Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/812577
ByChristopherWeber TheAssociatedPress NORWALK A Califor- nia utility has launched unique systems combin- ing a hybrid battery and gas turbine to produce and store electricity for use during hot summer months and other times when power demand soars. The new Hybrid Elec- tric Gas Turbines are the first of their kind in the world, officials with Southern California Ed- ison and manufacturer General Electric said dur- ing an event Monday near Los Angeles. The new systems will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollu- tion by 60 percent and save millions of gallons of cooling water annually, Edison said. There were no numbers on how much consumers might save. But officials said increased reliabil- ity and the reduced en- vironmental impact will lead to significant cost reductions for the utility, which will be passed on to customers in the form of lower bills. Edison President Ron Nichols said the twin sys- tems that went online March 30 operate some- what like a hybrid car — drawing first on the bat- tery, then switching over to the gas turbine if power demands spike. Energy output is com- bined between turbines and new 10-megawatt lithium-ion battery stor- age units. As a result, the systems do not burn fuel when they're on stand- by, significantly reduc- ing greenhouse gas emis- sions. And they can be turned on immediately to push power into the grid to compensate for outages or increased demand. "The battery is there at the flick of a switch," Nichols said. The systems are run- ning in Norwalk and Ran- cho Cucamonga at plants built to provide extra juice following an espe- cially hot summer that strained the grid. The utility is exploring add- ing the hybrid systems to three other similar plants. "You don't always get an opportunity to take an existing facility, add some new technology to it, and enhance the value and re- duce the cost to custom- ers," Nichols said. The systems will help balance energy supply and demand, especially during evening hours when solar power pro- duction drops as custom- ers return home and turn on lights and appliances. California has commit- ted to derive 50 percent of its electricity from renew- able sources by 2030. The installation of the hybrid systems is a major step toward that goal, accord- ing to Tom Doughty of the California Independent Systems Operator, which manages the state's grid. "For 100 years the grid was largely the same," he said. "Big power stations, significant big wires and reliance on fossil fuels. And now, in the next 10 years, a metamorphosis." Doughty said the hy- brid technology intro- duces crucial flexibility into the state system. "The variability of one technology, or one plant, can be mitigated or man- aged by others," he said, calling the new system "a thing of beauty." Californiautility launches first hybrid power systems drew competitors from California and Oregon, Blunkall said. Red Bluff City Council- man Clay Parker and his wife, Lilly, were among the judges. Parker said he has been a judge since 2000. "When I start out, I look for a good front end blended into a middle with nothing that really stands out and a back end that has a good heat," said Clay Parker. "I also look for a good aroma, meat that's consistent and a good ap- pearance and color." Lily Parker said she looks for the same, but also sub- tle differences in flavor that make a chili stand out. She is partial to the green chili. Lance Ferreira was serv- ing up chili in the People's Choice arena for the West- side 4-H. He has attended several times as a specta- tor, but this was his first in a booth. "It's a good turnout," Fer- reira said. The booth was the first for the Westside 4-H and the chili was prepared by a group from the club's cook- ing project, said Cooking Leader Celestina Walker. "We just thought this would be something fun to do and for our kids to par- ticipate in and get started being involved in commu- nity stuff," Walker said. Mark and Vieva Lathrop were attending with their business, Good Life Jew- elry, for a fifth year, said Mark Lathrop. "It's a great event," Lath- rop said. "There's always a lot of people, everyone is so friendly and we just en- joy coming back. The orga- nizers did a good job. It's a community-oriented, good social event. You get to see people you haven't seen for a while." Cook-Off FROM PAGE 1 "We've had a lot of gen- erous donations from the businesses," McGrew said. While this is his third year as chairman of the event, McGrew said the show has been going about 16 years. In addition to be- ing chairman, he brought a 1966 Pontiac GTO that has been in the family since it was new. "I've always been into cars," McGrew said. "Re- ally anything with mo- tors." If McGrew had to pick a favorite, he said it would be a 1970 Barracuda, which he loves because it's a total package from the looks to the speed. The oldest car at the show was a 1923 T-Bucket owned by Warren Jimison of Redding. Ron Warner of Tehama was not far be- hind with his 1929 DeSoto. One of the more rare cars at the show was Elizabeth, a 1968 Shelby GT 500 KR owned by David and Stacey Hafen of Redding. Oceana Midget of Red Bluff said she likes to look at the different cars and it's the best part of the event. Her favorite car is either a Nova or a Cobra, Midget said. Jessee Callaway of Red Bluff brought his 1967 Ford Mustang and even started it for an attendee when asked what it sounded like. He's had the car for about 20 years, but just got it running again a few weeks ago, he said. "When I bought it, I bought it without the mo- tor," Callaway said. "I've been collecting parts and moved a few times so it was kind of on the back burner. This winter I de- cided it was time to get it running." Callaway has four clas- sic vehicles, but can't re- ally say any of them is his favorite as they all have something unique that he loves. "Part of the fun, for me, is searching for the parts," Callaway said. "It's hard to find original parts, but the Internet's made it a whole lot easier for car guys." Cars FROM PAGE 1 Yes California group and joining the California Free- dom Coalition, which he de- scribed as a grassroots or- ganizing effort that evolved since last year's election. The coalition plans to file its own ballot measure in coming weeks, without the baggage of Marinelli's Rus- sian ties, said Steve Gonza- les, the new group's secre- tary-treasurer and board member. "It prevented Yes Califor- nia from getting any serious money, I can tell you that," Gonzales said, noting that he is a native Californian who has never been to Rus- sia. The group will accept no foreign money, and con- tributions from other states must be cleared by the co- alition's board, he said. The coalition would need tocollectmorethan585,000 signatures to qualify a bal- lot measure declaring Cal- ifornia's independence for the November 2018 ballot. The measure is still being written, Gonzales said. Congress and 38 states would have had to agree to change the U.S. Constitu- tion to permit California to actually secede. Marinelli said Yes Cal- ifornia had fewer than 97,500 registered support- ers. About 8,500 signed up as volunteers, but only about 1,200 had contrib- uted money. Prior to Trump's elec- tion, the group had fewer than 100 volunteers, Mari- nelli said, and the group re- ceived a social media boost with Trump's election. Marinelli and Evans said California's overwhelming support of Democratic nom- inee Hillary Clinton and measures legalizing recre- ational marijuana and re- ducing crime penalties showed how far California voters were removed from the rest of the nation. They also equated the movement to last year's de- cision by the United King- dom to leave the European Union, dubbed Brexit. Cal- ifornia, with its 39 million residents, is often com- pared to a nation. Their withdrawn bal- lot measure would have allowed voters to repeal a part of the state Constitu- tion saying that California is an inseparable part of the United States next year, but left the question of whether California should become a separate country to a future ballot. Both Marinelli and Evans claimed credit for starting the Calexit campaign. Marinelli cited his strug- gle with U.S. officials since 2012 over his wife's immi- gration status. He praised California officials for their attempts to shield immi- grant residents from depor- tation and said his wife now has her green card. When California one day becomes independent, Marinelli wrote, "I shall look forward with great satisfaction to return to California and to live once again under our bear flag." Calexit FROM PAGE 1 PHOTOSBYJULIEZEEB—DAILYNEWS Jessee Callaway of Red Bluff starts up his 1967Ford Mustang for attendees on Saturday at the annual Red Bluff Round-Up Kickoff Car Show on Pine Street. Jeremiah and Oceana Midget of Red Bluff check out the cars with Audilyne Dunlap. Ron Warner of Tehama shows of Miss Helen his 1929 Desoto, which will be featured on a T-shirt for a Desoto show this year. Attendees check out a 1968Shelby GTO 500KR, one of the rarer cars at the show. The vehicle, named Elizabeth, is owned by David and Stacey Hafen of Redding. PHOTOS BY JULIE ZEEB — DAILY NEWS Michelle Hickok serves up chili for the Red Bluff Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary booth on Saturday at the 22nd annual Red Bluff Round-Up Chili Cook-off held on Washington Street. Red Bluff Fire Chief Ray Barber bails out Red Bluff Mayor Gary Jones from the Sunrise Rotary Roving Jail. ELECTRICITY CHRISTOPHER WEBER — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Ron Nichols, president of Southern California Edison, talks during a news conference launching a unique systems combining a hybrid battery and gas turbine to produce and store electricity at the SCE Center Power Plant in Norwalk on Monday. "For 100 years the grid was largely the same. Big power stations, significant big wires and reliance on fossil fuels. And now, in the next 10 years, a metamorphosis." — Tom Doughty BONNIEM.KING January 9, 1929 ~ March 12, 2017 Bonnie M. King, Ed.D., died March 12th in Red Bluff at the age of 88 from the complications of a stroke she suf- fered after surgery in Kansas last November. Bonnie was born on January 9, 1929 in Hastings, Nebraska, to Chester S. and D. Maude Rhodes McKenzie. Bonnie grew up dur- ing the Depression as an athletic tomboy who matured into an attractive professional model. She completed two years at Hastings College before moving to Kearny, Ne- braska to help her mother in operating her motel. There Bonnie met and later married Daniel W. King, an US Ar- my Air Corps, pilot on July 23. 1948. Their only child, Dr. Daniel M. King of Red Bluff, was born in 1949. The Kings were stationed in England before their last as- signment at Topeka, Kansas where Bonnie worked as an in-patient teacher at the renowned Menninger Founda- tion. Bonnie then went on to obtain her advanced de- grees in English Education and School Administration. Dr. King taught special education students in Goddard, New- ton, and Wichita, Kansas before moving to Red Bluff in 1985. Dr. King taught at Shasta College before serving as a re- source specialist in the Red Bluff Elementary School Dis- trict until her retirement in 2001. She then returned to Wichita where she lived with Dan Sr. until his death on Thanksgiving, 2016. Bonnie was also pre-deceased by her younger brother, Dr. Don McKenzie. She is survived by her son, Dan (Sherry), grandsons Ted, Andrew, and Cameron (Aman- da) King, great granddaughter Margaux King, sister Doro- thy Goodwin of Miami, Florida and brother Gordon (Wanda) McKenzie of Paradise, as well as numerous nie- ces and nephews. Bonnie will be remembered as a bright, witty lady, a dedicated teacher and advocate for her students, a devout Christian, loving mother and grandmother, and devoted wife to her husband-hero. A memorial service will be held at the Red Bluff Presby- terian Church Chapel on Saturday April 22 at 1-3 PM. Bur- ial occurred on March 31st near Newton, Illinois where Bonnie's husband and his brothers and their wives all rest. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bonnie King Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Red Bluff Elementary School District. Obituaries We Don'tThink Cremation Should Cost So much. www.affordablemortuary.net•529-3655 FD1538 LocatedinChico,CA TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |NEWS | 7 A