The Grid - Not in my Back Yard

     I have refrained from posting for a while as I wanted the dust to settle on a few things. It is readily apparent that the Saudi’s do not have a great deal of reserve capacity to make a dent in prices. The wild card out there is the possible conflict between Israel and Iran which appears imminent this fall. In where the markets go from here anyone knows, but it seems for now they are holding steady.

     My friend Max and I had a great argument over the future and what is going to play out in the next decade or so. Our two arguments can be summed up as he feels technology and the markets will innovate and give solutions to the issues. My argument is the resources and wherewithal to do so is in short supply or are simply not available. 

     One condition another friend who is an electrical engineer has pointed out for years are the lack of power transport and transmission systems in the United States. John McCain proposed creating 100 new nuclear power plants in the United States. The trouble is “The Grid” in post areas can not handle more power without upgrading lines, substations, and transformers through the system. One classic example is the Flex alerts in California as the grid reaches capacity in the summer heat (EBB Times). Another more radical example is the BPA system in Oregon received more power than it could handle in an event where its alternative energy providers allowed too much power to the grid (KTVB).

     Adding power lines is dreadfully expensive, and new distribution corridors are often fought for reasons such as environmentalism or simple aesthetics. An example is the lawsuit against a project to share power from a series of grids in northern Mexico with southern California (earthjustice). Here is another example of similar suits to block new lines (BMCO), and another (stoptrail.org), and another (observer-reporter.com). My opinion is things like this will slowly paralyze any attempt we have with the real projects that must be done to increase energy production to cover the loss as petroleum based energy sources deplete.