http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/12/20/...-power-plants-likely-will-unveil-it-tomorrow/ As an electrical engineer for a major transmission utility company, I am truly concerned with this insane government overreach. Is "cleaner air" as defined by some unsubstantiated study worth turning into a third world country with no electrical reliability? As an engineer whose profession is to ensure a reliable grid, I am deeply disturbed by these developments. Why do I bother do my job and strive for transmission reliability if they're just going to be turning off generation everywhere? It kind of feels a bit like how Daryl Morey felt after David Stern vetoed the trade.
How dare the EPA attempt to protect us from this! Keep my lights on DAMNIT! To hell with babies and the health of Americans!
More proof of the liberal muscle and the asinine Obama Administration going too far. Real change in it's way in 2012.
Typical overblown fear-mongering by the EPA based on unsubstantiated studies. They throw out scary b-llsh!t like that so they can get public support. Blackouts also cause deaths you know.
This is true. Indoor air pollution is a far more serious threat to people than outdoor air pollution. Of course you don't see the EPA making too big a deal about volatile organic compounds found in everyday home cleaning products and used heavily in daycare settings. Ya, power plants are the bullies!! Second bolded sounds a lot like the common cold eh? You want your kid to have ADHD? Put them in a day care and become a germ and cleaning freak.
Or maybe the blackouts are unsubstantiated fear-mongering by the power plant industry that doesn't want to pay the costs of these improvements?
But whether generating plants really affect the air enough where it actually causes death is very very not substantiated. They just throw out that Texas power plants lead in mercury emission but never say what that level is. They just throw out stupid **** like that to scare people.
It's really not hard to understand how losing thousands of megawatts of generation will adversely affect electrical reliability. Would happily oblige if the government tells you to install a $1000 filter on your car to reduce emissions?
If my alternative option was to simply not drive anymore, then yes, I would oblige. Something tells me power plants aren't going to just say "ok, we'll stop producing power and lose even more money instead of making the required changes."
That's actually exactly what's happening. For some of these plants it's literally impossible to make these changes and it is more cost efficient to mothball the units than keep it open and sustain the fines. So in effect, because of these unsubstantiated studies from the EPA, the power plants are shutting down to cut costs, and electrical reliability suffers. It's government overreaching and it ain't right .
As a consumer of energy from a major transmission utility company, I am truly concerned with the insane unconcern for mercury emissions in Texas powerplants. "Cleaner air" as defined by some scientific study is worth the expense by these corporations while maintaining electrical reliability. Engineers whose profession is to ensure a reliable grid, should be deeply disturbed by these mercury emissions. Their job is to strive for transmission reliability while providing a safe environment for the people.
