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BPA orders NW wind farms to curtail production

Yahoo --

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The Bonneville Power Administration twice ordered Pacific Northwest wind farms to cut production in recent days because it has a surplus of power from hydroelectric dams.

The agency, which manages much of the power grid in the Northwest, confirmed it issued the orders during the early morning hours of Sunday and Monday, when demand is low.

The action rekindles a dispute from last year, when the agency curtailed wind turbines because the water from a large mountain snowpack left the region with more hydropower than the electrical grid could handle.

Michael Milstein, a BPA spokesman, said spring runoff has picked up in the past month or two. "Originally it wasn't looking like that wet of a year, but that has changed," he said.

The agency controls a majority o

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Submitted May 01, 2012 By: mastermariner

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acvw74 Champion Author Illinois Posts:2,115 Points:691,900 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:12:50 PM Ignore acvw74 Report Abuse Sounds like an opportunity for Hydrogen
shea33 Champion Author Pensacola Posts:2,383 Points:545,865 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:11:46 PM Ignore shea33 Report Abuse ok
RickF350 Champion Author Washington Posts:3,421 Points:705,940 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:11:44 PM Ignore RickF350 Report Abuse Use it or lose it.
slowtrain Champion Author Georgia Posts:3,682 Points:951,825 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:09:47 PM Ignore slowtrain Report Abuse If only they could store the excess power.
fcdriver Champion Author Tennessee Posts:7,263 Points:1,476,755 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:09:47 PM Ignore fcdriver Report Abuse too much really
ProRogue Veteran Author Vancouver Posts:382 Points:1,085,990 Joined:Dec 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:08:17 PM Ignore ProRogue Report Abuse Obviously, the rates in Oregon are gonna drop.. ..right?
insightcruzer All-Star Author Oakland Posts:552 Points:191,145 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:08:17 PM Ignore insightcruzer Report Abuse I don't understand why the "grid" can't be improved to handle a greater load and then divert any excess to areas of the country that are in need.
Alaydown Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:5,131 Points:825,570 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:08:01 PM Ignore Alaydown Report Abuse It is better to have a surplus of power than a deficit. BPA should cut rates to its customers and sell whatever surplus is left over to other states like California who need it. Wind farms are expensive eyesores. They have proven to be a waste of money. The government has spent billions of taxpayer dollars subsidizing their construction and use across the country. But high maintenance costs, high rates of failure, and fluctuating weather conditions that affect energy production render wind turbines expensive and inefficient, which is why more than 14,000 of them have since been abandoned. Before government subsidies for the giant metals were cut or eliminated in many areas, wind farms were an energy boom business. But in the post-tax subsidy era, the costs of maintaining and operating wind turbines far outweighs the minimal power they generate in many areas, which has left a patchwork of wind turbine graveyards in many of the most popular wind farming areas of the US. If you want to read a good story about alternative energy, you should read the Los Angeles Times article on Larry Eisenberg trying to take the LA Community College district off the power grid by spending between 1 to 1.9 BILLION dollars (depending on the cost estimate) on solar, wind and geothermal power for nine college campuses that only spent 8 MILLION dollars in 2010 for power. The wind turbine they built on the college campus spins too slowly in average winds to power a 60-watt light bulb. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-build6-20110306,0,4909175.story
diegotoad Champion Author Maryland Posts:3,422 Points:818,200 Joined:Jul 2009	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:04:29 PM Ignore diegotoad Report Abuse Two much power. What a concept.
EVBuddy Champion Author Nevada Posts:16,705 Points:3,034,520 Joined:Sep 2004	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:04:20 PM Ignore EVBuddy Report Abuse Plenty of Powere for EV's
miiike572 All-Star Author Phoenix Posts:798 Points:528,415 Joined:Apr 2009	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:04:17 PM Ignore miiike572 Report Abuse The battle over which green power wins....the saga continues
warlord1 Champion Author Georgia Posts:5,265 Points:1,037,900 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 5:03:23 PM Ignore warlord1 Report Abuse ok
BooHooMI Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,556 Points:344,610 Joined:Sep 2010	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:59:30 PM Ignore BooHooMI Report Abuse ok
nobodyMO Champion Author Kansas City Posts:2,251 Points:554,305 Joined:Nov 2010	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:59:24 PM Ignore nobodyMO Report Abuse hard to believe
hank1326 Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:8,924 Points:1,736,510 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:59:10 PM Ignore hank1326 Report Abuse Keep the production level, lower the rate.
js0743 All-Star Author Georgia Posts:981 Points:460,880 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:55:46 PM Ignore js0743 Report Abuse Incredible!
toadNY Champion Author Albany Posts:7,062 Points:1,517,150 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:55:32 PM Ignore toadNY Report Abuse Unreal!
DYSKYPILOT Champion Author Fort Worth Posts:2,917 Points:628,630 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:54:51 PM Ignore DYSKYPILOT Report Abuse never cut the prices.
DriverofRed Champion Author Calgary Posts:2,193 Points:415,785 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:54:21 PM Ignore DriverofRed Report Abuse idiots...
BKool Champion Author Michigan Posts:5,273 Points:1,902,255 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:53:22 PM Ignore BKool Report Abuse really?
dale243 All-Star Author Dallas Posts:972 Points:681,225 Joined:Jan 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:49:40 PM Ignore dale243 Report Abuse Too much energy? Cut the prices.
SparkieMi Champion Author Kalamazoo Posts:3,277 Points:591,330 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:40:14 PM Ignore SparkieMi Report Abuse Interesting... Need to up grade the electrical grid!!!!
Cableman66 Champion Author North Carolina Posts:2,125 Points:493,620 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:38:19 PM Ignore Cableman66 Report Abuse Sounds like a nice problem to have. Idle wind turbines is better than blown out dams and floods. We could make everyone put in a dummy load at their home so power grid would stay up at peak all the time. Course the dummy load might be the folks who installed all the extra capacity knowing full well there is such thing as peak demand and on the other side is off peak demand.
Romey08 Champion Author Virginia Posts:6,316 Points:1,437,565 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:37:11 PM Ignore Romey08 Report Abuse usually a surplus means lower prices, but not gas
neptune2008 Champion Author Michigan Posts:8,588 Points:1,672,650 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:35:34 PM Ignore neptune2008 Report Abuse oh no !!! a surplus??? oh my....not a chance to get off oil!!!
SandeeC Champion Author Ontario Posts:3,009 Points:462,130 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:33:04 PM Ignore SandeeC Report Abuse I say don't cut production, increase usage by lowering the rates and then sell the surplus to help out the economy.
36IHBinder Champion Author Illinois Posts:2,973 Points:646,015 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:30:49 PM Ignore 36IHBinder Report Abuse I like renewables.
Alaydown Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:5,131 Points:825,570 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:27:10 PM Ignore Alaydown Report Abuse Bonito: "Trying to make Obama look bad are we! Try to lower the electric charged to the public, but I guess that doesn't sit well with the Republicans!" Bonito, I doubt there is a Republican that wants electric rates high, unless that individual Republican (or DemocRAT) is in that specific business. Your statement has zero basis in reality. BPA should cut their rates if they have surplus power. They should also sell their surplus energy to states like California where we need the extra power for all EVs. EVs continually need to be recharged since they don't go very far on a single charge. [Edited by: Alaydown at 5/1/2012 7:29:25 PM EST]
SpankyMI Champion Author Kalamazoo Posts:2,723 Points:762,205 Joined:Jan 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:26:09 PM Ignore SpankyMI Report Abuse Thank goodness, I thought this article was about wind farms causing global warming, by drawing warm air down to the surface. Surplus power is a good thing.
unclenorman Champion Author Tampa Posts:1,358 Points:142,200 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:25:36 PM Ignore unclenorman Report Abuse There HAS to be a way to sell the excess power!!!!!
RAC110 Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:5,964 Points:1,854,420 Joined:Mar 2003	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:16:33 PM Ignore RAC110 Report Abuse must be working good if they can turn it down because it is too much
charladan All-Star Author Virginia Posts:564 Points:451,890 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:15:52 PM Ignore charladan Report Abuse This is the kind of story that should be front page on newspapers! Excess electrical production and the grid can't store it or transport it to areas that need it! That's news.
humblepie Champion Author Toledo Posts:34,333 Points:2,374,295 Joined:Mar 2006	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:13:35 PM Ignore humblepie Report Abuse the truth is surfacing slowly.............
96sc1 Champion Author El Paso Posts:8,517 Points:1,367,440 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:13:15 PM Ignore 96sc1 Report Abuse I'm sure the taxpayers will keep the wind farms in the black.
Beauff Champion Author Cleveland Posts:1,211 Points:608,535 Joined:Sep 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:10:26 PM Ignore Beauff Report Abuse ok
mplato Champion Author Columbia Posts:8,264 Points:1,818,195 Joined:Jun 2004	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:09:15 PM Ignore mplato Report Abuse yes they are adding to global warming! what ever that is
freedomsailor Champion Author Naples Posts:2,144 Points:413,595 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:08:21 PM Ignore freedomsailor Report Abuse Send some of that electric power my way, please.
marlita Champion Author Dayton Posts:3,312 Points:785,130 Joined:Mar 2010	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:07:44 PM Ignore marlita Report Abuse wow to much power ever heard of selling it to other cities
SoutheastdannyB All-Star Author Grand Rapids Posts:590 Points:581,880 Joined:Jul 2007	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:07:18 PM Ignore SoutheastdannyB Report Abuse Alternative energy, what a concept.
wz Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:2,499 Points:1,280,040 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 4:05:58 PM Ignore wz Report Abuse Since this is a repeated occurrence, they should build sufficient power lines to direct their excess to other parts of the grid (California?) to sell the excess power, saving other fuels for those times of the year when the wind and hydro power is lacking and needs a recipricol influx of power.
donnamarieb333 Veteran Author South Carolina Posts:397 Points:181,340 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:57:47 PM Ignore donnamarieb333 Report Abuse if we are blessed with an abundance, use it wisely and unselfishly. there will always come a time of lack. sell the surplus where needed, save the revenue generated to offset the higher cost of production in the future when "plenty" is hard to come by.
honkerman Champion Author San Jose Posts:44,381 Points:2,400,020 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:55:21 PM Ignore honkerman Report Abuse Why not tell nature to stop raining, instead of not blowing???
spiderjay Champion Author Little Rock Posts:4,773 Points:1,282,235 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:55:16 PM Ignore spiderjay Report Abuse plug it in
PizzaMon Champion Author Philadelphia Posts:5,134 Points:1,864,280 Joined:Jun 2006	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:51:07 PM Ignore PizzaMon Report Abuse A surplus is better than not enough.
MotoDad Champion Author Phoenix Posts:1,106 Points:813,065 Joined:Sep 2006	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:48:47 PM Ignore MotoDad Report Abuse sell it somewhre else.
Bildawg Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,071 Points:484,295 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:43:54 PM Ignore Bildawg Report Abuse And our bill still goes up!?
Tucker1961 Champion Author Seattle Posts:2,157 Points:363,170 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:39:53 PM Ignore Tucker1961 Report Abuse hydroelectric is still cheaper
DrCashFlow Champion Author Massachusetts Posts:7,079 Points:1,630,050 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:33:00 PM Ignore DrCashFlow Report Abuse A surplus of power is oxymoron
dieselme2011 Champion Author Vancouver Posts:2,615 Points:606,740 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:31:32 PM Ignore dieselme2011 Report Abuse ok
TXHUNTER1 Champion Author Austin Posts:2,711 Points:295,760 Joined:Dec 2006	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:31:11 PM Ignore TXHUNTER1 Report Abuse I Blame Obama. This is Stupid.
weenerdog Champion Author Detroit Posts:9,476 Points:1,887,815 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:30:59 PM Ignore weenerdog Report Abuse fascinating
Bonanza Champion Author Boston Posts:12,105 Points:2,553,930 Joined:Jun 2004	Message Posted: May 1, 2012 3:30:45 PM Ignore Bonanza Report Abuse They also kill thousands of birds