So after everyone switches over to electric cars, Oregon is going to be the next Dubai?

Sweet. I always wanted a rotating-by-floor skyscraper.

madmann: So after everyone switches over to electric cars, Oregon is going to be the next Dubai?

Sweet. I always wanted a rotating-by-floor skyscraper.

Oregon will be Dubai to BC's Saudi Arabia.

allegedly, if your house is green enough to put juice INTO the grid, the power company will pay you, but I don't see that happening.

its like ExxonMobil paying you for buying a hybrid

If you meet someone from another planet and he holds out his left hand, don't shake it. He might be made of anti-matter.

oh side show bob, how i miss thee
/Milhouse: I think he's gonna pee in the river!
Bart: that would be bad, but i think bob's a little more diabolical than that.
//paraphrased from memory

Bush hates the Northwest.

FuzzyNoNoseChimp: You know, there are ways to share electricity with neighboring regions. I'm sure there is some way to share this abundance of power with other states.

FTA: "And southbound transmission lines that are at capacity can't take the extra power California consumers otherwise would eagerly devour."

That's pretty sweet. I've been looking for a reason to pack up from ol' waterlogged Wisconsin and move to the sunny Seattle area!

FuzzyNoNoseChimp: You know, there are ways to share electricity with neighboring regions. I'm sure there is some way to share this abundance of power with other states.

No kidding - there are some serious high voltage lines that run to California and bring tons of that power south. Google Pacific AC Intertie and Transmission Agency of Northern California for starters.

what is weird is the spot price for Columbia is up 130% today, WTF?

Electricity was incredibly cheap when I lived the Pacific Northwest. I only got a bill every two months.

I think my last bill was $128 for 2 months.

//Pierce County.

FTA: "And southbound transmission lines that are at capacity can't take the extra power California consumers otherwise would eagerly devour."


Wow is that dumb... they better be building more lines..

There's so much electricity here, it's lying on the ground in big piles.

Regular Chumpington: FuzzyNoNoseChimp: You know, there are ways to share electricity with neighboring regions. I'm sure there is some way to share this abundance of power with other states.

FTA: "And southbound transmission lines that are at capacity can't take the extra power California consumers otherwise would eagerly devour."

Bullshiat! They just don't wanna share with us. They're hoping we all die in the heat so they can swoop down and take over Disneyland.

Tuxedocat: Bush hates the Northwest.

thats funny, as we are not too fond of him either.

This is a temporary condition due to the early and heavy snowmelt.

This is not something to extrapolate a rosy energy scenario from.

Believe me, local utilities are still paying people lots of $ to install energy-saving measures.

We moved from Fresno, CA to Seattle a few years ago, and we were utterly shocked at how cheap power is up here. It's just incredible. Our summer electric bills went from $200-300 a month to about $40 a month. Electricity is so cheap up here, we don't even think about it. The bill is not even a blip on our budget.

thelordofcheese: If you meet someone from another planet and he holds out his left hand, don't shake it. He might be made of anti-matter.

Or that could be the sign for intergalactic handjobs. You never know.

dhudd: FuzzyNoNoseChimp: You know, there are ways to share electricity with neighboring regions. I'm sure there is some way to share this abundance of power with other states.

No kidding - there are some serious high voltage lines that run to California and bring tons of that power south. Google Pacific AC Intertie and Transmission Agency of Northern California for starters.

Maybe you should have RTFA?

Oregon and Washington can't use all the electricity that's available. And southbound transmission lines that are at capacity can't take the extra power California consumers otherwise would eagerly devour.

At capacity...they are dumping as fast as they can.

Sounds like a pretty good case study for green energy to me...

In other news: Residents of the Pacific Northwest are said to be SHOCKED to be receiving free power.

/someone had to do it.

twincamakiko: We moved from Fresno, CA to Seattle a few years ago, and we were utterly shocked at how cheap power is up here. It's just incredible. Our summer electric bills went from $200-300 a month to about $40 a month. Electricity is so cheap up here, we don't even think about it. The bill is not even a blip on our budget.

could also be the lack of the need for AC, that may have Something to do with it.

Our sparkling rivers are teeming with shining schools of Ohms, Amperes gambol in the high alpine fields and Capacitance hangs heavy from every tree.

/surrounded by acres of clams

I am in PDX and no one is paying me to use energy. WTF?

THX 1138: That's pretty sweet. I've been looking for a reason to pack up from ol' waterlogged Wisconsin and move to the sunny Seattle area!

Wait...what...?!

I wish they sent some power up this way. I'm still paying for mine. :\

/lived in WI for 2 yrs and visits family reguarly
//lives in Seattle area

jamievp33:
At capacity...they are dumping as fast as they can.

Sounds like a pretty good case study for green energy to me...

BC is building a new line down to California (well a group is involved probably) and Californian utilities like PG&E are about to start investing in BC, and other nearby regions to help meet their green-power quotas that will be coming into effect

This is all good news so long as California doesn't stop paying its electric bills again

FuzzyNoNoseChimp: To make matters worse, a lot of the east coast is heated by petrolium. Last year I paid 2.25/gal. It's already up to 4.49.

Interestingly, the radio ads touting oil heat as safe and cheap have disappeared from the air. I bet all those people who switched from natural gas to oil heat are regretting that now.

I grew up in OR/WA and never paid more than $7 a month for electricity. Now I live in a 200 square-foot apt in NYC and use a fraction of the energy, but am paying 10x the price. I sure miss Bonneville...

CapitolG
Was just thinking the same thing.
80+ degree weather from May thru Oct in the South does not a low electric bill make

Wait till they start floating turbines off the coast of new england where marky mark drowned. We'll have so much energy we'll be rich. We'll all be taking golden showers.

johnsoninca: Careful, there's hydroelectricity in there!

Just the thought of all that raw hydroelectric power makes me wonder why the hell I should care.

jamievp33: dhudd: FuzzyNoNoseChimp: You know, there are ways to share electricity with neighboring regions. I'm sure there is some way to share this abundance of power with other states.

No kidding - there are some serious high voltage lines that run to California and bring tons of that power south. Google Pacific AC Intertie and Transmission Agency of Northern California for starters.

Maybe you should have RTFA?

Oregon and Washington can't use all the electricity that's available. And southbound transmission lines that are at capacity can't take the extra power California consumers otherwise would eagerly devour.

At capacity...they are dumping as fast as they can.

Sounds like a pretty good case study for green energy to me...

There are upgrades already in the works - my firm is in this business big time.

cheesewheel: I grew up in OR/WA and never paid more than $7 a month for electricity. Now I live in a 200 square-foot apt in NYC and use a fraction of the energy, but am paying 10x the price. I sure miss Bonneville...

Bonneville FTW. Yeah I have not been paid for energy yet but it would be nice.

Vanetia: Bullshiat! They just don't wanna share with us. They're hoping we all die in the heat so they can swoop down and take over Disneyland.

Yep-- then they are going to build the biggest Starbucks EVAR!!!

first off- electricity doesn't sound that cheap there, I pay only $50/mo in Cleveland.

Second - Why aren't their transmission lines up to par? Better start investing in your infrastructure, assclowns.

And C: Why not build a water pipeline (viaduct) that channels any high water/overflow to the southwest, or other regions that are short on water?

goddamned, I'm a fricken genious!

Those wind generators are supposed to screw up the weather, right? Don't they like slow down the wind, or something? Oil is our only hope.

WHy not store the extra electricity in empty oil barrels?

Oh we're going to have plenty of hydroelectricity in the years ahead.

See you at Arizona Bay peeps!

FuzzyNoNoseChimp: You know, there are ways to share electricity with neighboring regions. I'm sure there is some way to share this abundance of power with other states.

Look, I'd like a freeway taser at the California border, too, but the federal government won't let us.

Postal Penguin: FuzzyNoNoseChimp: To make matters worse, a lot of the east coast is heated by petrolium. Last year I paid 2.25/gal. It's already up to 4.49.

Interestingly, the radio ads touting oil heat as safe and cheap have disappeared from the air. I bet all those people who switched from natural gas to oil heat are regretting that now.

Brother-in-law is in that boat. He told me that they have to start saving NOW to pay their Nov-Mar bills. That'll teach ya to live in Connecticut!

Slurm_GuZZler: CapitolG
Was just thinking the same thing.
80+ degree weather from May thru Oct in the South does not a low electric bill make

I mean i know my power bill is lower than when i didnt live in the PNW, but not like it is half... the biggest change is that durring the winter i do not have to pay rediclous heating bills(as the clouds trap the little warmth we do get) and the cooling bills are pretty gone due to well, the cooler summers. the mild weather condisions are likely the reason that most folks have lower power bills in theese parts. But, do not let folks stop thinking that our power is super duper cheap, or that we have this every year, I mean we have to paint a pretty picture to show how awesome living "Green" is.

Just as a note, this is one of the biggest snowfalls the Cascades has seen in about 30 years(well according to the Lift Ops at the lodges). So it dose make sence we have a lot of water to deal with, what i do not get is why we didnt spill the water for the fish latters to help the crazy low fish returns.

FeFiFoFark: first off- electricity doesn't sound that cheap there, I pay only $50/mo in Cleveland.

Coal is cheap if you consider pollution to have no cost

Second - Why aren't their transmission lines up to par? Better start investing in your infrastructure, assclowns.

Reagan privatized the grid in the 80s. There is a big upgrade of the Cascadia power grid already underway in any event.

And C: Why not build a water pipeline (viaduct) that channels any high water/overflow to the southwest, or other regions that are short on water?

Hilarious!
First of all, the cost would be prohibitive. Second of all, the south/midwest is too poor to pay that much for water especially if desalination would be cheaper than a transcontinental pipeline (see China's 50 year water pipeline plan they will never complete)

As a side note, the dams are useful in making the rivers navigable by barges and in providing cheap irrigation to one of the best farming areas on the continent. Nevertheless 1 or 2 dams might be coming off the Columbia river because they haven't figured out how to let the Salmon survive

TreeHugger: Those wind generators are supposed to screw up the weather, right? Don't they like slow down the wind, or something? Oil is our only hope.

yes! and by slowing down the wind the Earth's rotational speed is also being reduced!

Long long ago, I seem to remember a satire tag...

/and boobies on the main page
//but that's another rant