Italy in the dark!!!!

[Dr. A. Cula]

Heh, and this is where having a power-crazed communist dictator comes in handy. Ours filled the country with dozens of coal/oil/gas burning power plants, hydro plants and even started building a nuclear power plant before he was executed. Now, with only 2 out of 4 reactors ready and running at full capacity, we have more than enough electricity. The only real problem was this summer, when, because of the drought (sp?), there was not enough water in the Danube for the nuke plant or in the inner rivers for the hydro plants. The answer was to fire up the old coal burning plants and shut down all factories that were behind with paying their electricity bills.

Speaking of Greece, about 3 or 4 months ago, I heard they were getting ready to import electricity from Romania, and we cancelled exports when we had to shut down the nuke plant, so, probably, they couldn't have helped much.
Anyway, it's nice that everything is back to normal.

[CerberusIV]

The real problem seems to be the vulnerability of the transmission lines. I have long wondered why terrorists don't destroy power lines more often. That would be extremely disruptive.

[Dr. A. Cula]

Originally posted by CerberusIV
The real problem seems to be the vulnerability of the transmission lines. I have long wondered why terrorists don't destroy power lines more often. That would be extremely disruptive.

Well, it's one thing to plant a bomb in the middle of a city square full with people and it's another to destroy some wires in the middle of nowhere. Guess which one causes the strongest impression on the masses. Furthermore, the second method wouldn't even get prime time on the news, the most coverage it would get would be a side note about some freak accident in a place nobody heard about.
Plus, the consequences of power line sabotage are not immediately evident, even if more disastruous in the long run.
IMHO terrorists are after immediate public attention.

[Kropotkin]

I found is quite amusing that Berlusconi's comment to the blackouts in the US a few months ago was something along the lines of "Such a thing could never happen in Italy!". I guess you have to be an italian with a public office to believe such a statement.

[CerberusIV]

Not being able to watch the latest episode of their favourite TV soap drivel has an immediate impact on the masses as soon as they find out why.

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Ned
I suppose the enemy of construction of new power plants and transmission lines in Italy are the leftist parties, just as they are here in the United States. A large part of the anger here in California against Davis is because everyone here knows the left is the cause of our power problems. One can keep up this anti-capitalist program only so long. In the end, the infrastructure will collapse. It looks like Europe is now feeling the effects of leftist politics.

Dunno about Italy but most of the UK's power shortage problems now are blamed on underinvestment in infrastructure after the power companies were privatised. Hardly the left's fault.

[Verres]

Talking of power shortage problems in the UK, the media are currently trying to make us believe there may be problems tonight due to a power surge caused by huge numbers of people tuning in to watch the reture of Dirty Den on Eastenders. Somehow I doubt this will be a problem at all...I mean, think of the numbers that tune in to watch Football games, moon landing etc. Interesting piece of publicity though.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by Dr. A. Cula


Well, it's one thing to plant a bomb in the middle of a city square full with people and it's another to destroy some wires in the middle of nowhere. Guess which one causes the strongest impression on the masses. Furthermore, the second method wouldn't even get prime time on the news, the most coverage it would get would be a side note about some freak accident in a place nobody heard about.
Plus, the consequences of power line sabotage are not immediately evident, even if more disastruous in the long run.
IMHO terrorists are after immediate public attention.

It's more than that -- the risk / benefit curve is pretty steep. Do you know what happens when you even get near a high-tension line? There's a reason they're up as high as they are.

[Datajack Franit]

Actually the lefty parties in italy are to blame- one day they block the building of hydrodamns and natural gas power plants because of the backing of the Green Party, the next they complain about energy shortages- I think that in Torino 2006 Olympics we'll see a hell lot of fun

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by Datajack Franit
Actually the lefty parties in italy are to blame...

Pretty sure at least part of the blame for recent world wide power cuts is private companies cutting down on spare capacity and repair engineers.

Don't blame the left for that... but your other points are true enough.

[The Mad Monk]

If by "cutting back on reserve capacity" you mean "not building plants to keep up with expanding demand so that there is reserve capacity", I agree.

[Datajack Franit]

Pretty sure at least part of the blame for recent world wide power cuts is private companies cutting down on spare capacity and repair engineers

There are no private companieS in Italy! just a monopoly of one single company in key services providers such as phone, energy, gas and water companies- and these are the results.. the positive aspect indeed is that now there's a strong backing (within some members of the moderate lefty parties) for a comeback to nuclear power- after all, we are surrounded by countries using nuclear power plants (France, Switzerland) and a disaster wouldn't bother about national borders anyway

[Bereta_Eder]

Perque the left would oppose the building of hydroplants? Perque?

[Az]

Originally posted by paiktis22
Perque the left would oppose the building of hydroplants? Perque?

destroys natural habitat on a local basis.

Yes, I don't care, either. ( But we don't have the rivers to care. )

[pchang]

mostly done already

Most of the good sites for hydro-electric have already been developed. It is one of the cheapest sources of energy there is. The remaining sites mostly have some major disadvantage or other that has marked them as marginal.