Storm Watch on again 10/1/2020

[getakey]

Wasn’t part of the reason it was being decommissioned though because they found a fault zone ran through the ground it was built on? As far as I know that was planned for 2025 so wonder where California will be with residential and commercial solar and back up sources at that point.

But yeah Diablo is a huge energy source. All the more reason for Californians homeowners especially to have solar and back up.

Fault zone was off shore, but found before it was built and designed for it
Most utilities are extending the life of their nuke plants 40 to 60 years. Diablo provides a constant 10% of PG&E demand. It will cost $4B to decommission and that is the happy path

 

[holeydonut]

Fault zone was off shore, but found before it was built and designed for it
Most utilities are extending the life of their nuke plants 40 to 60 years. Diablo provides a constant 10% of PG&E demand. It will cost $4B to decommission and that is the happy path

Yeah, both reactors at Diablo Canyon are currently offline for maintenance. The lost nuclear power was offset with the natural gas plants. Maybe PG&E is planning a huge battery installation to smooth out solar ... maybe planning a mammoth investment in wind power. But I don't see these happening in the next 5 years.

 

[getakey]

makes no sense to decommission that plant at a huge cost to rate payers
We already have the most expensive rates

 

[jboy210]

Yeah, both reactors at Diablo Canyon are currently offline for maintenance. The lost nuclear power was offset with the natural gas plants. Maybe PG&E is planning a huge battery installation to smooth out solar ... maybe planning a mammoth investment in wind power. But I don't see these happening in the next 5 years.

Isn't this what PG&E is doing at Moss Landing. 256 Megapacks with options for more.

Hopefully, SCE and others in the SouthLand will do something similar for their wind farms.

 

[SMAlset]

Fault zone was off shore, but found before it was built and designed for it
Most utilities are extending the life of their nuke plants 40 to 60 years. Diablo provides a constant 10% of PG&E demand. It will cost $4B to decommission and that is the happy path

I remember reading the fault lines were discovered to also run under one of the reactors. Here’s an article in the Santa Barbara Independent from 2015 talking about it. Maybe you didn’t see the reports that came out at that time?

Diablo Danger Underestimated?

“Recognized only recently, the Diablo Cove Fault Line runs east to west directly under the Unit One Reactor and turbine building! The fault underneath the facility is connected to the entire network of faults. About a quarter mile west of the facility, the Diablo Cove Fault cuts across the seismically active Shoreline Fault, itself only recently discovered. The Shoreline is connected to the feared Hosgri Fault, a component of the San Andreas Fault System. Because this location is so tectonically active, and the system of faults is so complex, no one can predict safety with confidence. The Diablo Cove Fault, the Shoreline Fault, the Hosgri Fault, the San Andreas Fault, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone are all seismically linked, and the power stored within the combined network of fault systems could create an earthquake sufficient to exceed Diablo Canyon’s safeguards.”

 

[holeydonut]

Isn't this what PG&E is doing at Moss Landing. 256 Megapacks with options for more.

Hopefully, SCE and others in the SouthLand will do something similar for their wind farms.

I think they'll need a few dozen more of these to offset Diablo Canyon. My understanding is the two reactors at Diablo Canyon can produce about 50 GWh per day. The Moss Landing battery installation you linked (with the upscale option) is 1.1 GWh capacity (6 hours).

 

[holeydonut]

I remember reading the fault lines were discovered to also run under one of the reactors. Here’s an article in the Santa Barbara Independent from 2015 talking about it:

Diablo Danger Underestimated?

“Recognized only recently, the Diablo Cove Fault Line runs east to west directly under the Unit One Reactor and turbine building! The fault underneath the facility is connected to the entire network of faults. About a quarter mile west of the facility, the Diablo Cove Fault cuts across the seismically active Shoreline Fault, itself only recently discovered. The Shoreline is connected to the feared Hosgri Fault, a component of the San Andreas Fault System. Because this location is so tectonically active, and the system of faults is so complex, no one can predict safety with confidence. The Diablo Cove Fault, the Shoreline Fault, the Hosgri Fault, the San Andreas Fault, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone are all seismically linked, and the power stored within the combined network of fault systems could create an earthquake sufficient to exceed Diablo Canyon’s safeguards.”

I agree - the state is taking the safe route by decommissioning that plant and avoiding the scenario of a terrible consequence.

What I'm irked by is when people asked PG&E what was their plan to offset the lost power without using fossil fuels, they just said "we'll get to it when we get to it." They haven't provided a clear plan; and instead have admonished the concept of providing a general MW production plan against possible future forecasts.

 

[getakey]

I remember reading the fault lines were discovered to also run under one of the reactors. Here’s an article in the Santa Barbara Independent from 2015 talking about it. Maybe you didn’t see the reports that came out at that time?

Diablo Danger Underestimated?

“Recognized only recently, the Diablo Cove Fault Line runs east to west directly under the Unit One Reactor and turbine building! The fault underneath the facility is connected to the entire network of faults. About a quarter mile west of the facility, the Diablo Cove Fault cuts across the seismically active Shoreline Fault, itself only recently discovered. The Shoreline is connected to the feared Hosgri Fault, a component of the San Andreas Fault System. Because this location is so tectonically active, and the system of faults is so complex, no one can predict safety with confidence. The Diablo Cove Fault, the Shoreline Fault, the Hosgri Fault, the San Andreas Fault, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone are all seismically linked, and the power stored within the combined network of fault systems could create an earthquake sufficient to exceed Diablo Canyon’s safeguards.”

I had not seen that

 

[jboy210]

I think they'll need a few dozen more of these to offset Diablo Canyon. My understanding is the two reactors at Diablo Canyon can produce about 50 GWh per day. The Moss Landing battery installation you linked (with the upscale option) is 1.1 GWh capacity (6 hours).

They could install storage at the numerous power generation facilities throughout the state. The Altamont Pass by us could use storage.

Also, there has been a movement to create smaller, easier to build and manage, nuclear facilities.

 

[LadyLion]

Being off PSPS is great!

This year PG&E has dramatically scaled back the size of their PSPS areas. So far there have been 3 or 4 incidents and we have not been shut down in any. But a mile or two down the road they are in the PSPS area for this afternoon. Still, I am toggling StormWatch off and on as required to keep the PWs in 90% range and charging as much as possible with the solar.

I am currently in Storm Watch starting Saturday but not in the PSPS area of Marin.

On Saturday I tried togggling on SW to see if it was “on/available” in my area on Saturday. It was on and I immediately toggled off as I didn’t need to use the grid. It drew a little from the grid but turned off quickly as I had toggled it off.
However when I tried that “toggle on” Sunday, it was on and began to charge from the grid. The sun was still midday , PW around 60%. I didn’t need the grid so I toggled off but for the next hour (10am - 11am) it continued to draw grid power to my 3 PWs for a total draw of about 9kWh, filling them close to 100%. It then turned off the “SW active “ wording on the app first page and the grid draw stopped.
Have you had an experience like this wherein you cannot stop the draw from the grid to the PWs once it starts if you have toggled on?

 

[BrettS]

I believe that tesla says that it may take up to an hour for a change made in the app to actually take effect. We have found that normally changes take effect pretty quickly, but occasionally they do lag a bit.