Power Plants On Rails for California

SoCalChris writes "According to this article on Wired.com, the Sierra Railroad is planning to use diesel train locomotives to produce power for California. Each of the 48 engines are expected to produce 2.1 megawatts of power for a thousand hours each year. Another key advantage to this plan is that since the "PowerTrains" are mobile, they can be taken to the areas that need power the most, so it doesn't have to be routed across the state through our power grid."

Comments

My question

[rjamestaylor]

Why does Sierra Railroad have such excess capacity that it can provide 48 diesel engines for the power grid?

Trolling 101: Building the Perfect Troll by pwpbot

[Anonymous Coward]

aAwhilebackDonHenleycreatedanalbumcalledBuildingth .ePerfectBeastHisfirstsoloalbumitsurprisedmanywith .trackslikeSunsetGrillAllSheWantsToDoIsDancemyfavo .riteDrivingWithYourEyesClosedandJonKatzsfavoriteB .oysofSummerIwaslisteningtothisalbumonillegallyrip .pedMP3swhilereadingtheSlashdottrollsandstartedbra .instormingwhatwouldmaketheperfecttrollThisarticle .servesasadirectedintroductiontobuildingtheperfect .trollFirstweneedtodefinetrollingThisisharderthani .tsoundsbecauseeveryonehastheirowndefinitionofatro .llorbettertheirowndefinitionofagoodtrollIamgoingt .ousemultipledefinitionstocreateaverybroadidealoft .hetermtrollAnypostthatmeetsONEofthedefinitionsbel .owisconsideredatrollaAmessagewidelyregardedasanan .noyancebAmessagewhichinsultstheeditorswithnoregar .dtomeritcAmessagewhichflamesanotheruserfortheirvi .ewsdAnymessagewhichisdesignedtoenragethestandards .lashdotuserForthepurposesofthispostagoodtrollison .ethatspawnsmanyangryresponsesThereareothersidesof .trollingsuchascrapfloodingwhichdonotgenerateanyre .sponsesusuallyThesesortsoftrollsareoutofthescopeo .fthisarticleThereare6dimensionsofagoodtrollannoya .ncearguabilitysubtletytopicalitylogicalityandperm .eanceByNOmeansshouldagoodtrolluseonlyonedimension .althoughsomedimensionsareinherentlycontradictoryu .singasmanyaspossiblewillresultinagoodtrollAnnoyan .ceThisistheallstarofthetrollspectrumRacialcomment .spagewideninglengthingmisinformationderagatorycom .mentsetcallareconsideredanannoyanceButbecarefulTh .ecommonpitfallistheannoyanceisusedtofrequentlyand .tooloudlySubtletyisanecessityifyouaregoingtouseth .iswithanysortofsuccessreadmoreaboutthisbelowHerea .resomeexamplesofgoodandbadannoyancesBadYoustupidf .uckingniggerImgoingtokickyourfaggotassifIeverseey .ouyoushitfacecocksuckinganimalThiswillbemoddeddow .nimmediatelyandwillprobablynotberespondedtoThisme .ssagewilllargelybeignoredthuslimitingthetrollaffe .ctPostingfactualinaccuraciesisgreatwhencombinedwi .thannoyancetheSlashdotswillfalloverthemselvescorr .ectingyoureverymoveGoodItspostslikethesethatquest .iontheeducationsystemofAmericaIfyouwerepayinganya .ttentionatschoolyouwouldknowthattheSouthwontheCiv .ilWarbecauseoftheirviewsnoslaveryItwasAbrahamLinc .olnslaststandatGettysburgthatcausedSlaverytogoawa .yMakingreferencestoyoureducationasproofthatyouare .rightisexcellentespeciallywheninyourtrollyoumakei .tobviousthatyoudonthaveanyBadIstudiedthistopicing .reatdepthwhenwritingmyPhDthesisatMITAsitturnsoutt .helimitingfactorofsortingfunctionwithcompletelyra .

-pwpbot

Re:Or they could build nuclear plants

[qubit64]

Canada and France (while certainly not governmental systems to model)

Whadya mean not governmental systems to model? At least we have more than 2 political parties. (right of centre and further right of centre) Cue the Kang and Kodos quote...

Re:Too bad americans aren't energy efficient

[Anonymous Coward]

As a German, I am somewhat offended by the continual arrogant attitude of Americans toward the rest of the world.

You can be as offended as you want, troll. It won't change the fact that we 0\/\/n you. Get used to it.

Hint: A German is not exactly in a position to be criticizing the inhumanity of the United States government. Get back to me when you finally allow the Turks, some of whom were born in Germany for several generations, to have full rights as citizens, or when your oh-so-civilized country becomes a place where a Jew can feel safe.

Re:Too bad americans aren't energy efficient

[Anonymous Coward]

Arrogant? Reread your post and tell me who is arragant. "Pig" is such a nice slur. Oh wait, generalizing and stereotyping Americans is okay

As for 9/11... No. It happened because we allow our women to wear skimpy clothes and our culture is pervasive. You think that you're safe? Though it has been amusing seeing European governments trying to place nice with the Arrabs so they don't get hit. Cowards.

And in regards to your welfare state... You can keep it, I don't need a government safety net in order to sleep at night. Suck on the tit of your government all you want. Be reliant all you want. Me, I'll keep my dignity and most of my wage.

Re:Too bad americans aren't energy efficient

[Beliskner]

I am somewhat offended by the continual arrogant attitude of Americans toward the rest of the world. It's strange that a country with a higher infant mortality rate than Thailand has such an attitude. First of all, American arrogance is what caused the 9/11 attacks.

Shrek-class troll. You Germans and your damn efficiency. In WW2 Germany was like, "We can drop bombs very efficiently"... So they did.

I find it impossible to rebutt "Human beings are a virus, you don't live in symbiosis with your surroundings, you use up all resources then move on." that the agent said in Matrix. Us Europeans know that if you truly want to make America energy efficient, you must put sub-surface nukes in the oilfields of Saudi, Russia and Alaska to collapse the oil pockets. Then the "markets" will increase the price of gas to European levels, and all SUVs will become abandoned overnight. Don't try to change American culture - binLaden tried and failed. Work *with* their system, same as decreasing the food supply in a bacterial Petri dish. This is all that Joe sixpack KFC-suckin' American will understand.