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Re: California has about one year of water left -- effect on some RR ops
Author: Peter
Date: 03-14-2015 - 18:15
@ Margaret (SP fan)
You are dead wrong regarding your percentages of electricity generation in California. ALL of California's renewable sources (hydro included) add up to only 17% of the current electriciy generation in California. See [energyalmanac.ca.gov]
The increased load on the electrical grid for electrifying Caltrain PLUS running HSR (at full build-out) is miniscule. I ran the numbers several years ago (don't have them anymore, you can do the research yourself if you want, all the information is out there), and the total projected electrical load of HSR (at full build-out, IIRC, including San Diego and Sacramento), was about half the increase in electricity consumption ANNUALLY.
Additionally, while a number of power plant designs require water as a coolant (especially nuclear reactors, but California shut down its last nuclear plant), most modern plant designs use water only in the manufacturing process, and operate without water as a coolant afterwards. Check out the new small, modular natural gas turbine plants, for example.
The drought is obviously a major problem for California, but NOT because of decrease in hydroelectric power.
You are dead wrong regarding your percentages of electricity generation in California. ALL of California's renewable sources (hydro included) add up to only 17% of the current electriciy generation in California. See [energyalmanac.ca.gov]
The increased load on the electrical grid for electrifying Caltrain PLUS running HSR (at full build-out) is miniscule. I ran the numbers several years ago (don't have them anymore, you can do the research yourself if you want, all the information is out there), and the total projected electrical load of HSR (at full build-out, IIRC, including San Diego and Sacramento), was about half the increase in electricity consumption ANNUALLY.
Additionally, while a number of power plant designs require water as a coolant (especially nuclear reactors, but California shut down its last nuclear plant), most modern plant designs use water only in the manufacturing process, and operate without water as a coolant afterwards. Check out the new small, modular natural gas turbine plants, for example.
The drought is obviously a major problem for California, but NOT because of decrease in hydroelectric power.
