) and is not the conventional fuel rods from LWRs or HWRs. [12,16] Current research in containing MSR waste is focused on sequestering the MSR waste in glasses, taking inspiration from the way high level waste in current spent fuel reprocessing is stored diluted in chemically inert glasses. [16] There is a lack of experimental studies on the long-term (>1 year) durability of chloride or fluoride containing glasses though, so developing strategies for containing MSR waste is still an active area of research. [16]
All nuclear reactors generate gaseous waste (mostly Xe-135 and tritium). [8] MSRs generate relatively large quantities of tritium, and this presents an important safety challenge. [16] Tritium readily exchanges hydrogen in with water vapor to form tritiated water vapor that condenses to become tritiated water, which is difficult and costly to separate from ordinary water. [18] This tritiated water is a potential environmental health risk that must be managed carefully. Tritium is a low energy beta emitter that has a relatively short half-life of ~14 days. [19] The potential for uptake in the human body though is worrying nonetheless, as tritiated water absorbs readily through skin. [18] Tritium is formed in MSR reactors primarily from the decay of Li-7. Though Li-6 is the dominant isotope of Li used in the MSR salt-fuel solutions, Li-6 has a large neutron absorption cross section (940 barns) and converts to Li-7 readily. [5,20] Concerningly, tritium was observed to diffuse through the nickel-based alloys that make up the majority of MSR components. [5,13] While estimates from ORNL in the 1970s place MSR tritium production less than HWRs of the time, more modern estimates MSR tritium production significantly higher than HWRs. [5,16]The second safety feature comes from physical properties of the fuel-salt. The fuel-salts are known to physically expand on heating to such an extent that temperature increases in the core will push fuel-salt out of the core and decrease the amount of fissile material in the core. [6] The fuel salts are also known to decrease neutron production on heating which further decreases the amount of fission events taking place in the core in the event of a temperature rise. [6] The combination of these two features lends a unique safety advantage to MSRs compared to LWR and HWR designs and essentially precludes the possibility of a fission run-away event . [18,21]
Outlook
Research and interest in MSRs has persisted for more than 6 decades, but commercialization and practical use remains to be seen. While there are design and material features of MSRs that do provide safety benefits, such as the elimination of possible fission run-away events, there are still safety issues involving material handling that must be mitigated before commercialization of these reactors begins. Nonetheless, there is considerable interest in MSRs as an important reactor design for the future. [1]
Pipe dream – corroded pipes at that.
Fission power is dangerous, very expensive, and slow to come on line. This is no exception, and is not a design ready for commercial-scale power generation.
California has been free to build out the electrical grid since over a couple decades ago regardless of Federal edicts. Even with the worlds 6th largest economy, a Democrat super majority the State Government still did nothing substantial enough to rise to this moment. The CA Emperors haven’t had to wear clothes since the Gray Davis years
Water is the next big issue and it will take a lot of power to run desal plants and pump water uphill away from the ocean and into treatment and storage. It will also take a battle with the Coastal Commission which blocked Huntinton Beach’s desal plant
so these fools, knowing this heat wave is coming, launch a request to us the day of the beginning of a nasty heat wave and tell us not to use much electricity from 4-9. Majority of us get off work around 4-5, get home, have to cool off the hot house or apartment, make dinner for the kids, kids and myself use electricity to power things for their homework, and entertainment. But they expect us to just go home and sit down in a hot room and just wait until 9? LOL ok….
Meanwhile they keep building and building cramming people in tiny living quarters and all the new electric homes have air conditioning, and electric car charging stations. Talk about draining the grid.
Wow, within days of banning ice engines newsome throws up on himself. Good thing my car still burns hippy tears so i can get to work
According to UCSB, they generate 15% of their annual use from on campus Solar production.
I expect that % number to drop under 10% as they move to 100% electric vehicles and all the charging stations increases their use exponentially
https://www.energy.ucsb.edu/program-information/campus-energy-generation#:~:text=Together%2C%20these%20solar%20installations%20generate,%2C%20on%2Dcampus%20power%20production.
This is cool, no pun intended…
A new way to turn heat into energy
https://news.osu.edu/a-new-way-to-turn-heat-into-energy/
The discovery is based on tiny particles called paramagnons—bits that are not quite magnets, but that carry some magnetic flux. This is important, because magnets, when heated, lose their magnetic force and become what is called paramagnetic. A flux of magnetism—what scientists call “spins”—creates a type of energy called magnon-drag thermoelectricity, something that, until this discovery, could not be used to collect energy at room temperature.
Magnets are a crucial part of collecting energy from heat: When one side of a magnet is heated, the other side—the cold side—gets more magnetic, producing spin, which pushes the electrons in the magnet and creates electricity.
The paradox, though, is that when magnets get heated up, they lose most of their magnetic properties, turning them into paramagnets—“almost-but-not-quite magnets,” Heremans calls them. That means that, until this discovery, nobody thought of using paramagnets to harvest heat because scientists thought paramagnets weren’t capable of collecting energy.
What they found, Heremans said, is that paramagnons do, in fact, produce the kind of spin that pushes electrons
I’m pleased several people are humorously advocating getting a MULE as a transportation alternative if/when the grid collapses. They run on weeds! Mules built America and fed the nation until mechanical farm equipment led small farm owners into leveraged debt and the banks took their land which is now consolidated into Agribusiness. What isn’t being snapped up by the CCP or let go fallow by Bill Gates, that is.
UCSB is the biggest user of electricity and water for air conditioning. No pressure on them to flex down.
“What powers the air conditioners at night? ”
https://www.trustcolliers.com/blog/solar/how-solar-panels-work-night-cloudy-days/
“solar energy systems are designed with batteries to store excess power from the day. The battery takes over during the evenings, or at any other time when there’s insufficient energy coming from the panels.”
—
“Do they make their own water?”
Uh, no … why would they need to? https://www.carrier.com/residential/en/us/products/air-conditioners/how-do-air-conditioners-work/
—
“No pressure on them to flex down.”
This, like just about everything you say, is false. And you could join in applying that pressure if you actually wanted to.
Dumber and Dumbest! Yes, that is what our state energy policy is, headed by a child…Gavin Newsom. Right? Mandate we all go to EV’s and then put restrictions on recharging. I heard a report that the next thing to come is the ability to monitor and control your home thermostat! The Democrats are trying to bankrupt us and it’s time for them to go! Seriously, WTF! Dismantle our ability as a net energy exporter, dismantle our nuclear energy providing ENDLESS energy, mandate EV’s, make us depend on the ChiCom’s for renewables and bankrupt our economy in the process!
Take ANY metric; education, crime, economy or energy, it’s ALL a cluster, but they keep whining about Orange Dude! Just a testimony to their never ending psychosis and narcissism!
No worries, November is just around the corner and hopefully these losers will be shown the door.
As for Joe, what a disgrace! Hate filled, beldge of nonsense, he mumbled through his feeble attempt to address the nation last night. Has no idea where he even is, much less articulate national policy. Truly the poster child for the failed, incompetent and STUPID liberal agenda!
When is enough, enough?
The law about gas vehicles being phased out doesn’t even phase in for over a decade. You can stop your freak out.
Well Biden does often look like he’s lost. He finishes a meandering speech and then tries to shake hands with the flag. Your party won’t let him run in 2022 because they know he’s periodically lost at sea and need major medicating… everyone knows your guy Newsom smells blood and is running in 2022 not 2024.
Why do you hate America? At least ChannelFog took his hatred and left for a 2nd world county on the brink of insolvency…. Now he criticizes the USA using US technology, while spending his US dollars in a country that is propped up by the US Military… That’ so darn patriotic!
You’re right, the Dems aren’t going to let Biden run in 2022 … we want him to finish is term. And yes, Newsom is running in 2022 for Governor of California against Brian Dahle.
What we know is that right wingers lie constantly and are ignorant and stupid.
You are welcome to your view on policies, but when you throw in the tripe about Biden not knowing where he is, you tip your hand as being brainwashed. He’s a 79-year old man with speech difficulties, and sounds like it. But he knows where he is.
Emotional immaturity is a hallmark of the right wing.
SBTEJANO – “Hate filled, beldge of nonsense” – exactly what your comment is. Bravo on self identifying!
You should try living in Texas in the winter – a little bit of ice and the Jim Crow Era grid infrastructure goes down when there is a little bit of ice. Or Mississippi perhaps – where you get charged a water bill every month but don’t have running water.
@ SBTEJANO -Thank you for enforcing my hope that not EVERYONE in SB is brainwashed… Well stated…Excellent post!
Must be difficult feeling so righteous and yet being so very wrong…
From a purely financial standpoint, one might consider buying an older gas-burning vehicle. We were tired of getting door dings, which seem to appear after trips to Trader Joes for some reason. Yes, door dings are just a part of owning a vehicle, but we simply decided to get a great running “beater” that we could take to the grocery store, Home Depot, Costco, etc, Anyway, we picked up a 1985 Chevy Malibu with a small V-8 (305/5.0 liter….not the 350). It has only 115K miles on it, and gets about 17 or so in the city and up to 23 while on cruise control on the freeway. The cost was $1400 The way we figure it, we have about $25,000 that we can spend on gas to equal the initial cost of a new or even a used hybrid. My math says that at $6 gallon we can drive our “beast” over 70,000 miles without exceeding the cost of a hybrid. Won’t get into the safety aspect, but I’d rather be in my Malibu that a tin-can. As far as polution goes, well….I’ll let the State of California decide when to confiscate my “Boo.” If you see an older dark blue Malibu at TJ’s, feel free to continue to bang your car door against mine….LOL!!!
Babycakes- We love the old cars of childhood too, but do not count on their being “grandfathered in”. There are jurisdictions stating intent to junk all old cars in the near future through banning registration. the funny thing is that after the next Celestial “Carrington Event” (or intentional EMP), computers will be dead and the only running vehicles will be the old simple systems. I miss my ’68 Chevy C10 pick up.
“From a purely financial standpoint”
aka sociopathy
“after the next Celestial “Carrington Event” (or intentional EMP)”
Intentional?! Whoa. Wow. oookay.
I’ve been reviewing what supplies the electricity from California’s CAISO website during these flex alerts. Were it not for natural gas likely from fracking, wide spread blackouts across the state would have happened.
The vast majority of the imported electricity also came from natural gas per the caiso website. Solar was great only while the sun shines. The contribution of wind was minuscule compared to the power needed by the whole state. Even then, wind performance was far below the installed capacity most of the time when energy was needed most.
Get the politicians with their radical green agendas out of energy planning because they are going to create severe economic loss, cause people to suffer when it’s hot or cold, and vulnerable people may die.
1:17 – Just keep it short and hold it to your mantra – greed rules.
Does CA shut off all the EV power stations between 4-9pm?
Yes oops! That is a great way to address the power shortage. All EV charging systems should be required to have a shut-off feature that can be activated when there is a shortage of electricity. Whenever there is a power crisis, that should be the first thing that gets shut off.
And the AC in every new apartment they are cramming in should be shut off too.
Yes, and also shut off all those electric gas pumps. Far more numerous, and not efficient.
So much attacking and insulting. So sad what people do when they are anonymous.
I think that some kind of program should be created to target power outages to the people who supported the energy policies that caused this crisis. I surely didn’t vote for this, and I have no intention of cutting my electrical usage or “flexing” my power. If California’s energy policy had been managed the way I wanted it to be, there would be plentiful energy available and electric bills would be about 1/3 of what they cost today. This is not my fault, and I will not sacrifice to help mitigate the damage caused by other people’s poor decisions.
The blackout list should be:
Sacramento
Malibu
Marin
Silicon Valley
Beverly Hills
San Francisco
They probably all have solar + battery storage so they won’t notice anyway.
10:33 – Yeah, smart people have been moving to solar and microgrids for a while now.
@4:30 smart people or people who can afford it? If you don’t have it are you not smart or can you just not afford it? What you and others here completely miss, is people want to be green, they want to have solar panels, they want to drive electric cars, and those that can, will. The will is there for everyone just not the ability. By forcing the issue like CA does, it drastically increases the energy costs for those that can’t afford to do those things, the very people we should be supporting we’re hurting with these policies. A consequence of putting the cart before the horse. Meanwhile the liberal elites can feel virtuous driving around in their Teslas or, like Alexblue, sitting in his solar power SB home with the AC blasting during a Flex Alert, ignorant to the negative impact the policies they support have on many Californians.
LOL, then you are likely blacked out pal.
If you are a Republican you guys have been murdering every singly infrastructure and energy initiative over the past 40 years.
why? are you planning not to conserve?
It looks like The CAISO website has already called for an insufficient green energy alert for tomorrow.
Some place up up north got a designated “demand response event” which is probably newspeak for a power shutdown. There ‘s a downward kink in the power supply for the state, and the line went from blue to red. The “Palermo” area. I hope the senior citizens are safe in that area.
John Fetterman for US Senate! Yep, the poster child for liberal, democratic ideology. Let’s see,
bankrupt Pennsylvania energy sectors, free murderers and legalize heroin? What could go wrong?
Shouldn’t the question be; “What’s wrong with the DNC?” Here in Cali, out of control crime, taxes, spending, cost of living. Having to turn off major appliances during peak hours. A Governor who yesterday, wearing a fleece jacket, in 100 degree heat, telling us “we need to conserve.” Folks, these liars and grifters need to be thrown out of office before we reach the point of no return. Business and individuals leaving Cali in droves, shouldn’t a lightbulb go off?
I know, I know, what happens outside our little SB fart bubble is really not important in the grand scheme of things and if Pennsylvania voters want to elect a tattooed, hoodie wearing moron, that’s their problem!
VOR, I worked hard for what I have and I INVESTED in the infrastructure of my home to make it more secure and more livable.
I’m speaking of clean energy and infrastructure initiatives offered at the Federal level, which have been rejected by your ilk for decades.
Too bad you victim claiming Right Wingers have lost sight of what this country used to value, i.e., planning, investing, and building for the future.
Cry more.
The liberal elite has spoken. Alex has worked hard to own his home in SB and outfit it with enough solar and batteries to power his air conditioning even while others are told to cut back or forced to endure brownouts – so those not as fortunate and who are significantly burdened by the high cost / consequences of these liberal policies can, in Alex’s own words, “cry [him]a F’king river”. Then this liberal elitist has the gal to blame “Right Wingers” lack of planning and investing, for CA’s energy woes yet is unable to articulate how in a supermajority Dem controlled state that is even possible, and fails to grasp that we’re currently purchasing/importing 27% of our electricity from “Right Winger” states.
Did this liberal elitist turn off his AC and discharge his solar generation and stored energy in his battery bank back into the grid during our recent Flex Alerts — NO! As he wrote, he was enjoying his nice cool house.
Can someone please explain how right wingers, republicans, or anything other than Democrat’s own policies are to blame for our power woes here in CA? Several here keep claiming it again and again, please help us understand how that’s possible.
Ugh – more “hate, condescension and insults…..” So weird, because we were all told, multiple times, that only the left does it. Go figure, more lies…..
LOL, work smarter, not harder, and then you can also provide a better standard of living for your family.
Or, just sit around and cry–honestly, I hope it’s the latter, I do so enjoy it.
Cry Me A River (your new Edhat handle). No, my system isn’t wired that way.
What do you have against people earning money to make their lives better? I thought that was the American Dream.
To answer your question absolutely nothing. I have something against elitist like your self who feel those less fortunate and hurting under the very policies you support should “cry you a F’ing river”. And you double down with telling that single mom trying to raise her kid solo, the young adult working two jobs to support his parent, the person who dropped out of high school to get a fast food job because his parents were useless alcoholics, to the person just trying to get by, to “work smarter, not harder” so they can provide a better standard of living. You represent everything I hate about the liberal elitist mentality.
“You represent everything I hate about the liberal elitist mentality.”
Same guy:
“In reading comments on EdHat I only see hate coming from one side.”
“These days the hate it only coming from one side, the other half learned how to live and let live.”
“While the extremes on the right certainly have their hate, hate and intolerance has taken over the left.it’s even evident on EdHat, the lefty commentators who constantly spew hate, condescension and insults here but it’s never reciprocated but the more conservative posters.”
hey VOR, panda express has a job opening for a Wok chef 24/hr starting! Wok smarter, NOT harder
Cry Me a River, you have no idea what policies I support.
Because you live in a world defined by extremist thinking. Funny enough, I have been providing financial support and housing to a wonderful individual whose horrible background is very close to that kid with the alcoholic parents whom you cite, you talk about it, people like me do it.
But all that matters to you is “red team v. blue team”.
Dude I’m not even a Democrat. But I do very much enjoy triggering you, you make it so easy.
Aww, you poor thing. Must be hard being such a snowflake and getting your undies all bunched up because Hannity lied to you… whhaaaaa!!!!
–
BTW: No one from California calls it Cali. No one. So go back to where you come from… No one will miss you here, but you will miss it here. That’s a guarantee.
Ha, yep, as soon as I saw “Cali” I was like WTF is this person from?
Beyond that, do we have problems, yeah. Has the right wing been fighting every single infrastructure repair measure offered by the Democrats, yes.
Have they fought investment in renewable energy to keep the money tap on for their petro-lords, yes.
And now these fools are unhappy about a deteriorating grid and insufficient energy needs. Well cry me a F’ing river. I’m off the electric grid and will continue to enjoy my nice cool house because I INVESTED IN MY INFRASTRUCTURE.
Alex, great form sharing how privileged you are to not only afford to own a home in SB but also a solar and battery system large enough to power that home WITH AC, while telling the people who can’t afford it, the “fools [who] are unhappy about a deteriorating grid and insufficient energy need” to “cry [you] a F’ing river”. How liberal elite of you. But please do tell us how the “right wing” has any power to fight anything here in CA where the Democrats have full control over everything and a supermajority in the legislature to pass whatever laws they want.
“individuals leaving Cali in droves” – yup…… hint hint
Dr. Oz is such a winner. I grew up in PA, and I’d take Fetterman over Oz in a heartbeat.
What’s wrong with tattoos and hoodies?
Today’s flex alert is extended to 10pm per CAISO. At the present moment:
Natural gas is supplying ~53% of our electricity
Imported electricity is at ~27%
Renewables is a mere ~9%
Natural gas and other reliable energy sources are saving the state. I have no connections to the hydrocarbon industry, and I only want to see reliable sufficient energy for the state.
Spread that carbon FUD, like usual! How about throwing in some of your vaccine disinformation, too?
Too bad we’re in this position, largely because of carbon industry funding of right-wing opposition to the development of truly green energy sources. At least we’re better off than many of the more ignorant states.
Just think what that 7.4 billion dollar ($1.4 B CA forgivable loan, $6B federal subsidy) potential handout to PG&E to keep Diablo stumbling along could do to better our future.
1:38, I’m curious what right wing funding has stopped california from developing “truly green energy sources.” California is controlled by a supermajority of the left, so I’m really curious how the right controlling our state’s energy policy. Also, what do you consider to be “truly green?” I’m also curious how we are better off than other states. We pay on the order of triple the rates charged in other states for electricity here in california. In addition, we have to import about 1/3 of our power because we can’t produce enough to meet our needs. How are we better off? Finally, how do you propose to replace the 24/7 reliable power output from Diablo canyon?
@1:56 – Wow. So you admit you haven’t been paying attention for decades?
Chip, every time questioned how the right wing or republicans could possible impede the democrats agenda in CA, where the have full and total control to pass whatever legislation they want, they won’t answer, because they can’t answer.
You haven’t been paying attention, either? Or are you two just politically motivated shills for big carbon, practicing willful ignorance?
No surprise, either way, that you post what you do.
Answer the question @3:11. How are right wingers responsible for CA’s power woes?
You are the absolute last person on this site to demand any proof from anyone.
VOR, give proof of a single attempt from he Republican Party to improve our national and statewide energy infrastructure and develop alternate energy sources.
So even though you’ve said multiple times it’s the right wingers fault CA is in this mess, you won’t explain how that’s the case, because you can’t. Democrats control everything in CA and have for decades. As far as what has the Republican Party done to improve the situation, how about not trying to close existing nuclear power plants and non-renewable generation until adequate alternatives are online, not mandate switching to all electric buildings, not mandating our electric providers pursue solar and wind over additional natural gas generation, not throw a wrench via env. lawsuits over every single attempt to provide new non-renewable electric generation. You know, common sense stuff like not putting the cart before the horse. You guys can’t be serious but please continue, it shows all the other readers your inability to articulate your point of view beyond ‘republicans bad, everything their fault, cuz TV person and politician on social media said so’.
The breakdown of the imported electricity isn’t renewable and includes coal. Our political leaders don’t care about our future beyond the next election.
https://poweroutage.us/
For the last week CA has largely been lit up yellow and orange, with the rest of the US in good shape.
Per the CAISO website, we get 2 bonus hours of flex alert time today: 3:00-10:00 instead of 4:00-9:00. Again, flex alert is a newspeak term for inadequate green energy production. I am guilty of wrongthink for pointing that out. It’s only going to get worse unless we get new political leadership in the state.
Spread that carbon FUD!
Potentially insufficient energy, period. No need for the editorializing except to spread politically motivated carbon FUD.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/08/world-on-brink-five-climate-tipping-points-study-finds