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What's your energy situation?
Topic Started: Aug 2 2006, 09:09 AM (690 Views)
Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
Any blown transformers? Blackouts of some kind?

Here, BG&E has started to implement 15-minute rolling blackouts. It's just 15 minutes, but it's putting a lot of elderly in a huge panic, and 911 dispatchers are getting flooded with calls. Just yesterday, "something blew" (still don't know what it is) and our power went out at work for a good 6 hours; it warmed up VERY quick.

How's everybody in NYC doing? Anyone else?
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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Optimistic
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HOLY CARP!!!
No problemas aquí en la Villa de Rock.
PHOTOS

I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up.
- Mark Twain


We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
-T. S. Eliot
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The 89th Key
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Aye, ditto a Opt's post. She's only a mile or two away from where I'm working...so when I black out, she probably will to! :lol:

Opt...better not be cranking up that AC! :veryangry:
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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
It's all good here. We have all those evil hydroelectric dams that supply all the power we need.
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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Optimistic
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HOLY CARP!!!
The 89th Key
Aug 2 2006, 02:06 PM
Aye, ditto a Opt's post. She's only a mile or two away from where I'm working...so when I black out, she probably will to! :lol:

Opt...better not be cranking up that AC! :veryangry:

Money is flying out of my bank account and nothing is coming back in, so I have been VERY conservative with the A/C. My roommate has been gone all week, too, so it's all up to me. Plus, you don't need to keep it too cold when you're just sitting on your bum all day :(
PHOTOS

I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up.
- Mark Twain


We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
-T. S. Eliot
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The 89th Key
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Quote:
 
so I have been VERY conservative


:woot: :woot: :excited: :woot: :woot:

Another one that has "left" the darkside! :D
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Optimistic
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HOLY CARP!!!
Dork :P
PHOTOS

I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up.
- Mark Twain


We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
-T. S. Eliot
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
ivorythumper
Aug 2 2006, 10:10 AM
It's all good here.  We have all those evil hydroelectric dams that supply all the power we need.

I watched this video in college that featured two of the most important scientists/engineers in the United States in the 20th century. One single-handedly pioneered the damming efforts in the U.S. during the industrial period, and the other was the environmental scientist who brought its practice to a close (or at least seriously slowed it down).

Believe it or not, it was one of the most entertaining educational videos I've ever seen.

"We had it made, I tell you! Had it made with free power, and that unyielding, sanctimonous son of a bitch put an end to it all!"

I cite irreconcilable differences.
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Nina
Senior Carp
ivorythumper
Aug 2 2006, 11:10 AM
It's all good here. We have all those evil hydroelectric dams that supply all the power we need.

Actually I think we get a big piece of our electricity from nucular.
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dolmansaxlil
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HOLY CARP!!!
Ontario hit a new energy use record yesterday. By noon, they were asking people to conserve energy, not to run unneccesary appliances (dishwashers, ovens, washers and dryers) until after 8pm, and to turn their AC up in temperature by a couple of degrees, or brownouts and power loss would be almost certain. We didn't have either here, so I'm assuming they kept the lid on things.
"Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst." ~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

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ivorythumper
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
Nina
Aug 2 2006, 11:41 AM
ivorythumper
Aug 2 2006, 11:10 AM
It's all good here.  We have all those evil hydroelectric dams that supply all the power we need.

Actually I think we get a big piece of our electricity from nucular.

Yeah, you're right about that, as I am sure GWB would agree. :wink:
The dogma lives loudly within me.
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Christopher T
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Junior Carp
NYC seems to be doing ok, my office is a comfy 72. I stupidly went out at lunch - I went to the gym - and by the time I got back to work I was drenched from head to foot.

GROSS!
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big al
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Bull-Carp
Posted Image

Big Al
Location: Western PA

"jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen."
-bachophile
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big al
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Bull-Carp
This was from last week.

U.S. Breaks All-Time Weekly Demand Record for Electricity During National Heat Wave

Washington, DC (July 26, 2006) - U.S. demand for electricity reached an all-time record last week amid a punishing national heat wave as U.S. utilities delivered 96,314 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity for the week ending July 22, surpassing by more than 1 percent last year’s record of 95,259 GWh (set during the week ending July 23, 2005), according to the Edison Electric Institute’s weekly survey of electric demand.

Individual utilities and regional grid operators saw their own records shatter as well, and from coast to coast, utilities are scrambling to satisfy the demand for power as searing temperatures continue to blanket much of the country, said EEI President Tom Kuhn.

“The nation’s electric energy infrastructure was tested severely last week and, with isolated exceptions, the lights and air conditioners stayed on,” Kuhn said. “However, there is never time for complacency in our industry, and we are acutely sensitive to the plight and discomfort of those customers who were, or still are, without electricity.”

Kuhn said utilities are working around the clock to keep pace with the burgeoning demand for electricity and he praised the emergency workers who poured into the St. Louis area after it was hit by heat and a devastating storm that caused a widespread power outage.

“We live in a time when electricity is perhaps our most crucial commodity, and Americans’ appetite for it seems to have no limit,” said Kuhn, pointing to ever-larger homes and profusion of electrotechnologies and gadgets that are in part driving the record demand.

Echoing the many calls for conservation from utilities and grid operators, Kuhn underscored the importance of using electricity wisely during the summertime heat, citing the industry’s commitment to empower customers to save electricity and manage their own energy use.

“Electric utilities are keenly aware of the vital role of conservation and energy efficiency in maintaining power grid stability during periods of peak demand,” said Kuhn, adding that nearly 750 billion kilowatt-hours have been saved during the past 15 years because of industry efficiency programs—enough to power nearly 70 million homes for one year.

To further reinforce the future reliability of the nation’s power grids, Kuhn said utilities are significantly increasing investment in high-voltage power transmission lines as well as local distribution infrastructure that carries power into homes and businesses. Nationally, utilities will spend about $6 billion this year for transmission infrastructure and about $14 billion to maintain and upgrade local distribution systems, Kuhn said, adding that additional power plants are also under construction to help meet demand.

“Our industry takes this mission very seriously, and we are proud of our reliability record,” Kuhn said. “But we recognize that there is always room for improvement. Reinforcing the nation’s power grid is an evolutionary process, and we are deeply committed to getting the job done.”

Kuhn said part of the process is implementing the 2005 Energy Policy Act, which includes creation and enforcement of mandatory reliability standards binding on all electricity providers. Just last week, federal energy regulators certified the North American Electric Reliability Council as the agency responsible for developing and enforcing those standards, which “will further reinforce the reliability of our electric system,” Kuhn said.



I am also aware of individual regions where the electrical systems have set new records this week.

Big Al
Location: Western PA

"jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen."
-bachophile
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iainhp
Middle Aged Carp

Biggest scam in the US right now is the power utilities. We may be paying a high price for oil but there have not been any shortages. Wish I could say the same for the electrical grid. The following is PR BS:

“Our industry takes this mission very seriously, and we are proud of our reliability record,” Kuhn said. “But we recognize that there is always room for improvement. Reinforcing the nation’s power grid is an evolutionary process, and we are deeply committed to getting the job done.”

When the local utility tells you to turn your thermostat to 78 degrees that does not make for a reliable system - that means they can't meet demand. In California (and in other parts of the country) electricity rates have been set to increase as you hit thresholds. The next headlines are going to be about all the people opening their power bill for July and finding their bill has more than doubled because they hit certain thresholds. And the extra cash (profits) goes to...........? Next watch for record revenues from utilities (who, by the way couldn't meet demand so you had to turn your thermostat higher, and pay more because you're using your air conditioner). Wonder who sets the thresholds?

If the green people had their way we'd be driving electric cars - imagine what that would do to the grid.

Sorry, I'm rambling......................


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Nina
Senior Carp
You know, I never really understood the power outages you guys had in California a few years back, and how Enron was involved (was Enron involved?).

Some day I'll have to figure it out. All I know for sure is that it cost Grey Davis his job.
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Riley
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HOLY CARP!!!
Our air conditioner froze. It is right around 90 degrees inside right now. The repair guy is here right now. For the 5th time.
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Riley
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dolmansaxlil
Aug 2 2006, 02:45 PM
Ontario hit a new energy use record yesterday. By noon, they were asking people to conserve energy, not to run unneccesary appliances (dishwashers, ovens, washers and dryers) until after 8pm, and to turn their AC up in temperature by a couple of degrees, or brownouts and power loss would be almost certain. We didn't have either here, so I'm assuming they kept the lid on things.

I was just reading that in the paper.

And I was doing laundry today. *shuffles feet*
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The 89th Key
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Riley, I hope things cool down for you soon!
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iainhp
Middle Aged Carp

From today's NY times:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Power utility Con Edison urged customers on the east side of Manhattan in New York city on Thursday to shut down non-essential appliances and equipment as the company copes with high demand during a lingering heatwave in the U.S. Northeast.

The utility has reported record demand in the past two days and forecast a possible new record for Friday as temperatures hover around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).


Uhhh.....I remember staying at my Aunt's house in NY in the 70's and the temperature breaking 100, so Con Edison can stop blaming the weather as it's nothing out of the ordinary. It's lack of planning as the population increases. Imagine if Boeing built airplanes like that - "Geesh, we're sorry the plane crashed but we didn't expect tailwinds in excess of 100 knots", or maybe "we're sorry we have to turn the lights and ventilation system off in the aircraft but we need all the power from the engines to keep the plane flying in these unexpected and excessively strong headwinds".

So one wonders what happens if one of the transmission lines into NY city fails (ie terrorist attack).....permanent rolling blackouts?

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kenny
HOLY CARP!!!
I resisted the tempation to buy an AC.

I got close last week though. :dead:
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Riley
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HOLY CARP!!!
kenny
Aug 3 2006, 01:49 PM
I resisted the tempation to buy an AC.

I got close last week though. :dead:

It is a worthy investment, especially in this weather.
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Christopher T
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Junior Carp
A/C is the first investment I am making on our house in Rochester. I can't STAND being hot.
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Nobody's Sock
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Fulla-Carp
My PG&E bill last month was $688. I nearly blew a gasket.

Told the out of school teenagers who are home all day that things are a gonna be changing.

Thermostat is set to 85 during the day until I get home,
keep all curtains and blinds closed,
If I catch a tv or light on in an unoccupied room, they can pull weeds in the 112 temperature outside.
PC games are limited to 1 hour a day. (I have a behomoth of a desktop for hardcore game playing and with about 12 fans running in it, it's a juice sucker), not to mention having to run pool pump 8 hours a day.

California is such a rip off state to live in.
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
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big al
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Bull-Carp
iainhp
Aug 3 2006, 09:36 AM
From today's NY times:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Power utility Con Edison urged customers on the east side of Manhattan in New York city on Thursday to shut down non-essential appliances and equipment as the company copes with high demand during a lingering heatwave in the U.S. Northeast.

The utility has reported record demand in the past two days and forecast a possible new record for Friday as temperatures hover around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).


Uhhh.....I remember staying at my Aunt's house in NY in the 70's and the temperature breaking 100, so Con Edison can stop blaming the weather as it's nothing out of the ordinary. It's lack of planning as the population increases. Imagine if Boeing built airplanes like that - "Geesh, we're sorry the plane crashed but we didn't expect tailwinds in excess of 100 knots", or maybe "we're sorry we have to turn the lights and ventilation system off in the aircraft but we need all the power from the engines to keep the plane flying in these unexpected and excessively strong headwinds".

So one wonders what happens if one of the transmission lines into NY city fails (ie terrorist attack).....permanent rolling blackouts?

It's more than a lack of planning. It has been extremely difficult to build new transmission lines in the US due to local opposition and the NIMBY factor. In a case with which I am quite familiar, a utility (AEP or American Electric Power) proposed to build a new 765,000 Volt line between West Virginia and Virginia to reinforce their grid in 1990. After 16 years of hearings, reviews, reroutings, etc. the line finally entered service in June of 2006. Another proposed 500,000 Volt line from the Pittsburgh area to eastern Pennsylvania to move surplus power from plants built to serve vanished industrial load to consumers in the east was dropped entirely due to public opposition.

The West Virginia coal miners used to have bumper stickers that read "Let 'em freeze in the dark". Maybe this week they read "Let 'em fry in the dark".

Big Al
Location: Western PA

"jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen."
-bachophile
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