Ohio Lines Failed Before Blackout; alarm that should have alerted controllers also failed

New York Times ^ | 08-17-03

[meyer]

I used to work for PG&E out west, and they had a vertically-integrated system which worked really well. They were in charge of generation, transmission, and distribution, and it worked really well until the politicians got involved.

Then you and I are in a similar boat. I worked originally for Cleveland Electric Illuminating company in a variety of jobs. In 1993, I got promoted to system dispatcher. In those days, we ran the system with but a handful of knowledgeable (and not so knowledgeable) people and it worked fine. We were also vertically integrated from plant to customer. Then, along came somebody that decided that the transmission grid should become a common carrier. That was the first problem.

In 1997, we merged with Ohio Edison to form FirstEnergy Corp. I wasn't real happy with the merger, but I was attending college part time and decided to stick it out. There were a multitude of reasons for my eventually leaving, but a good part of it was that they were taking big chances with the grid. In 1999, on a hot summer day, I witnessed the wheeling of huge amounts of power from AEP up through our grid and into Michigan. I had a 2000 amp 345 kv line loaded at 2000 amps all day. System voltage was in the dumps, and I recall spending about 15 minutes on the phone with MTD corp's VP of operations trying to explain why his voltage was so low that he could not operate the motors in his plant. It was obvious that we were in violation of NERC policy, since there was no contingency for a line tripping or generator loss.

Right after noon, the manager came out and basically told us that if any 345 kv line tripped, we were to dump a specific amount of load ASAP. I don't know about you, but I find that to be a rather risky proposal. It also doesn't sit well with me to put my own customers at risk so that another utility can use my lines to pass power to a third party.

I got my degree in 1999, and tried several times to take different positions within FirstEnergy, but I was pretty much locked in to dispatching. The final straw was when the passed me up for a foreman's job and gave it to a laid-off person that had never worked in a company substation in his life.

Oh yeah, in Cleveland, we never had a tree get into transmission - only distribution where it affected relatively few customers. At FirstEnergy, lines in southern and central Ohio were always tripping in the summer due to tree contact.

Sorry for the long-winded post.

[snopercod]

I like you.

[Grampa Dave]

Great catch. You should send that to the editor of the NY Post, so they can get a big spot light on their latest lie or manipulation of the truth.

[mrustow]

BTTT for later study.

[hoosierham]

Failure of a southern Ohio utility to keep trees trimmed was the apparent cause of a large plant experiencing loss of power, subsequent loss of production,etc a few weeks ago.

Power lines and any conductor like trees don't mix.

Now if the Internet over Power Lines had been deployed as some wish, the Net would have gone down as well.

[Domestic Church]

"American components, Russian components, All made in Taiwan!"

But it was the stock run 4hours before on the London exchange that made the money on this:

http://www.FreeRepublic.com/focus/f-news/964969/posts

[Domestic Church]

You're close...blame Hillary & Bill.

[Las Vegas Dave]

Amazing, I live a little over a mile from that Eastlake plant! In fact I can see the stacks from our bedroom window.

[meyer]

Amazing, I live a little over a mile from that Eastlake plant! In fact I can see the stacks from our bedroom window.

Eastlake unit 5 is a little temperamental, and I suspect that it doesn't get the maintenance it used to get when CEI ran the place. I wish I could talk to the old operators there - they were great to work with.

[meyer]

Failure of a southern Ohio utility to keep trees trimmed was the apparent cause of a large plant experiencing loss of power, subsequent loss of production,etc a few weeks ago.

While it is probably cost-prohibitive to keep all lines clear of all trees at all times, it shouldn't be hard to keep major transmission lines cleared - they are vital links.

[oldmanlegg]

I like both you guys. I’m an old construction hand and I’ve built the control room on three nukes and numerous hi voltage sub stations, and yours are the first sane comments I’ve seen since this started. I’m hoarse from hollowing at the TV.

I’m of the opinion that this couldn’t have happened like it’s being explained. I still expect foul play.

The one thing I know for sure is that the government is not the answer and that’s all I’m hearing.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

TOWPATH VILLAGE!!! I USED TO LIVE ON SMOKERISE!!!!!!

[meyer]

I’m of the opinion that this couldn’t have happened like it’s being explained. I still expect foul play.

If you knew FirstEnergy, you'd be surprised it didn't happen a few years ago...

[FreedomPoster]

It looks to me like:
.
.
- the grid is not simply a bunch of DC batteries and light bulbs hooked together; it is a giant oscillator (albeit a low-frequency one), and it obeys Maxwell's equations whether politicians like it or not.

I suspect that before this is all over, we will see the equivalent of legislating that Pi = 3.000

[FreedomPoster]

If you guys start a ping list on this, put me on it. Worked in your industry as a co-op student in college, don't know 1/10 of what you guys do, but know enough that I find myself yelling at the TV like the oldman. If you see any more technical detail instead of reportoral bravo sierra, please ping me.

[Bayou City]

Bump for later!

[boxerblues]

They are forgetting one outage in Lake County on Weds we lost power for about an hour. If this is the result of switches not working I can see several lawsuit heading toward ABB which has control unit in almost all of these plant

[snopercod]

What craft were you? Electrician?

I learned a lot from watching the various crafts at Diablo Canyon. Those guys (and a few gals) were the best there was. I was young and foolish back in the 70s. I didn't realize that I was helping to build a shrine.

While I've not ruled out foul play, I think it is more likely that it was just a bungled-up system. From what I've read so far, that Lake Erie area seemed like an accident waiting to happen. Too many different systems all tied together up there - all with different agendas.

I can't stand to watch TV on this, either. I've sent several flaming E-mails to Fox, but they just keep repeating the same stupid mistakes.

The truth will come out, but not on TV. You will read it right here on FR, eventually.

[oldmanlegg]

Yes-Instrument / Electrical with emphasis on electrical. I was the Super in charge of installation and start up of the control room on several nukes. Built refinery and chemical projects worldwide. Lot of work with power companies when tying in my projects. Fairly familiar with how grid works and it’s hard for me to believe it’s a mechanical failure. To many built in safety devices.

If it wasn’t the “worm” that was attacking computers at the time, then I would look at disgruntled union employees. See this article "Union threatens to desert Verizon" in Washington Times published the day of failure. Same union same area. They don’t like Bush and the dems are pointing fingers everywhere. Just a thought.

[snopercod]

Tip-o-the-hardhat to you, sir.

Interesting about the union connection. One more thing that you will never hear on TV.