San Onofre is NO Sans-O C-Free ...

Southern California Edison announced the closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) on June 7, 2013. It was a sad day for me, since I worked at SONGS from 1983 until 2010 and have many, many fond memories. The people working there were/are top-notch, and deserve a lot of respect for the decades of safely, efficiently providing affordable electric power to our region. Had the construction of the replacement steam generators been flawless, the station could have continued producing oxygen-free (sans-O) carbon-free (C-Free) energy to the Southern California grid for another twenty years, if not longer.

SONGS, because it did not oxidize carbon-based fuels to generate power, produced zero carbon dioxide "pollutant" greenhouse gas while providing 2200+ megawatts when both units 2 and 3 were operating. A modern combined-cycle plant produces 345g/kWh of CO2, which translates to about 760,000 kilograms (or 838 short tons) of carbon dioxide produced per hour to fully replace the 2-unit power from SONGS.

Faulty replacement steam generators caused both units to shut down early in 2012. The public debate over SONGS during the next eighteen months made it clear nuclear power has no long-term future in California. Fusion power may eventually prove a viable replacement, but it always seems 10 to 20 years away (and has been for the last thirty years).

While replacing a few large "bulk" baseline energy sources, like SONGS, with a large number of small renewable sources is possible, it involves a massive, expensive realignment of the existing energy grid away from the current "one-way electricity flow" model (from generators through transmission lines to distribution substations to consumers).  The future grid will feature "two-way" electrical flow, with thousands (if not millions) of "micro" "genersumers" or "consumerators" that can supply or absorb energy. Bulk electrical providers will still exist, but their contribution will significantly decline. Micro- or mini-grids will be common - small localized grids that can independently provide power to neighborhoods, business parks, schools, universities, etc. while maintaining a capability to connect the larger "macro" power grid when needed.

So, maybe closing SONGS is for the best. Large electricity generation stations may be the modern equivalent to the battleships at the start of World War II - they were already obsolete, but those in power just didn't realize it. Pearl Harbor shocked them into a fuller, sobering understanding. The June 2013 closing of SONGS could deliver a similar epiphany to our leaders over how our national electrical grid must evolve into a more resilient, secure, "greener" (and - alas - expensive) energy future.

Dug a Hole With a Modern Invention

I've seen the future of Facebook and it is Google+

For more immediate blog-like posts, check out my Google+ Stream

Chevy Volt Sighting at DistribuTech

Nice Electric Car - umm, I mean Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV)

Me likee :-)

Thanksgiving 2010

A short clip from our Thanksgiving vacation with family in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

A good time was had by all ...

San Diego Basset Meetup

Proof: There are other Basset Hounds

Buddy had a great time with the other Basset Hounds at today's Meetup. About a dozen Bassets exchanged canine business cards (via the nose, of course). A good time was had by all...

Buddy To Visit Own Kind

Buddy is fed up with the Old English Sheepdogs. His long wait for another Basset Hound to play with is almost over. On Saturday, November 13, Buddy goes to his first visit with the hounds of the San Diego Basset Hound Meetup Group. Will share more in a day or two.

Dinner time

Ivy used to be a very deliberate eater. Those days are gone forever - she is the first in line whenever the food bowls make their appearance.

This video shows how to make a low-cost multi-touch computer control system based on a Wii Remote camera connected to the PC (direct or Bluetooth) and homemade infrared (IR) pens.

Pretty cool, especially considering the cost of comparable commercial products.

Our local vet had a Santa day for the pets on December 6. Our three dogs participated (in order of appearance): Ivy, Theo and Buddy. A good time was had by all.

Post-op Ivy

Visiting Ivy at the local vet while she was recuperating from hip surgery (Triple Pelvic Osteotomy - TPO)

Danielle's Condo

Nice 7 minute video on a Smart Grid project in Ontario (Hydro 1) - very similar to the work I'm participating in at Southern California Edison

Ivy's First Day

Friday Night Padres Baseball and Fireworks at Petco Park

Why Statistics Should Trump Calculus

Catch the Wave (Google-Style)

The Google Wave video (below) shows a presentation given at the Google I/O Convention to introduce a pre-release version of this technology to the development community on May 28, 2009. The engineering team responsible for Google Maps is leading this effort.

The software is in beta, so there are some rough edges that crop up from time to time during the demo. It is a fairly long video (80 minutes), but it gets better as it goes along (don't bail after the first 15 minutes!)

I think this could (if it scales up nicely) really change how folks view eMail, Instant Messaging, and most Web 2.0 social networking applications.

Carlsbad Beach at sunset in Spring, 2009

Cool tech debut at recent TED Convention

This demo -- from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry -- was the buzz of TED. It's a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine "Minority Report" and then some.

Our Basset Buddy got a ride to a nearby dog park on Easter Sunday. I shot the video of him in the car blind by balancing the video camera on my left shoulder as I (slowly) drove the car. His ears are like bird wings in any kind of breeze. Danielle's friend Waymon got the job of walking him in the park, which he did in good grace.

Picnic in Nebraska

This is one of my favorite pics taken in 2008 - she is a distant cousin to Danielle. The family picnic was held in North Platte in August at the picnic area of Cody Park.