Crude Oil Prices/Electricity Rates?

[George]

Probably not since most of the electric power in the Northeast comes first from coal and next nuclear.

[Marilyn & Bob]

Huh? While some power in the NE is nuclear generated, there is almost no coal generated power here.

[Jim Elbrecht]

Here's the numbers from the NPCC [Northeast Power Coordinating Council]

Summer 2008 for a pie chart; "Relative Capacity by fuel mix" Hydro 31% Pumped storage 3% Dual fuel 18% Nuclear 16% Gas 13% Coal 10% Oil 8% other 1.1%

A third Hydro and 1/2 as much Nuclear. Wonder which fuels are included under 'dual fuel'?

Jim

Wind.2%

[dpb]

Jim Elbrecht wrote: ...

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Generally that would be natural gas/oil.

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[HeyBub]

Probably oil/gas depending on the market. I'm more curious about "Pumped storage."

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

I can help with that one. Blenheim-Gilboa gave us a lot of work moving telephone lines back in the 70's.

It is in Schoharie county- roughly halfway between NY City and Montreal.

Essentially 2 lakes. Pump up at night using wasted hydro from Niagara falls. Let it flow through turbines during the day to supply power to most of the east half of NY.

Here's their site-

Probably oversimplified, but I've always looked at them as a 'battery' for the big falls. I don't know how many others might be around.

Jim

[George]

You burn around 12 Millions tons of coal to make electricity there plus the power you get from the neighboring grid which is predominately coal.

[George]

Whats to be curious about? There is one not far from me. They pump water up to a lake at night when there is a power surplus and then let it come back down during the afternoon peak.

[Roger Shoaf]

Yep your electric rates are too high. You can thank all of your neighbors that balk at nuclear power.

[dpb]

Jim Elbrecht wrote: ...

Pretty good analogy. Actual count I don't know, but over the country there are quite a number -- Smith Mountain in SW VA and TVA has a couple w/ some plans for additional a few years ago; don't know what happened to that since I left TN.

Problem is like rest of hydro, the number of suitable sites is pretty well used up and there's the environmental impact of flooding other areas that's a big problem most places these days that didn't use to be so much an issue.

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