"Reassuring" Words and a Taxpayer's Tally

And the taxpayer funded beat goes on.  With a comforting economic word from the local Republican supporter.

Speaker Urges Utahns to Rethink Nuclear Power - Salt Lake Tribune - 07 Apr 08

"Tilton resisted the notion that nuclear is and will be too expensive.  'It's pure speculation on anybody's part, as to the costs,' he said."

One cost that's not so hard to tally.

"The costs of nuclear power include tax credits worth $6 billion, insurance benefits of about $1.75 billion and $8.5 billion in loan guarantees."

"Reassuring" Words and a Taxpayer's Tally

And the taxpayer funded beat goes on.  With a comforting economic word from the local Republican supporter.

Speaker Urges Utahns to Rethink Nuclear Power - Salt Lake Tribune - 07 Apr 08

"Tilton resisted the notion that nuclear is and will be too expensive.  'It's pure speculation on anybody's part, as to the costs,' he said."

One cost that's not so hard to tally.

"The costs of nuclear power include tax credits worth $6 billion, insurance benefits of about $1.75 billion and $8.5 billion in loan guarantees."

The Ice Man Cometh

Looks like using ice for cooling is getting a serious look in California.  Some have suggested using an annual ice storage system as a way to cut air conditioning costs.  Freeze a big insulated block of ice during the winter and then tap into it for cooling during the warmer months.  I knew a guy in Vermont who froze a swimming pool worth of ice in such a way.  He had a little dumb waiter of a device in his house to put the items he wanted refrigerated just on top of the cold chunk.  I don't know if he made it a whole season but it had to make a dent.  Another friend in VT built a homemade refrigerator that had a pipe and fan to the outside where they'd use the cool winter air to do the work when available.

Ice Energy and Trane to Deliver Peak Power Relief to California Grid - Ice Energy PR - 07 Apr 08

"Ice Energy(R), the premier provider of hybrid cooling technologies, and Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and comprehensive facility solutions, will partner to shift peak power loads under Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) recently implemented 'Shift & Save' Program.

Part of the California Public Utility Commission's (CPUC) new permanent load shifting (PLS) program, 'Shift & Save' can reduce peak demand by up to 1.2 MW. Participating bundled service customers will receive rebates for the installations, in addition to the savings they will receive from reduced power consumption at peak times.

Ice Energy and Trane will retrofit commercial buildings within PG&E's territory and install advanced cooling systems, including Ice Energy's Ice Bear(R) unit, that shift air conditioning load to off-peak hours."

The Ice Man Cometh

Looks like using ice for cooling is getting a serious look in California.  Some have suggested using an annual ice storage system as a way to cut air conditioning costs.  Freeze a big insulated block of ice during the winter and then tap into it for cooling during the warmer months.  I knew a guy in Vermont who froze a swimming pool worth of ice in such a way.  He had a little dumb waiter of a device in his house to put the items he wanted refrigerated just on top of the cold chunk.  I don't know if he made it a whole season but it had to make a dent.  Another friend in VT built a homemade refrigerator that had a pipe and fan to the outside where they'd use the cool winter air to do the work when available.

Ice Energy and Trane to Deliver Peak Power Relief to California Grid - Ice Energy PR - 07 Apr 08

"Ice Energy(R), the premier provider of hybrid cooling technologies, and Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and comprehensive facility solutions, will partner to shift peak power loads under Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) recently implemented 'Shift & Save' Program.

Part of the California Public Utility Commission's (CPUC) new permanent load shifting (PLS) program, 'Shift & Save' can reduce peak demand by up to 1.2 MW. Participating bundled service customers will receive rebates for the installations, in addition to the savings they will receive from reduced power consumption at peak times.

Ice Energy and Trane will retrofit commercial buildings within PG&E's territory and install advanced cooling systems, including Ice Energy's Ice Bear(R) unit, that shift air conditioning load to off-peak hours."