TRANSMISSION LINES IN OUR BACKYARD

On this website we have said again and again it is time to repair, replace, and maintain our transmission lines. It is also important to note that those who regulate our transmission lines be held responsible for upgrading our transmission lines. The Federal Regulatory Energy Commission has NOT been doing its job. Hand in hand the Independent System Operator too has not been on the side of the ratepayer but rather on the side of the Power Plant Operators and Owners.

Here in California we have many new Power Plants that have come on line all over California. More will come on line outside San Francisco and if we in San Francisco have a Master Blue Print and some sense of Accountability and Transparency we can site a few Power Plant outside the Southeast Sector. First things first - may be we will NOT have to.

It is important that we do not have high paying consultants, a failed agency like San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), dumb, ignorant, arrogant politicians leading the way on this very important issue. The City Energy Plan.

It is important to note that the price of Natural Gas will increase as the years go by. It does not serve any purpose for any Power Plant to pay 200% to 400% in Natural Gas prices as the years go by - because this important factor will defeat the purpose of fiscal constraints. It will also impact the ratepayer in the pocket book and this should not happen under any circumstances.

There is this false debate that the SFPUC can assume responsibility of our City Energy Plan. WRONG. The SFPUC has failed us again and again. It has NOT done justice to our clean water operation and our Hetch Hetchy operations are in worse shape then ever before. The SFPUC has not maintained the clean water infrastructure even though money was set aside. The SFPUC and before that the Water Department spent the money on something else without proper justification. Right now they should be held responsible for past failures.

It is time to revamp the SFPUC. Fire the cronies who are Commissioners that do the bidding of the corrupt Mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown. Also those who are currently managing the SFPUC, the consultants, and put in place very stringent checks on the Bond Money that the SFPUC thinks it can waste without accountability.

The SFPUC has failed in maintaining some proper standards regarding the Raw Sewage Waste Treatment Plants we have in the City and County of San Francisco. The Phelps Raw Sewage Plant is some 20 feet away from a residential area. It should be shut down. Try putting this Raw Sewage Plant which stinks to high heaven in the Bernal Heights area, the Richmond area, or in the Presidio and Pacific Heights. There would be a hue and cry and those who have anything to do with the SFPUC decision making would be out into the streets without a job.

It is important to note that the SFPUC has no experience in evaluating, operating, and managing a Citywide Energy Plan affecting a million or more customers. Right now the San Francisco Board of Supervisors ( SFBOS) do not want to give SFPUC all the powers. A new department should be created reporting directly to the SFBOS with time line standards put in place. Quarterly reports should be tied with the performance and job status of the officials who manage this especially created San Francisco City Energy Department (SFCED).

In the last 10 years there has been no growth in transmission lines because the return on replacing, repairing, and maintaining lines is near to zero. It is time Congress take control with mandatory regulations to upgrade our Transmission Lines. It is time the Senate plays an important role and to hell with politics that have adversely affected the citizens of this the United States of America.

It is important to note that all the new Power Plants coming on line flow through this highway called Transmission Lines. When power flows there is no dam to store the electricity. As much electricity that is created should be consumed. This is a very complex balancing act and so the GRID plays as important part. Engineers using high power computers watch for hot spots, and bottlenecks, and a host of problems that can shut down a Power Plant and trigger out comes such as a minor or major blackout.

The Blackout that took place on the East Coast was predicted some two years ago. No one paid attention. Right now to pacify the people there is some talk that one of the Power Plants in Ohio was responsible. However, no one can say that with certainty. The first response that came out blamed the Canadians. It is this type of blaming which points to a system that has no checks and balances in place.

Experts are quick to say that we have a third world system GRID. It is time that we spend the billions we have been spending on our Military Might that is going nowhere on Electricity. Here is California just repairing and replacing some of the Transmission Lines would allow us to shut down the two aging, toxic spewing, polluting Power Plants we call Mirant and Hunters Point in San Francisco.

Right now an evaluation done will show that our Transmission Lines leading into San Francisco are at 60% affective. Does that say something? Let us attend to this important issue and do something about it. We the people can force FERC and CAISO to do the right thing. Did you guys know that CAISO is a non-profit organization with many Power Plants helping CAISO make decisions?

Link to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

Link to California ISO (CAISO)

There is much GREED in this GRID business which has no checks and balances. This CAISO should be Accountable to an Authority that can send them to jail if they fail. There must be consequences attached to their pompous behavior.

One has just to study the California Public Utilities Commission. One has just to study a little bit about some one like Commissioner Susan Kennedy who had links to Oracle who has a portfolio that would make a White Shark take off. Some of the actions of these unscrupulous Commissioners call for the Electric Chair treatment.

Bottom line our Transmission Lines should be repaired, replaced, and maintained. Time for Congress and the Senate to upgrade the GRID. It will be money well spent. We are they say a World Power and some say Super Power - but how can we be that which we perceive, if we cannot make the POWER flow and serve the constituents of this great country?

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