From: fmccall@earthlink.net   
      
   "David Summers"  wrote:   
      
   :Then why don't we use such things on Earth?  Nuclear power is WAY   
   :cheaper in Mexico (or even Nevada compared to New York)!   
   :   
   :The fact is, transmitting power via cables over long distances is   
   :expensive.  The grid uses nearby sources, not far away ones.   
      
   Not these days.  The grid uses whatever power is there and it can come   
   from all sorts of places.  This is why when there is a power failure   
   these days it usually takes down huge geographic areas of the grid   
      
   :Losses on   
   :long distance power cables become very large very fast.   
      
   Well, no.  Ever heard of DC?   
      
   Total transmission losses and distribution losses in the US amount to   
   around 7.5%.  This includes all the voltage step up and step down   
   losses as well as line losses.  This is hardly 'very large'.   
      
   --   
   "Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar   
    territory."   
                                         --G. Behn   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)