Re: Western Power Outage

["Michael P. Grissom" <mikeg@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

Brent, et al.,

Actually (as others have alluded), the power outage was 
the consequence of distribution logic, not lack of 
generating capacity.  This resulted in taking power 
plants off-line reducing power availability until the 
grid could be "rebalanced".

As of last night, Moss Beach (fossil fuel) and Diablo Canyon
(nuclear) were still off line in Northern California.

Demand was a factor, many areas were in the over 100 degree F
range this past weekend leading to very high demand for air
conditioning, hence increased capacity options would have 
been "nice".  However, there are major errors in power 
distribution logic that must be solved in the coming deregulated
utility environment in the United States, or there will be
dire consequences in the future.

My concerned opinion,

MikeG.

At 08:33 PM 8/10/96 -0500, you wrote:
>My apologies to anyone who has been adversely effected by the 2nd major
>power outage in the west this summer, but I think that it has to be an
>opportunity for those of us in the power production industry to push
>nuclear power as the answer.
>
>I can't help but wonder if these outages would have happened if Rancho
>Seco, Trojan and Fort St. Vrain (all in the effected states) were still on
>the grid.
>
>Brent Rogers
>brogers@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu

-----------------------
Michael P. Grissom
Special Assistant, SLAC
mikeg@slac.stanford.edu
Phone:  (415) 926-2346
Fax:    (415) 926-3030