The Great Blackout of 2003 (Putting the blame where it belongs - The Clintonistas!)

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | August 16, 2003 | Editorial Staff

[buzzyboop]

Clinton-era Energy Secretary Bill Richardson was quick to pour the footer for the foundation of blame for The Great Blackout of 2003.

"(W)e're the world's greatest superpower, but we have a Third World electricity grid," said Mr. Richardson, now the governor of New Mexico. "We have antiquated transmission lines. We have an overloaded system that has not had any new investments and we don't have mandatory reliability standards on utilities, which caused this problem."

[buzzyboop]

The Dims that pin the blame on President Bush don't know how ridiculous they sound. As if the grid can be updated overnight..

[lonestar]

Down here in Texas we have plenty of electrical power.

George W. Bush's fault?

[FairOpinion]

I am glad to see people are starting to put the blame, where it belongs.

===

"Leading environmental organizations, for example, make it very, very difficult to build new power plants and oil refineries. No major oil refineries have been built in the U.S. since 1976, although the number of vehicles in use has doubled and refineries are running at capacity.

A regulatory change made during the Clinton Administration to a program called New Source Review has, as the EPA puts it, "impeded or resulted in the cancellation of projects that would maintain or improve reliability, efficiency or safety of existing power plants and refineries."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/965117/posts

[Voltage]

Don't these East Coasters plan ahead at all? The company I work for has 1 megawatt of diesel generating capacity that can come on line in a few seconds. We can run off the power grid whenever we wish. In fact we are automatically switched off during extreem cold and extreem heat and operations continue just fine.

Planning ahead pays...but apparently not if you are an idiot or prefer blaming someone else for your woes.

[lonestar]

I would like to thank the same Gov. Richardson for wasting the money of his New Mexico taxpayers to guard the Chicken Democrats from Texas.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

Richardson did his William Ginsburg act yesterday-the round face was everywhere chanting, " Third World Grid ". The Dems should just shave their heads and put on orange robes and chant,that's all they're good for.

[CyberAnt]

It's even worse than that - SENATOR CLINTON - and her minions in the Senate obstructed the ENERGY PLAN which President Bush put forth 2 YEARS AGO. The House passed it, and sent it to the Senate - there it sits!!

Hitlery has NO ONE BUT HERSELF TO BLAME FOR THIS - PLUS THE FACT THAT HER HUSBAND'S ADMIN IGNORED ANY UPGRADE FOR YEARS.

[Kaslin]

The Dims that pin the blame on President Bush don't know how ridiculous they sound. As if the grid can be updated overnight..

Why wasn't the grid updated during Billy Jeff's term?

[Paleo Conservative]

We're the world's greatest superpower, but we have a Third World electricity grid," said Mr. Richardson, now the governor of New Mexico. "We have antiquated transmission lines. We have an overloaded system that has not had any new investments and we don't have mandatory reliability standards on utilities, which caused this problem."

Interesting how Richardson tries to imply that the became antiquated only in the period since noon on January 20, 2001.

[LOC1]

The National Energy Policy was published in May 2001. This policy was developed by a cabinet level group led by Vice President Cheney. Chapter seven of the policy discusses America's Energy Infrastructure and the need to update the power grid specifically. Major recommendationsin the NEP require legislation to be passed by congress, and there it sits over two years later. Specifically, it has been held up in the Senate by Senate Democrats.

[LOC1]

For a copy of the National Energy Policy go here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/

[snopercod]

The New Yorkers did it to themselves. Their Public Utilities Commission is packed with union thugs, environmentalists, and political hacks.

Problems with circular flows around Lake Erie have been going on for years. Canada, Michigan, Ohio, Pensylvania, and New York are all pushing and pulling on the grid, without a means of coordinating their systems. New York has refused to join the Regional Transmission Organization which would have managed these kinds of problems.

The Bush administration has been trying to address the bailing wire and bubble gum system up there (unlike Bill Richardson who sat there on his fat a$$ for 18 months doing nothing noteworthy). But New York, earlier this year, refused to join with the rest of the North East to form a Regional Transmission Organization, so problems like this could be avoided. [link].

This is what is so great about FR. You won't hear this information on TV or anywhere else. I have provided some links so you can check it out for yourself and decide whether I am drawing the correct conclusions or not. (Thanks, Jim)

And as for the Bush administration not doing anything, read [this]

[CyberAnt]

You are exactly correct!!

[Arpege92]

The rats are alot like the blackout we experienced Thursday. Completely and totally in the dark when it comes to real issues.

[Maria S]

"Down here in Texas we have plenty of electrical power."

Yeah, but we've also got lots of power lines and pumps bringing up natural gas all over the place. Those yankees don't want that stuff in their backyards.

[beelzepug]

...shave their heads and put on orange robes and chant..."

Well, it sure would make them easier to spot from a distance.

[lonestar]

Those yankees don't want that stuff in their backyards.

But they want the benefits--just want us to put up with the smell.