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Cali blackouts coming

Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Pops » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 19:04:56

I find this pretty crazy.

On Tuesday afternoon, the utility announced will shut off power to 800,000 customers in Northern and Central California starting early Wednesday. PG&E said it would notify affected customers directly.


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This is generally the scrub oak and digger pine belt.
PG&E is in bankruptcy after $13.8B in claims for downed lines causing wildfires that last couple of years.
Not sure how many hours of darkness in the Bay it will take to total $13.B but not many.
So is this really the only solution? Just a ploy?
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby careinke » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 19:56:34

Link??
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby jedrider » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 20:00:57

Pops, did you get your alternate power source ready for this event? I think we all saw it coming.

I think they are not going to shut my power off, but we are right on the edge of where they will cut power.

I am thinking that low-voltage LED lighting off of a large rechargeable battery makes the most sense.

Better yet, solar charging of such a battery.

I don't have solar because I live under trees. I have six oak trees, one redwood tree, and a bunch of pine trees on a pretty small lot, too.
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby jedrider » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 20:04:22

careinke wrote:Link??


PG&E confirms power will shut off to 800,000 customers statewide
https://www.sfgate.com/california-wildfires/article/PG-E-power-outage-800-000-customers-length-number-14501984.php
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Pops » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 21:01:45

The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Plantagenet » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 21:09:28

Californians are blaming PG & E for the fires rather then climate change.

I guess if people in California admitted that climate change had something do with the fires....then they'd have to do something about climate change. Maybe drive less or stop building solar and wind farms with switch gears that emit SP6 or reduce the use of natural gas. Maybe start thinning forests with millions of dead trees killed by drought and heat waves.

But no.

Its much easier for them to blame it all on PG & E.

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Californians think the forest fires are PG & E's fault..... :roll:
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Pops » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 21:15:27

jedrider wrote:Pops, did you get your alternate power source ready for this event? I think we all saw it coming.

I split CA again, jed. I'm in Washington state now. Waiting on the Cascadia fault instead, LOL

But yeah I have a new Honda ei2000 with propane conversion and 500 gal tank along with a 2nd, secondhand one that can be daisy chained for more power. no LP conversion on it tho.
a couple of 100Ah batteries, various inverters, chargers and such.

When/if we ever settle down I'd like PV too.

Some guy on reddit posted this pic of his local safeway a few minutes ago

Image
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Pops » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 21:19:46

Plantagenet wrote:Californians are blaming PG & E for the fires rather then climate change.

Pretty sure it's because you can't sue climate change.
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Plantagenet » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 21:47:14

Pops wrote:
Plantagenet wrote:Californians are blaming PG & E for the fires rather then climate change.

Pretty sure it's because you can't sue climate change.


+1 :lol: :-D 8) :roll:
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Cog » Tue 08 Oct 2019, 21:53:07

Commies doing commie things. My give a care meter is broken. Commifornians can sit in the dark and smoke weed for all I care.
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby jedrider » Wed 09 Oct 2019, 00:35:36

Cog wrote:Commies doing commie things. My give a care meter is broken. Commifornians can sit in the dark and smoke weed for all I care.


Cog, you're just so..oh Trumpie!
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby StarvingLion » Wed 09 Oct 2019, 13:08:08

Cog wrote:Commies doing commie things. My give a care meter is broken. Commifornians can sit in the dark and smoke weed for all I care.


Its The Oil Apocalypse

They don't need Power Stations, oil, gas, coal, etc. They've got Solar-on-Roof to power EV's...hahahahaha..

Lets face it, all my amazing predictions are coming true.

BTW, where are Outcast_Searcher and rockdoc to explain this TOTAL DOOM? California is The Valley Forge. Do you know what happens to the Valley Forge at the end of the 1972 movie, Silent Running?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Running

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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Outcast_Searcher » Wed 09 Oct 2019, 13:42:26

Pops wrote:
Plantagenet wrote:Californians are blaming PG & E for the fires rather then climate change.

Pretty sure it's because you can't sue climate change.

But power rates could be raised, if necessary. (Assuming clearing brush and other preventative measures AHEAD OF TIME AT ADDITIONAL EXPENSE could cut down the need for this. Obviously if it can't be prevented, then never mind, though why clearing ALL brush from near the power lines is impossible is beyond me. It might be impractical if the cost is too high, of course).

In the real world, you can't have something for nothing. If they're cutting power due to insufficient funds, re preventative prep, the fix is pretty obvious.

Californians have a history of not dealing with financial reality. The situation with Prop 13 and auto insurance is a good example.

Despite all the crowing by the proponents of this about how great it was for consumers, CA remains among the most expensive states for auto insurance.

https://www.rstreet.org/wp-content/uplo ... REET43.pdf

https://www.insure.com/car-insurance/ca ... rates.html

If Californians refuse to pay the needed rates, given real world conditions, they won't magically get power for an arbitrarily cheap price.

Of course, government could "make that happen", but the tax bill won't make the end result "cheap" in any objective sense.
Last edited by Outcast_Searcher on Wed 09 Oct 2019, 13:50:37, edited 2 times in total.
Given the track record of the perma-doomer blogs, I wouldn't bet a fast crash doomer's money on their predictions.
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Outcast_Searcher » Wed 09 Oct 2019, 13:45:24

Pops wrote:Some guy on reddit posted this pic of his local safeway a few minutes ago

Image

Looks like folks are panicking re bottled water.

OTOH, the way some folks schedule stocking, this could be a Kroger or a Walmart at certain times, in stores in my home city (for bottled water, and various other staple products).

Which is kind of odd, given how much both Kroger and Walmart supposedly want to maximize revenue.

As a customer, I'll tell them that: IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE PRODUCTS I WANT ON THE SHELF RATHER CONSISTENTLY, GOOD LUCK INCREASING YOUR REVENUE FROM CUSTOMERS LIKE ME.
Given the track record of the perma-doomer blogs, I wouldn't bet a fast crash doomer's money on their predictions.
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby EdwinSm » Thu 10 Oct 2019, 05:24:15

Great chance for 800 000 people to test how prepared they are for short term problems (short term here = up to a week).

I guess most will fail the test going on reports of last minute panic buying.

Where I am the electricity supply has got better over the years, and now the main cables are all buried. There was a 15% rise in transmission costs, followed by annually rises which were smaller but still above the inflation rate.

It was a power cut, soon after we came here, that persuaded my wife to allow me to buy a wood burning stove for the kitchen. Before that she was opposing it by insisting that there only be one stove unit in the kitchen (ie if we had a wood burning one I would have to remove the electric stove :x ). But one morning without a hot pot of tea was enough to convince her of the need for a wood burning backup system. We use the stove more for heating than for cooking, but it is reassuring that we could cook our meals for as long as we have food.

In the case of power cuts we also loose internet - the transmission masts, in this rural area, only have around 30 minutes worth of battery backup.
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby GHung » Thu 10 Oct 2019, 09:46:07

PG&E creating leverage to get the state government to enact immunity from lawsuits related to fires caused by their distribution/transmission systems.
Gridweenie problems,, until your off-grid home burns down.
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Newfie » Thu 10 Oct 2019, 10:07:35

To my way of thinking the power grid is one of those things that is a “natural monopoly.” Much like the highway system or airports they exist for the common good. Privatizing the grid allows money interests the opportunity to make profits by deferring maintenance, think Puerto Rico.

Privatizing also means the grid is liable for law suits, which is pretty dumb. The grid is a public asset even if it has been privatized. If you sue the public assert who is going to pay for the fines if not the very public who is suing?

Some things should not be privatized; the grid, water, sewage, public roads, etc.

That’s. It to say the individuals running the show should not be held accountable, they hold the public’s trust and should be liable to the public for any misconduct.

Some may say that I am advocating a form of socialism, if so then so be it, socialism it is. It’s the better solution for this situation. It’s not that I’m a socialist, I’m not dogmatic, I’m a pragmatist, use the best tool available for the job.

Frankly I’m not the least surprised about this turn of events, it’s exactly the kind of thing that we have set ourselves up for. And I suspect that this is just an overture to future fiascos.
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Pops » Thu 10 Oct 2019, 12:04:17

GHung wrote:PG&E creating leverage to get the state government to enact immunity from lawsuits related to fires caused by their distribution/transmission systems.

Ding, Ding, Ding!
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby Pops » Thu 10 Oct 2019, 12:09:46

EdwinSm wrote:It was a power cut, soon after we came here, that persuaded my wife to allow me to buy a wood burning stove for the kitchen.

Take a picture!
The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves -- in their separate, and individual capacities.
-- Abraham Lincoln, Fragment on Government (July 1, 1854)
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Re: Cali blackouts coming

Unread postby StarvingLion » Thu 10 Oct 2019, 13:07:32

This is WAR!

Its Commifornia vs Cog

aka Progress Hoax vs Internal Combustion Engine

aka BatteryJunk vs Giant Gasoline Engines

aka importedCommieDiesel vs ShaleCondensate

aka Diesel Engine vs Gasoline Engine.

Cog won't fight The Mullahs so this is how it will boil down.
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