Re[2]: Western Power Outage

[BRZGV@ccmail.ceco.com]

     It sounds like the real contributor was the retail wheeling scheme.  
     They were trying to pump all of the power from the northwest because 
     it was cheaper.  The distribution system couldn't handle the load.  It 
     was also stated that the local generators nearby were not "on-line" at 
     the time and could not respond once the large capacity from the 
     northwest was lost.  It was not stated whether they were not operating 
     due to planned outages or economic considerations due to retail 
     wheeling.
     
     We as humans often tend to think that if we legislate something then 
     it must happen as we wish.  It appears that someone acted a little too 
     fast as defied the laws of physics as well.
     
     Those nutty westerners are known to be progressive, but perhaps they 
     acted a little too quickly.  The move into retail wheeling is one area 
     where slower is better so that reliability is not sacrificed.  I live 
     in the midwest and hope that we don't jump the gun here.
     
     
     Sincerely,
     Glen


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Western Power Outage
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at INTERNET
Date:    8/13/96 6:06 PM


LIPTONW@detroitedison.com wrote:
> 
> --Boundary-2784441-0-0
> 
> You stated that "It's the road not the car that caused the crash."  This is
> true, but the longer the road, the more likely a crash.  The problem seems  to
> be that the power demand far exceeds the capacity of power plants near the
> load centers, so that power has to be transmitted long distances.  The system 
> is then vulnerable to grid failures at key points, since there is little, if 
> any, reserve in both generation and transmission capacity.  If the additional 
> generation capacity of the nuclear plants that are now closed were available, 
> the probability of a blackout would be lower.
> Bill Lipton
> 
> --Boundary-2784441-0-0
> Content-Type: message/rfc822
> 
> Date: 13 Aug 96 12:15:21
> From:"radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu" <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu> 
> To: Multiple,recipients,of,list,radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> Subject: RE: Western Power Outage
> Reply-to: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
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> In Message Sat, 10 Aug 96 20:33:39 -0500,
>   Brent Rogers <brogers@MPS.OHIO-STATE.EDU> writes: 
> 
> <snip>
> >
> >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.
> >
> I live 25 miles from San Onofre and my power didn't fail!  However, nobody 
> has placed the blame for the outage on any GENERATOR, but on the
> transmission lines and associated areas [current "theory" is that untrimmed 
> trees shorted out lines sagging in the heat, if you can believe that one]. 
> Therefore, I don't think that nuclear power plants would have made any
> difference at all.  It was the road, not the car that caused the crash. 
> >Brent Rogers
> >brogers@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu
> ********************************************************************** 
> William G. Nabor
> University of California, Irvine
> EH&S Office
> Irvine, CA,  92697-2725
> WGNABOR@UCI.EDU
> ********************************************************************** 
> 
> --Boundary-2784441-0-0--
     
Very interesting summation.
Bob