The Achilles’ heel of electric supplies

It is ironic that Stanford decided about 10 years ago to abandon its cogeneration plant which had made the campus an off-the-grid, independent electricity supplier. The green crowd moved in and, against all advice from more knowledgeable folks, a new energy director, who pushed for an ambitious green policy, prevailed.

As with the supplies of our own Peninsula Clean Energy, Stanford’s electricity now comes from far away solar plants. During my tenure at the University of California system, which operates several reliable cogeneration plants, we decided not to follow in Stanford’s footsteps and we continued to utilize a hybrid supply solution that does not rely, for the most part, on imported green energy.

Think of the pollution now generated by the multitudes of diesel generators fouling the air at Stanford. That could be the plight of the electric supply on the Peninsula as well. If even a famous institution such as Stanford turns out to be vulnerable, what can other well-meaning amateurs that have entered the market do to assure us that their supplies are reliable?

Dirk van Ulden

Belmont