Posts
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Nuclear Power - the best choice for environmentalists.
This full article balances the pros, cons and politics of electrical power generation.It is a worthwhile read if you are a discerning individual but if you are one of the shrills who will let no reason enter your mind, this article won't help you.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Alberta Power Exports may soon be no more!
The US is backing 18 billion dollars in loans to build new nuclear power plants in the US. Through a program of lies and deceit this Government is managing to miss the boat on the coveted power exports to the US.
They are fumbling the chance for much needed nuclear generation in Alberta and have alienated the population by their plans to have Alberta Consumers pay for all the power lines used to export power.
While they are chasing their tails the US is bringing on more Generation.
Just a few years ago, the US published they were going to need 70,000 MW of new generation by the year 2020. Recently they have said there is about 50,000 MW of generation built or being built leaving only 20,000 MW of power to be acquired.
Alberta's grid is about 13,000 MW; and idea of size for comparison while Saskatchwan is at about 2900 MW
Ontario and Quebec are ramping up their Generation, Nuclear and otherwise to meet this prefect market.
New power lines are being built between Lethbridge and Montana. This will join the grid to push power into California, the big market place.
Alberta, because of really bad management is going to miss this market.
Some of you may laugh but that simply means we will be importing US nuclear generated power into Alberta to light our homes at double what you are paying now!
They are fumbling the chance for much needed nuclear generation in Alberta and have alienated the population by their plans to have Alberta Consumers pay for all the power lines used to export power.
While they are chasing their tails the US is bringing on more Generation.
Just a few years ago, the US published they were going to need 70,000 MW of new generation by the year 2020. Recently they have said there is about 50,000 MW of generation built or being built leaving only 20,000 MW of power to be acquired.
Alberta's grid is about 13,000 MW; and idea of size for comparison while Saskatchwan is at about 2900 MW
Ontario and Quebec are ramping up their Generation, Nuclear and otherwise to meet this prefect market.
New power lines are being built between Lethbridge and Montana. This will join the grid to push power into California, the big market place.
Alberta, because of really bad management is going to miss this market.
Some of you may laugh but that simply means we will be importing US nuclear generated power into Alberta to light our homes at double what you are paying now!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Power and Water rates are a form of indirect taxation.
Power and water rates now in the hands of the cities and towns are simply a form of taxation. Need more cash? No more mill rate arguments; simply add it to the water or power bill.
What is lacking is the provincial controls and the public input. What is certain however is if you hold those same cities and towns Mayors and councils responsible at the ballet box, you can still have some controls.
The idea of indirect taxation through utilities is a good one. Costs of running the municipalities will be borne by the renters and users in general rather than a specific group of businesses. That is fine as far as it goes. This province however has given them an open cheque book to write and spend what they see fit.
Edmonton has recently found millions for the police force. I'm waiting for the hammer to fall on the utilities which will probably be used to make it up.
Devon has announced some big, costly improvements in that town after taking a 25% increase in water charges.
It seems we have taken more than one step back from process!
What is lacking is the provincial controls and the public input. What is certain however is if you hold those same cities and towns Mayors and councils responsible at the ballet box, you can still have some controls.
The idea of indirect taxation through utilities is a good one. Costs of running the municipalities will be borne by the renters and users in general rather than a specific group of businesses. That is fine as far as it goes. This province however has given them an open cheque book to write and spend what they see fit.
Edmonton has recently found millions for the police force. I'm waiting for the hammer to fall on the utilities which will probably be used to make it up.
Devon has announced some big, costly improvements in that town after taking a 25% increase in water charges.
It seems we have taken more than one step back from process!
Alberta Electricity's old boys club.
This Government is blatant in their manipulations to throw huge profit to their old boys club.
ENMAX wanted to build a new gas fired generation plant at Calgary to supply Calgary, Southern Alberta and export surplus to Montana and thence by grid to California. The Montana to Lethbridge lines are being built now.
ENMAX endorsed what we all have been saying, the new power lines are not needed for Alberta demands.
The Government has put the kill on the ENMAX project while opening the door to further generation in the north the more recent attention being given to Bruce Power and their Peace River plan.
This is not a new game for these guys; they are in reality not unlike a one trick dog.
About a dozen years ago now, Fording Coal were going to build a power plant at Brooks Alberta. They planned to a hook up with Langdon and were going to supply the power lines to Southern Alberta.
They were faced with a large environmental protest which was backed by the Alberta Conservative Government. Mean while TransAlta made a huge stand to discredit the need for such a build and the plant plan was defeated.
Back to the present and we have Trans Alta front and center against ENMAX . Same actions different plant.
ATCO's Peter Laugheed at one point said that ATCO were getting out of building pipelines because they only paid cost plus 10% where as power lines paid cost plus 15%, a better deal.
The Government wants to include generation in the north to allow the tar sands to export their surplus power to the US. Bruce Power do not market their power, they only build and run the plants.
The bottom line is Multi Billions of taxpayer dollars are going to be directed to the old boys club gain and, there is nothing we can do about it.
Even so called old school conservatives must be shaking their heads now.
ENMAX wanted to build a new gas fired generation plant at Calgary to supply Calgary, Southern Alberta and export surplus to Montana and thence by grid to California. The Montana to Lethbridge lines are being built now.
ENMAX endorsed what we all have been saying, the new power lines are not needed for Alberta demands.
The Government has put the kill on the ENMAX project while opening the door to further generation in the north the more recent attention being given to Bruce Power and their Peace River plan.
This is not a new game for these guys; they are in reality not unlike a one trick dog.
About a dozen years ago now, Fording Coal were going to build a power plant at Brooks Alberta. They planned to a hook up with Langdon and were going to supply the power lines to Southern Alberta.
They were faced with a large environmental protest which was backed by the Alberta Conservative Government. Mean while TransAlta made a huge stand to discredit the need for such a build and the plant plan was defeated.
Back to the present and we have Trans Alta front and center against ENMAX . Same actions different plant.
ATCO's Peter Laugheed at one point said that ATCO were getting out of building pipelines because they only paid cost plus 10% where as power lines paid cost plus 15%, a better deal.
The Government wants to include generation in the north to allow the tar sands to export their surplus power to the US. Bruce Power do not market their power, they only build and run the plants.
The bottom line is Multi Billions of taxpayer dollars are going to be directed to the old boys club gain and, there is nothing we can do about it.
Even so called old school conservatives must be shaking their heads now.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
http://www.calgaryherald.com/
The Calgary Herald remains tightly controlled, to the point of being worthless as a news source!
Articles of policy proposals are seldom left open to comment, regardless of how bizarre or confrontational those same articles are.
When a Conservative ploy is so obviously a ploy and they try to run with it the public will call it what it is. Crap for a number of reasons.
This is where the next level of control comes in. When most of the comments are critical of the story the Herald puts up the first half dozen tame comments then, hold all the rest until some time after the story is closed. Then, a person will have to hit a tab to see "all" the comments that were withheld earlier or on the previous day.
As a Conservative rag this same paper will often cut the article and republish it under a new link in order to separate the story from adverse comment.
As a newspaper the Calgary Herald is a low a piece of information as is out there. It is not in most cases worth opening the page of it.
Articles of policy proposals are seldom left open to comment, regardless of how bizarre or confrontational those same articles are.
When a Conservative ploy is so obviously a ploy and they try to run with it the public will call it what it is. Crap for a number of reasons.
This is where the next level of control comes in. When most of the comments are critical of the story the Herald puts up the first half dozen tame comments then, hold all the rest until some time after the story is closed. Then, a person will have to hit a tab to see "all" the comments that were withheld earlier or on the previous day.
As a Conservative rag this same paper will often cut the article and republish it under a new link in order to separate the story from adverse comment.
As a newspaper the Calgary Herald is a low a piece of information as is out there. It is not in most cases worth opening the page of it.
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