Newsgroups: ba.transportation,ca.environment,sci.electronics
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Electric Dreams
Message-ID: <1990Sep22.233344.14509@zoo.toronto.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <38772@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <1990Sep20.231021.5512@amd.com> <38776@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Sat, 22 Sep 90 23:33:44 GMT

In article <38776@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> cameron@janus.Berkeley.EDUIn article <1990Sep20.231021.5512@amd.com> phil@brahms.amd.com (Phil Ngai) writes: writes:
>Absolutely correct.  PG&E power comes at about 10 cents/kilowatt hour,
>and they generate it at a cost of roughly 5 cents/kilowatt hour...
>note that in order for it to become competetive, you only need be able to
>generate it at PG&E's 10 c. charge, not their 5 cent cost...

Note, however, that if lots of people start doing this, PG&E's rates will
rise.  Most people will rely on solar-derived power only when it's sunny,
because storage systems are clumsy and costly.  That means PG&E still has
to be able to carry the full load in bad weather, but will see less
revenue in good weather to help pay for the equipment.
-- 
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