CALIFORNIA UNPLUGGED.The New Energy Crunch Imagine sitting huddled hud·dle n. 1. A densely packed group or crowd, as of people or animals. 2. Football A brief gathering of a team's players behind the line of scrimmage to receive instructions for the next play. 3. in a jacket and blanket, using candles or flashlights to study in a cold, dark classroom. That eerie scenario turned real last January for 3,700 students at Fontana High School Fontana High School (FoHi) is a secondary public school in Fontana, CA in the Fontana Unified School District. Fontana serves grades 9 through 12. Fontana High School is the home of Steeler pride. in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, . Like millions of other Californians, the students were unwitting victims of a statewide energy crisis. The fallout: rolling blackouts--scheduled periods of electricity outages which led to stranded elevators, blank traffic lights, and wiped-out computer data, for example. Who pulled the plug on California's energy supply and why? How can the U.S.--the world's largest producer of energy--take steps to stave off stave n. 1. A narrow strip of wood forming part of the sides of a barrel, tub, or similar structure. 2. A rung of a ladder or chair. 3. A staff or cudgel. 4. Music See staff1. a nationwide energy crunch? Read our Q&A to find out. Q. What's energy, and where does it come from? A. "Energy is a natural force we use to power lights or run machines," says Michael Lamb Michael E. Lamb served as Chief Deputy Prothonotary from 1992 to 2000. He became Acting Prothonotary of Allegheny County in October of 2000 upon the death of former Prothonotary Michael F. Coyne. , an energy manager at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C. Most energy comes from the burning of nonrenewable fossil fuels fossil fuel: see energy, sources of; fuel. fossil fuel Any of a class of materials of biologic origin occurring within the Earth's crust that can be used as a source of energy. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. , such as coal, oil, and natural gas, which formed underground from the remains of plants and animals Plants and Animals are a Canadian indie-rock band from Montreal, comprised of guitarist-vocalists Warren Spicer and Nic Basque, and drummer-vocalist Matthew Woodley.[1] They are signed to Secret City Records. that lived millions of years ago. The big dilemma: Earth may be running out of fossil fuels--with no current technology to predict when. Even more troubling, burning fossil fuels release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, which many scientists now finger as major causes of global warming global warming, the gradual increase of the temperature of the earth's lower atmosphere as a result of the increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution. (see SW 2/12/01). The sun, wind, and other sources of clean, renewable energy Renewable energy utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, and hydroelectricity to biomass and biofuels for transportation. compose a small but rising share of total power generation. Q. How is electricity made? A. Power plants are like factories that convert energy into electricity, explains Erik Serio, an operations manager See datacenter manager. at Enron Corporation Enron Corporation, U.S. company that in 2001 became the largest bankruptcy and stock collapse in U.S. history up to that time. The company was formed in 1985 when InterNorth purchased Houston Natural Gas to create the country's longest natural-gas pipeline network. in Houston, Texas “Houston” redirects here. For other uses, see Houston (disambiguation). Houston (pronounced /'hjuːstən/) is the largest city in the state of Texas and the , the country's largest marketer of electricity. Coal-burning plants produce heat that boils water to create steam. Then the steam spins a turbine, or rotary engine rotary engine, internal-combustion engine whose cycle is similar to that of a piston engine, but which produces rotary motion directly without any conversion from reciprocating motion. , which turns electrical generators This article is about machines that produce electricity. For other uses, see Generator. “Dynamo” redirects here. For other uses, see Dynamo (disambiguation). . (By contrast, a wind-powered plant collects energy from windmills The List of windmills is a link page for any windmill or windpump. Collections
Canada
"It's common to think of moving electricity as a `flow,' but that's not really correct," says Michael Lamb. Electricity moves when electrons (atomic particles) are thrust into a higher-energy state and begin to bump into each other. This causes a domino effect that creates electrical current. Q. How do I get my electricity? A. After a power plant makes electricity, the juice is channeled through transformers--mechanical devices that increase the voltage, or intensity, of electricity. High-voltage electricity moves through aluminum cables, or transmission lines, to energy suppliers and then to consumers. The entire system of transmitting electricity front power plant to your home is called mt electrical grid. Generally, power-plant companies sell electricity to a supplier or distributor. Then the supplier sells electricity to consumers at a higher price, to make a profit. Q. So what went wrong in California? A. "California s deregulation Deregulation The reduction or elimination of government power in a particular industry, usually enacted to create more competition within the industry. Notes: Traditional areas that have been deregulated are the telephone and airline industries. plan is the main reason for its energy shortage, says Serio. What's deregulation? Until 1995, Californians were mandated by law to use electricity from a specific power company in their area. When the government lifted utility company regulations--or deregulated--in 1995, power providers anywhere in the U.S. could sell electricity to suppliers in California. This enabled consumers to choose their own power companies based on competitive rates. In addition, the deregulation plan prohibited power plants from directly selling energy to consumers. Lawmakers in California thought electricity deregulation would lower costs for consumers through competing companies. But deregulation resulted in power shortages--and the price of electricity soared. Q. What role does the environment play in the California crisis? A. Environmental protection laws in California make it tough for power companies to build new plants--the state hasn't approved the building of a new power plant in more than 10 years, Lamb explains. "That's a killer for California, where population and industry have soared during the past few decades," says Serio. Particularly in California's Silicon Valley, the juice-guzzling epicenter of America's computer industry. Q. What other factors led to the crunch? A. A colder-than-normal winter with greater consumer demand for electricity and heat added to the shortfall. To make things worse, more than 30 percent of California's power plants working overtime to crank out crank 1 n. 1. A device for transmitting rotary motion, consisting of a handle or arm attached at right angles to a shaft. 2. A clever turn of speech; a verbal conceit: quips and cranks. the juice had to shut down last winter to make long-neglected repairs. So power suppliers had to scramble to buy enough electricity from companies in other states to cover the shortage. When they couldn't, they had to shut off electricity, causing blackouts. "You think Californians are hurting now?" Lamb says. Wait until the summer--with the surging need for air-conditioning, he warns: "There could be blackouts lasting all day." Q. Can an energy shortage rock your state? A. Right now, nearly half the nation's states are in various stages of deregulation--and nearly all states are studying the possibility. A different deregulation plan in Pennsylvania has worked well so far because enough new power plants have been built to meet demand. While deregulation may happen in your state, it doesn't have to spell an energy shortage. Stay tuned. How Electricity Works Read the diagram below to learn more about how we get electricity and move it from place to place. 1 POWER PLANT A power plant is where heat is converted into electricity. Most power plants burn fossil fuels like coal, oil, or gas for heat. 2 TRANSFORMER The electricity flows through a step-up transformer Noun 1. step-up transformer - a transformer that increases voltage cascade transformer - a number of transformers in series; provides a high-voltage source . A step-up transformer increases the voltage, or amount, of the electric current. It's like turning up the volume on your stereo. You can change how loud music is by adjusting the volume. 3 TRANSMISSION LINES The U.S. has nearly 3 million miles of transmission lines that move electricity form place to place. The lines are connected high above the ground by steel towers strong enough to withstand high winds and extreme heat and cold. 4 SMALL FACTORIES Small factories need less electricity than large factories. Since electric current flowing through the power line still has a very high voltage The term high voltage characterizes electrical circuits, in which the voltage used is the cause of particular safety concerns and insulation requirements. High voltage is used in electrical power distribution, in cathode ray tubes, to generate X-rays and particle beams, to , it needs to pass through a step-down transformer Noun 1. step-down transformer - a transformer that reduces voltage transformer - an electrical device by which alternating current of one voltage is changed to another voltage . A step-down transformer lowers the voltage of electric current. 5 MASS TRANSIT mass transit, public transportation systems designed to move large numbers of passengers. Types and Advantages Mass transit refers to municipal or regional public shared transportation, such as buses, streetcars, and ferries, open to all on a Electrical lines are also used to power mass transit, like railroads and subways. 6 STORES Businesses and stores use more electricity than homes. Large malls and business areas need more power moved into a small area. 7 NEIGHBORHOODS Overhead or underground power lines carry electricity to homes or neighborhood stores. When the voltage gets to your home it's at the right level to run appliances, heat water, and power light bulbs. Alternative Energy One critical way for people to conserve energy and help protect the environment is to use less fossil fuels. It's quite simple--the less energy you use, the lower your electric and gas bills, and the more money you save. At right, Earth-friendly tactics for meeting our energy needs. SHUT THAT FRIDGE Reduce your energy use. Small changes yield huge savings. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TAP THE FORCES OF NATURE Sunlight and wind are clean energy sources: they generate power, not pollution. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GET UNPLUGGED: CLEAN AND CHEAP The Amish (a group that shuns the conveniences of modern society) are role models of electrical independence. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Plug in to how Americans consume energy. ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN U.S. Petroleum 39% Natural Gas 23% Coal 23% Nuclear 8% Renewable Energy 7% Source: Energy Information Administration Note: Table made from pie chart. This pie chart A graphical representation of information in which each unit of data is represented as a pie-shaped piece of a circle. See business graphics. shows energy sources that power the U.S. Eighty-five percent of that energy comes from fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas.) How does this impact the environment. [GRAPH OMITTED] Americans consume 3,279 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. That's more than triple the amount of China! What factors contribute to our energy appetite? What are some ways to conserve electricity?
PERCENTAGE OF HOME HEATING SOURCES
1950 1997
Coal 33.8% 0.2%
Natural gas 26% 51.3%
Propane 2.3% 5.4%
Fuel oil 22.1% 10.2%
Kerosene 3% 0.8%
Electricity 0.6% 29.4%
Wood 9.7% 1.8%
Other 1.8% 0.4%
No heat source 3.7% 0.6%
Source: U.S. Department of Energy
Note: Table made from bar graph.
This chart sources used to heat U.S. homes in 1950 and 1997. What do you think has caused the significant differences in coal, natural gas, and electricity usage? SHOCKING FACT If every U.S. household lowered its average heating temperature by 6 [degrees] F for only one day, we'd save the equivalent of 500,000 barrels of oil. SHOCKING FACTS About 25% of all electricity consumed in the U.S. is used to generate light. Only 10% of the energy that goes into a light bulb provides illumination. The rest turns into wasted heat. Did you Know? * California imports 2,5 percent of its power from neighbors in the Southwest and Pacific Northwest. * Nearly half of U.S. states A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States, although four states use the official title "commonwealth". The separate state governments and the federal government share sovereignty, in that an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and are currently in various stages of deregulating de·reg·u·late tr.v. de·reg·u·lat·ed, de·reg·u·lat·ing, de·reg·u·lates To free from regulation, especially to remove government regulations from: deregulate the airline industry. their electricity systems. * Almost half of the energy you use in your home is spent on heating. And every year, heating U.S. homes sends over a billion tons of "greenhouse gases greenhouse gas n. Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. greenhouse gas " into the atmosphere. Cross-Curricular Connection Social Studies: Pick a state and find out: Has it experienced energy shortages--lack of water, coal, or electricity, for example--in the past? Report on your findings. [Chart OMITTED] National Science Education Standards The National Science Education Standards (NSES) are a set of guidelines for the science education in primary and secondary schools in the United States, as established by the National Research Council in 1996. Grades 5-8: transfer of energy * properties and changes of properties in matter * understanding about science and technology Grades 9-12: interactions of energy and matter * structure and properties of matter * understanding about science and technology Resources "Do You Know Where Your Energy Comes From?," E Magazine, March/April 2001, p. 26 "The New Energy Crunch," Time. January 29, 2001, p. 37 Power Crisis--a CNN.com In-Depth Special www.cnn CNN or Cable News Network Subsidiary company of Turner Broadcasting Systems. It was created by Ted Turner in 1980 to present 24-hour live news broadcasts, using satellites to transmit reports from news bureaus around the world. .com/SPECIALS/2001/power.crisis/ Directions: Read "California Unplugged," then match the word(s) on the left column with the correct phrase at the right.
-- 1. rolling blackouts a. coal, oil, and natural gas
-- 2. fossil fuels b. a rotary engine
-- 3. voltage c. scheduled electricity outages
-- 4. electrical grid d. electricity system from power plant
to consumer
-- 5. turbine e. this allowed consumers to choose their
own power company
-- 6. electrons f. sun and wind
-- 7. deregulation g. intensity of electricity
-- 8. renewable energy h. atomic particles
ANSWERS CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING California Unplugged 1. c 2. a 3. g 4. d 5. b 6. h 7. e 8. f |
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