Most of the reservoir’s in California are well above the historical average percent.
But, if the Pineapple Express dumps a lot of rain it could be flood time.
Tag: California
California TOU Pricing: Stay Home In The Middle of the Day (or when its windy)!
California is planning for TOU (Time of Use) pricing for electricity that matches up with renewables like solar and wind:
From late morning until the sun sets, California produces a significant amount of solar power; and the future for solar is so bright, we’re reaching for our shades. With TOU pricing, we can shift demand to match up with the abundant solar electricity we produce – making the cheapest price windows for TOU rates likely from 10 AM until 4 PM. The good news is, the success of clean energy programs in California over the past decade means we’ll be able to meet peak demand by simply re-aligning our energy use to synch up with plentiful, clean, and cheap electricity.
Starting January 1, 2019, after a period of study, public outreach, and education, California’s large investor-owned utilities (Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison) will switch households to time-of-use (TOU) electricity pricing.
This simplified rate structure rewards customers who shift some of their electricity use to times of the day when clean energy is plentiful.
Why would you run the dishwasher at 6 PM, for example, if it were cheaper to wash the dishes overnight when wind energy is abundant and cheap?
The last line is an actual quote.
Why? Because you want clean dishes? You can’t sleep with the dishwasher running?
Do you want to be able to afford electricity for showering, laundry or charging your electric car?
Then stay home in the middle of the day (but only when it is sunny). or only do those things when it is windy!
If you don’t you know they will punish you with grotesquely high electricity rates.
California: 14 Days of Blackouts This Summer Possible
The Aliso Canyon gas storage facility has a leak. That could mean 14 days of blackouts. (UPDATE: Affected Region Map at bottom)
And if they empty the gas, and the leak is nor fixed by the winter, things will be worse in the winter.
Several actions are underway to respond to the major natural gas leak that occurred at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility on October 23, 2015. With the leak now stopped, there is a moratorium that prohibits the operator of the facility, Southern California Gas (SoCalGas), from injecting natural gas into the underground reservoir until a comprehensive safety review of the facility is completed. This safety review requires that all 114 wells in the facility are either thoroughly tested for safe operation or removed from operation and isolated from the underground reservoir.
The implementation of these safety measures means that the Aliso Canyon facility is not operating as it normally does to provide gas for the energy demands in the Greater Los Angeles area. Only 15 billion cubic feet of natural gas remains in the Aliso Canyon underground reservoir—less than one-fifth of the capacity of the facility—for use to maintain electrical and gas service in the region if it is needed.
The Aliso Canyon facility has operated for decades as a critical part of the natural gas transmission and distribution system in the Los Angeles region. Aliso Canyon provides gas supplies to 11 million customers for home heating, hot water and cooking fuel. The facility also provides gas supplies to natural gas-fired power plants that play a central role meeting regional electrical demand. Aliso Canyon is critical to meeting peak gas usage demands in winter months and helping to meet peak electrical demands during the summer months.
…
The engineering analysis, which applied complex industry standard hydraulic modeling to simulate operations on the SoCalGas system suggests that without any gas supply from Aliso Canyon, there are 14 days this coming summer during which gas curtailments could be high enough to cause electricity service interruptions to millions of utility customers. Factors leading to gas curtailments, even 3 on days with only moderately high demand, include differences between gas scheduled and received into the SoCalGas system (receipts) versus actual customer demand (sendout) as small as 0.15 Bcf; gas storage and pipeline maintenance work planned for this summer, and unplanned outages.
Using the 15 billion cubic feet of gas currently stored at Aliso Canyon as directed by the CPUC and taking several other actions described below can reduce – although not eliminate – the possibility of these electric interruptions. It is also important to note that, using most or all the gas remaining in Aliso Canyon during this summer would result in greater risk of shortages next winter if normal operations of the facility are not restored in time to store new gas there for winter use.
This map shows the Aliso Canyon Delivery Area:
California Water Management Fails Epically
Michael Reagan states the obvious:
In response to the shortage of water, the California Water Resources Board wants to institute a punitive fine of $500/day for people it calls “water hogs.”
But I think Thomas Del Beccaro, writing in Forbes, has a better idea: Let’s fine the board for failing to do its job over the last 40 years.
He explains, “California is the most populated state in the Union, with more than 38 million people. Its population was just under 20 million in 1970, when the bulk of its current water storage and delivery systems were already built. In other words, the California governments have done very little to significantly increase water supplies in over 40 years, even though its population has doubled during that period of time.”
Instead of realizing that “water” was its middle name, the board has been made captive by enviro-Nazis who think people in general are the enemy. Rather than build dams and reservoirs to keep up with a growing population, state government has preferred to depend on the kindness of clouds to provide water for taxpayers.
Then the clouds stopped being kind.
Felicia Marcus, chairman of the water board, exemplifies the arrogant, buck-passing mentality of its members: “I like to say, having a browning lawn and a dirty car is a badge of honor.”
No Felicia, the dead grass and filthy car are the result of a do-nothing board that should be thrown out on its ear.
http://www.newsmax.com/MichaelReagan/California-Water-Management-Fails/2014/08/04/id/586658/
California February 2014 – Almost 6 Times As Much Rain Compared to January
Update: I had 2013 in the title. Sorry. (thanks justsoeguy31167)
According to the NOAA, California averaged 3.43 inches of rain in February 2014, which was only .42 inches below the 1901-2000 mean.
That is about 5.7X as much rain compared to January when California only averaged only .6 inches of rain.
One month of average rainfall won’t end a drought, but it sure helps.
Does “Climate Change” Bring More Crime?
Marc Morano posted a link to this LA Times Story.
“Between 2010 and 2099, climate change can be expected to cause an additional 22,000 murders” …. blah blah blah.
So I grabbed California’s murder rate from 1960-2012 and grabbed California’s annual temperature from the NOAA.
Once upon a time you could maybe argue there was a correlation. But not anymore.
Whatever The Cause – Blame Global Warming – So Says The NY Times
The NY Times is beclowning itself again in this article on drought in California.
Despite the fact that a cool PDO and warm AMO brings drought to California as shown by this post (referencing an article by Roger Pielke Sr. from 2012).
“What may be different about this drought is that, whatever the cause, the effects appear to have been made worse by climatic warming. And in making that case last week, scientists said, the administration was on solid ground.”
What clowns.
sunshine hours 