Posted on 10/16/2019 6:54:15 AM PDT by C19fan
Earlier this month, nearly 2 million Californians were hurt by a “planned” power shutoff by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), a private utility company. The shutoff was part of a botched wildfire management strategy to prevent transmission lines neglected by the company for years from catching fire. Customers received only 24 hours’ notice for a shutoff that lasted up to four days, during which grocery stores sat empty, cleared of basic supplies, and schools were closed. The residents of Paradise, California, displaced just one year ago by massive fires that destroyed their town and killed dozens, found themselves without electricity once again. Thirty thousand of those affected have medical needs that require access to electricity, putting them in harm’s way.
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Modern agricultural has enormous energy inputs. Something I doubt any of these Green New Dealers understands at all. You are correct.
We live in a place where the power goes out several times each winter because of trees and limbs falling on power lines. Because these storms happen mostly during the wet time of the year I am not aware of any of these events causing more than a minor spot fire.
Because of the frequency and duration of the power outages we and all of our neighbors have generators. We have a manual system where I have to throw a couple switches and screw in some fuses, turn the natural gas to the generator on and then hope that it won’t take too many pulls to get it going. Then when it is warmed up I switch on the individual loads. Some of our neighbors have systems that start their generators up with an electric start and switch the load automatically within a few seconds. When the power comes back on everything is switched back and the generator is turned back off without them ever doing anything. These systems also start the generators about once a month and perform a self check. All it takes is money.
I assume this will also now become standard equipment for many people now living in areas affected by this nonsense in California. Despite the hype this is still the mildest fire season in California in the past 20 years.
Good point. Actually, before the commercial availability of natural gas, from the mid-1850s through the 1920s PG&E manufactured gas in massive facilities in California. The manufactured gas was distributed for heating, lighting and cooking.
I assume that the statute that says PG&E is liable for any damages caused by a failure of their equipment regardless of the circumstances would also apply to the new “public power” PG&E. I would hope so since the taxpayers would then be on the hook financially rather than the previous shareholders. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
What Leftist Fascists? THIS IS YOUR UTOPIA. This is what all your panic stricken posturing about “Carbon Footprints” results in. You should be ecstatic you all have finally reached the nirvana you been agitating for the last 50 years.
One thing about the PG&E vs State of Calfornia over the wild fires their power lines are supposedly causing is whether or not the state is forbidding them to clear trees and brush from under power lines. I’ve see statements as that is the cause but have also seen statements that the trees and underbrush are not cleared because PG&E is lazy and/or not willing to spend the money as a preventive measure. Does anyone know which it is or perhaps a combination of both? Thanks.
If California takes control of PG&E then California’s energy system will soon enough be the envy of Puerto Rico.
A lot of those folks died in Paradise waiting for their call to evacuate. The town’s plan was to evacuate in zones to avoid blocking the limited exit routes. The residents had been trained to wait for their evacuation call. However, the fire spread so fast the telephone system was saturated and many people did not get a call. I heard that something like 2/3 of the dead were found in their homes.
It was in the models. Had the exact date.
Fake news obscuring the California wacko government that is actually responsible.
After driving the stock to historic lows in a rigged system, they have only the bond holders to worry about.
And the federal bankruptcy judge.
CA could easily purchase the outstanding stock.
“Talk of buying out Portions of PGE is BS.
PGE paid our county’s water district millions to give us one of one of their power generating facilities (hydro project 184)
No one would buy their transmission facilities they are in such bad shape.”
Sounds like 2001 all over again.
So last year, the power was on, some lines blew down and created fires, and PG&E were sued for BILLIONS of dollars of damage.
This year, before a huge windstorm, PG&E shuts down the lines so as not to cause fires, and now they are being sued for BILLIONS for shutting off the power.
I guess if they declared bankruptcy tomorrow, and turned off the power, they’d get sued for BILLIONS of dollars for not keeping their company operating.
Replace PG&E by municipal owned decentralized power utilities. If the system is decentralized and “green” what happens if the wind stops blowing or the sun is not shining in your area?””’
I find this ironic.
Replace P G & E with WINDMILLS.
WINDMILLS will still need transmission towers & lines to homes & businesses.
When th3e WIND is high, the windmills will be spinning-—but even they will have to shut off the transfer of power due to fire danger.
NO ONE is thinking this thru very far.
PG&E should sue the Sierra Club and other enviro-whackos who have made it costly and impossible to clear trees and brush under their power lines.”””
Ranchers & farmers have a saying:
GRAZE IT OR BLAZE IT
With what? Monopoly money?
We have always had wildfires in California, but the major reasons damage and loss of life are worse now is that we have built larger and larger communities in areas that used to lightly populated if at all and the 'environmentalists' with help from liberal politicians that have eliminated logging and clearing of brush to the point now that utilities cannot maintain their right of ways.
One of the stupidest things I have read recently was someone spouting about how we had less damage and extensive fires in the past because Native Americans conducted controlled burns as wise stewards of the forest and land. Really? Our forestry service was lucky if they could control a planned burn 30 to 40% of the time with modern equipment.
I do agree that the level of life and property loss could have been significantly lower if the state wouldn't place asinine 'environmental policy' in place. Note I didn't say all environmental policies were bad, but some are definitely asinine.
#3 It is already 24 cents a kw in many areas in California.
Other states are more then half cheaper.
$28 limited exit routes.
Paradise was one of the areas that removed road lanes. They had to in order to get road repair money from the state.
Those state officials killed the people.
Reliable, cheap electricity is essential for economic prosperity. The cost of electricity in “green” Germany now exceeds 34 cents/kw hour. It will only get more expensive as they decommission their nuclear power plants.The German economy has been weakening. China fully understands the consequences of reliable, cheap electricity. They may agree to the Paris accord in principle but in reality they will burn anything to generate electricity. India does the same.
The self inflicted economic harm and poverty in the West will have no effect on the climate, Just misery for the people.
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