Anyone on the East Coast can tell you a good snow story this winter. Like when I looked out my front window one morning and saw a four-wheel-drive utility vehicle get stuck in the middle of my street in downtown Washington. After spinning his wheels for a while, the driver got out and began walking toward Connecticut Avenue, a main DC thoroughfare.
The driver soon returned, carrying a fresh, steaming cafe latte from Starbucks in each gloved hand. He opened the door, climbed in, and gave one cup to his passenger. They sipped. The driver then turned the key, started the engine, and the jeep pulled out straight away, as if nothing had happened.
Aggregate?
Careful readers may remember the article by Kevin O'Donnell from late last year ("Aggregating Municipal Loads: The Future is Today," October 1, 1995, p. 26) that told the story of four small towns in eastern North Carolina that joined forces to aggregate loads and explore opportunities in wholesale power markets. O'Donnell showed how towns with very small loads (1.3 to 3.8 megawatts) can still play ball in competitive markets.