Let's See: Did Anyone See This Coming? -- August 11, 2021

First, the grid in California, did anyone see this coming? This caught me by surprise. LOL. Link here.

• California faces potential energy shortfalls of up to 3,500 MW - ~2.6M households worth of electricity supply - in the coming weeks and as much as 5,000 MW next summer in extreme weather conditions like this summer's heat waves and drought, the state's Public Utilities Commission says.
• Governor Gavin Newsom would need to fill the gap in part by using more fossil fuels, allowing industrial energy users to run on diesel generators and engines, according to an emergency proclamation. [It's very possible it won't be Newsom's problem after October 1, 2021.]
  
• The extreme drought has cut 1,000 MW of hydroelectric power capacity, wildfires have threatened transmission lines that bring in power from other states, and a fire at a gas plant took a 300 MW chunk out of supply, all of which has made this year's supply shortfall worse than expected.
• Did anyone mention the nuclear plants that have been decommissioned over the past ten years?
• Did anyone mention the refinery-friendly business atmosphere in the Bay area?
• Did anyone mention the ban on fracking?
  
• Then utilities PG&E and San Diego Gas & Electric warned the PUC about delays in several battery projects planned for storing wind and solar energy for peak demand periods.
• California's conundrum shows "the challenges electricity grids face by moving away from natural gas and coal power while incorporating large amounts of wind and solar energy that only run when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining."

Second, the Taliban resurgence, did anyone see this coming? This caught me by surprise. LOL. Link here.

• the speed of Taliban advance surprises President Biden administration, dismays US allies.
• the headline suggests that the Biden administration knew this would happen; they were only surprised how fast it happened; the article confirms it; thought it wouldn't happen until at least this fall;
• the link is to The Wall Street Journal
• the story will have legs until Kabul falls, then the story will disappear from our newspapers

Third, warehouse space near US ports, link here. Maybe an executive order stop all imports, or quadruple import tariffs or build more warehouses? Maybe that was in the $1 trillion infrastructure bill. I did not read the article, but I assume a lot of this has to do with a "trucker shortage." Not a "truck shortage, but a "trucker shortage."

Sturgis rally: active cases are starting to increase; deaths not yet seen. Same with North Dakota: cases increasing; deaths not yet seen. Of the three states, Montana is seeing the biggest jump in active cases.

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Most Beautiful Woman In The World

This was a candid photograph taken shortly before we got married a few years ago. Starting to fade (the photograph, not the beauty). If this is not my favorite photograph, then it is "tied" with whatever photograph is my favorite.