[30422] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: California electric power on the ragged edge
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Alex Bligh)
Fri Aug 4 07:21:19 2000
From: Alex Bligh <amb@gxn.net>
To: William Allen Simpson <wsimpson@greendragon.com>
Cc: nanog@merit.edu
In-reply-to: Your message of "Fri, 04 Aug 2000 06:39:20 EDT."
<398A9D4C.13538F0@greendragon.com>
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Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2000 12:19:05 +0100
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Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
wsimpson@greendragon.com said:
> The capacity of the transmission lines into southern Cal is the
> limiting factor. There's power out there (in various places), but no
> incentive for PG&E to carry it. It's virtually impossible for a
> "competitor" to add capacity, as right of way for power lines is even
> worse than for fiber.
FWIW this is the justification many regulators elsewhere (i.e.
not in the US) gave for what I guess is the power/water/gas
equivalent of 'local loop unbundling' (I can by my electricity
from about 10 people here, though they all use the same transmission
system), and keeping the grid separate from the supply company.
Larger customers (data centers) can indeed use separate transmission
arrangements if appropriate. The subway system here does deals
power deals in London with dig (it self generates too), and
so do various other slightly unexpected utilities.
--
Alex Bligh
VP Core Network, Concentric Network Corporation
(formerly GX Networks, Xara Networks)
