A few other points on power generation:
1. There are apparently generation units in CA that are just used to try to
satisfy peak demand, but they are expensive.
2. Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) has been considered for
storing energy during off-peak hours. General Atomics was involved in some
studies for the Department of Energy. I believe the capital costs are just
too high. Plus no one is interested in making the first of anything.
Small scale SMES is a commercial product being sold by American
Superconductor for mitigating the effects of short time (up to a few
seconds) power interruptions (at high power levels).
Dr. Lawrence D. Woolf; Phone: (858)-455-4475; www.sci-ed-ga.org
General Atomics; 3550 General Atomics Court; San Diego CA 92121-1194