[ot] Apples and Oranges (was Re: [TheForge] steel prices)

Fri Dec 5 09:34:00 2003

Other conributing factors to the California nightmare was the drought in the northwest reduced available hydro power for "export" into california, and even though there was available power for sale from Mexico, there is insufficient transmission capability to ship that power North, to the areas normally served by low cost hydro power.

Ray
Cincinnati
> 
> From: [email protected]
> Date: 2003/12/05 Fri AM 09:14:05 EST
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [ot] Apples and Oranges (was Re: [TheForge] steel prices)
> 
> We do import power, lots of it from Canada in both megawatts and 
> therms.   I think some even comes in from Mexico.  I worked quite a 
> while with Canadian companies who were trying to come up with ways of 
> reducing domestic consomption ( low rate of return) so that they would 
> have the ability to sell more to the states. Hydro is cheap once the 
> taxpayers have payed down all of the facilities. Utility rates did go 
> down with dergulation in most states, as it was mandated in the 
> legislation.   It has been clouded by gas surcharges added a couple of 
> years ago and of course by Californias stupidity.  California had a 
> voluntary program, switch only if you like.  The regulated utilities 
> were forced to cut rates, forced to sell off their generation and 
> prohibited by law from establishing any longterm contract for power for 
> fear they would price fix.   Because the regulted utilities were forced 
> to drop prices, and people didn't have to switch, california had the 
> lowest uptake rate in the nation, less than three percent for 
> residential customers. Retail power providers left the market because 
> they couldn't compete, so there were no market forces to lower rates 
> further.  Where the enrons of the world made their money was raping the 
> existing utilities on wholesale power. 
> 
> Gabriel Cain wrote:
> 
> > Andy Vida wrote:
> >
> >>     You mean, in the way all the utilities said prices would
> >>     go down with deregulation?
> >
> >
> > That's not really a valid comparison.  A valid comparison would be if 
> > we imported our power.  Apples to Oranges, and all that. :)
> >
> > Gabriel
> >
> >
> 
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