🚀 go-pugleaf

So... all the hubbub over the price of power in Alberta is bullshit. The
lack of facilities to generate power is bullshit.

I was a power lineman for Trans Alta - Transmission - I also was a
Telecommunications Microwave Tower Tech - and had to service all grid
communications at all facilities around Alberta...

Here is what was happening at the time, and I don't recall hearing any
changes since 1995

Edmonton Power - or whatever they call themselves now - had generators
turning in their natural gas plants without the power distribution switches
closed into the grid - they do this because the armatures of the generators
are so heavy they bend under their own weight unless they are turning...
They were also doing this at the time - in Genesee. If you remember - there
wasn't the demand for the power - but they can't leave the armatures in the
box or they bend... so they had to go into the floor and turn with the
switches open

Genesee also had holes in the floor to expand a further 2 or 3 more
generation units...I think they built the plant with 5 in mind.... all the
necessary facilities were in place in the transmission network to facilitate
these new generators. The power lines were built to handle 500,000 volts - 1
million volts but many are operating at only 250,000 !!!

Shearness - east of Calgary also had room for another generator in its
facility - what's happened there ? Again the distribution network is there
already. Did another "genny"  go into the floor? I don't think so.

Alberta natural gas Cochrane - or ANG as it is called, could also generate
power to the grid - as could MANY other plants - with mobile power plants -
ready to run - from General Electric... These generators are apx 2 million
NOT HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS !    and are ready to plug into the grid at the gas
plant substation facilities that are already in place.

Each of these generators could power a small town of 50,000 people !!!

ANG Cochrane - which represented 2% of Trans-Alta's system load - threatened
to do exactly what I just said , 4  years ago - unless TAU guaranteed their
power rates ! They were going to consume what they needed and put the rest
on the grid - this was going to be done with waste gas.... HMMM

Then there is the Americans that we are supplying !  YES that's right - WE
ACTUALLY HAVE AN ABUNDANCE THAT IS SENT SOUTH  on 1201 line from Langdon...
I think that if we have shortages at home , shouldn't we cut back on our
exports ? RATHER THAN KICK THE SHIT OUT OF ALBERTANS - " OH GEE WE ARE
RUNNING SHORT ON FACILITIES AND POWER - SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE THE
PRICE....."

Then there is natural gas, I've got a great story about the new pipelines -
funny how the price of natural gas shot up as soon as the pipelines opened
isn't it ??? The Americans - willing to pay more - because of their own
power problems down east- use the gas for their manufacturing facilities and
power generation. NOW BECAUSE THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY ,MORE FOR THE GAS -
ATCO DOESNT WANT TO SELL IT TO US - UNLESS WE PAY THE SAME AS THE AMERICANS!

SORRY FOLKS ! WE PAID TAXES AND ENERGY RATES TO BUILD THAT FUCKIN GAS
PIPELINE - AND NOW THEY ARE PUTING THE SCREWS TO US !!!!!

So, what are we as Albertans going to do ???? Sit here and take this shit?

I am sick and tired of these lies, I am sick and tired of paying energy fees
and taxes to build facilities to feed the Americans while we get fucked. I
am sick an tired of the utilities feeding us this bullshit, deregulation.
The only reason deregulation came about was to allow  this pipeline shit to
happen. AND to also mislead - re direct the blame...

These assholes are running us straight into a recession - it will be deeper
than ever!  And this time - not just the banks will be profiteering - it
will be the utilities too!