Notes From All Over -- The Late Saturday Afternoon Edition -- January 30, 2012

Wow, I'm in a great mood. What a beautiful day in north Texas. Shirt-sleeve weather. They say global warming will increase the average temperature of the earth by two degrees. I've long forgotten whether that is in Celsius or Fahrenheit. My hunch: even Greta has forgotten.

Who wouldn't like to see the average temperature of the earth increase by two degrees? Don't New Yorkers fly to Florida for the winter? Don't folks from North Dakota/Montana flock to Phoenix at the same time as the New Yorkers fly south? The Brits love their vacations on the islands on the equator off the Iberian peninsula and the north African bulge. They're not going there for the clouds and cooler weather. LOL.

Whatever. 

During the spring and autumn my electric bill runs about $55/month (I only have electricity, no natural gas). Except for about $20 for water, sewer, and trash, that's the extent of my utility bills.

I get upset when my summer bill (a/c) and my winter bill (heating) go over $100/month. We are very well off, financially and the utility bill is but an asterisk or a footnote in my monthly expenses. But I do get upset when I see my summer and winter statements. If the utilities met demand in the summer and winter like they meet demand in the spring and autumn, rates would be low all year around.

So I can only imagine how these utility statements affect those much less fortunate and living where the political "goal" is to see those utility bills increase. I don't understand at all why politicians want utility bills to go up.

I think about that often, but was reminded of it today when I posted the rates in New England and New York earlier today and yesterday: here; here; here; and, here.

After following ISO NE closely, I pretty much know at what point renewable energy maxes out; at what point natural gas maxes out; at what point nuclear energy maxes out. When those max out, the expensive hydro from Canada is brought in to make up the gap and/or coal and oil are burned. 

A reader brought me up to date with the following note about NYISO:

Earlier today, noted at the above link, ~4,400 Mw of power was coming from the three nuclear sites within the state of New York. 

One of the three plants, the Indian Point plant, which provides a steady, reliable >1,000 Mw, is closing in 90 days.

While there are alternative suppliers (two new natgas plants just north of NYC providing ~1,400 Mw), the gas fuel supply will be restricted and expensive,  somewhat similar to New England's situation.

It is absolutely amazing to observe the slow motion 'train wreck' situations that these political 'leaders' are creating for their constituents.

The reader adds this should not be surprising when telegenic ditzes are placed in decision-making positions. I'm glad the reader said that. I didn't want to have to apologize to any readers for being insensitive. [Not all ditzes are telegenic. Exhibit A: Bernie Sanders.]

Along that line, speaking of apologies, I want to apologize for insulting my readers. Earlier I talked about a "fudge factor" in the supply of oil of which I was unaware. A reader said that the "fudge factor" was common knowledge, implying (at least I inferred) that I was the only one who was unaware of that fudge factor. A huge apology to all my readers for wasting their time.

Please continue to let me know whenever I post something that is "common knowledge," things that don't need to be posted. I only have so much time to blog and I certainly don't want to waste my time or my readers' time posting things everyone already knows. See first comment at this post. 

On the other hand, don't bother clicking on the link. You would just be wasting your time.  You already know/knew about the fudge factor.

LOL. I have to laugh out loud thinking about that fudge factor as being common knowledge. It reminds me of Guy Adami telling viewers last week that the market plummeted because the volatility index spiked. Hey, that was common knowledge. Everyone knew that the market plummeted because the volatility index spiked. Who didn't know that? LOL. 

I think it's time for a bike ride. Or maybe y'all already knew that.