[ RadSafe ] NYT Article: N.Y. Grid Could Stand to Lose Reactors,Panel Says

[Sinclair, Michael]

History is a wonderful teacher, if we'd only listen!
In the mid-1970s, Canada and the US began talks about selling surplus hyrdo generating capacity from the James Bay project to the energy-starved Northeast. The idea was that Canada would sell bonds in the US to finance James Bay development and in return for the US investment, Canada would guarantee a long-term supply of electrity at a fixed rate.  A few New England states were in favor of the deal, but it died when the federal government decided that it wouldn't be prudent to have large portions of the Northeast grid reliant on Canadian power.  Besides, oil from the friendly Middle East was cheap and nuclear was the future. So, we internalized our energy policy in the interests of "protecting" electric consumers in the Northeast from those greedy Canadians. Talk about opportunities lost!!!
Mike Sinclair

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl]On
Behalf Of Jaro
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 7:19 PM
To: radsafe
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] NYT Article: N.Y. Grid Could Stand to Lose
Reactors,Panel Says


John Jacobus wrote:
 Right now I am looking at a 75% increase in utility rates due to
deregulation.
<SNIP>

Don't worry John, our Hydro Quebec will sell you the electricity you need -
and make a fabulous fortune in the process.
The Provincial utility is pushing hard for conservation locally, because of
the regulated low prices here -- so that they can sell as much as possible
to you guys, and fleece you royally in the process.
Hydro Quebec would LOVE it if you closed down Indian Point.
It would drive prices sky-high.
We've got a great gig going here, with the enormous hydro reservoirs in
James Bay and elsewhere: HQ can buy cheap coal-generated electricity from
south of the border & from the Atlantic Provinces, when its not needed & the
rates are low, store it in the hydro reservoirs (i.e. just close the turbine
gates), and then sell it back to you when prices are high.
Some folks figure it might be a better idea to negotiate a "power sharing"
contract with HQ, whereby a certain fixed service fee would be paid to HQ
for such energy storage, instead of deferring to the brutal vagaries of the
open market.
But this idea doesn't seem to have occurred yet to the politicians & power
brokers south of the border, in Ontario, or in the Atlantic Provinces.
Or maybe they just don't worry that much about John Jacobus' 75% increase in
utility rates?
--
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