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Caltrain may accelerate plans for electrification
All effort should be devoted to getting the existing San Jose-San Francisco right-of-way upgraded for HSR if and when it becomes possible. Eliminate grade crossings; build passing tracks where real estate allows. Postpone the Central Valley scheme.
As a resident of California for many years, largly in the S.F. Bay, I can still recall the rolling blackouts, and brown outs around 10 - 12 years ago. And how the State and the Electrical utilities belabored the fact that California’s electrical transmission grid is mainly over 50 years old, and running near capacity. I realise the rolling blackouts and brown outs were largly a result of Enron, restricting or overcharging for natural gas. But the electrical transmission grid is largly the same. And the new greenhouse gas law in California has resulted in utilities to having to resort to using electricty generated at coal fired plants, even though the coal generated electricty is generated outside of California.
So, where, and how is the electrical power demands of increased useage going to be met? Solar or wind power. I now live in Rosamond, in the Mojave Desert, and see daily reports in the newspapers, how new transmission lines, windmill and solar development is being fought tooth and nail. Gas fired feeder plants get the same treatment. Nuclar - IN CALIFORNIA? Dead on arrival. Dams and hydroelectric, Not In My State.
And, how is the power going to arrive where it’s needed.
Just some thoughts. Going Green is great, but so are the costs.
Jeff Pelton
Rosamond, CA
@Jeffrey: Some of California’s increased demand will come from within the State, but a lot will also come from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Oregon often has so much wind energy, that the generating companies are ordered to shut down. My company will have about 6 Billion Watt-Hours a year of hydroelectric energy that will be available about when this proposed electrification is to be completed. We’ll happily ship it down to you!