Ohio Utility Says Grid Had Problems Hours Before Its Lines Failed

AP via TBO ^ | August 17,2003 | H. Josef Hebert

[b4its2late]

Sure, yeah right, uh huh, sure.......

[MEG33]

Meaning?

[John W]

Guess I didn't take it as typical cya,particularly since this stuff can be determined at some point.What concrned me in the article was trouble that long before the big one and it wasn't caught and stopped and this tidbit:"...except for a link between Michigan and Ontario, Canada that remains out "due to operational security reasons."

[b4its2late]

My comment was from another thread.......just carrying on that we in NY suffered from some indiscretion in OH.....

[b4its2late]

Nothing series........

[MEG33]

I was looking for something hugh....;)

[MEG33]

I think someone thought the alarm was too sensitive and turned it off!(Another worthless opinion from the gallery!)

[Dolphy]

except for a link between Michigan and Ontario, Canada that remains out "due to operational security reasons."

I find this interesting too. And is it just bad luck or coincidence that multiple monitors failed to detect and intervene in Ohio?

[aristeides]

And cyberterrorism is ruled out exactly why?

[witnesstothefall]

Actually, I recall reading a poster's comments, early on in the crisis, about a very strange brownout experience he had in Ohio. I believe it was on the megathread from the other day.

[ohioWfan]

It WAS my fan!!

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Am I going to have to drive over there and hit you upside the head? Wait toaster oven is done before you go and turn on the hair dryer! Gesh...

[ohioWfan]

You guys across the line kept your power, didn't you??

I'd better listen to you............... no electric rollers with the iron plugged in either??

[power2]

except for a link between Michigan and Ontario, Canada that remains out "due to operational security reasons."

"I find this interesting too. And is it just bad luck or coincidence that multiple monitors failed to detect and intervene in Ohio?"

According to other news reports, neither the Canadian system nor the Michigan Systems were fully restored at the time of this article. They probably wanted to get the systems more stable and restoration more complete before tying them together. Trying to synchronize two systems that are still not stable would be asking for trouble.

As far as the First Energy alarms, my guess is that the operators saw the problem, but hoped to get past the peak load hours without incident. Power System Operators did this all the time up until now. It is very expensive, both in terms of money and politics, to shed load for something that "might" happen. In this case, those operators probably lost the gamble on that day.

[OrioleFan]

FirstEnergy Corp should have never run that high voltage line down to Amish country...

[PennsylvaniaMom]

From what the local paper said, PA had power to spare...turn the AC to 'frosty.' Actually, they pinpointed PA staying lite to a power station in Valley Forge...apparently, they were on their toes and did whatever it was they had to do to stop the domino effect that was happening. Of course it could have been that I was defrosting our 30 year old 'beer/pop/extra milk' refridgerator (in our garage)...that spared the extra juice for the Commonwealth...thats it...just thank me!

[Dolphy]

As far as the First Energy alarms, my guess is that the operators saw the problem, but hoped to get past the peak load hours without incident. Power System Operators did this all the time up until now. It is very expensive, both in terms of money and politics, to shed load for something that "might" happen. In this case, those operators probably lost the gamble on that day.

This sounds like the kind of value judgement they may have made after the first line but are you suggesting that they made it again after the second line? As I recall these lines didn't fail all at once.

[ohioWfan]

Hmmmmmmm........must be related to Homeland Security.....

How to spot a terrorist in Ohio......

[ohioWfan]

We actually got power transferred from another company in Ohio, so we were out of power for only 5 hours......

Oh........and the Commonwealth should give you a citation for your efforts to save power........ :o)

btw, the above picture I posted might be applicable to Pennsylvania as well........feel free to 'borrow' it, if you wish.