Dark Days Ahead (Jason Leopold, Truthout)

[jpak]

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101706J.shtml

One of the biggest failures of George W. Bush's presidency has been his administration's total disregard of the nation's power infrastructure - an issue that is a larger threat to homeland security than the impending attack on US soil by al Qaeda-type terrorists for which we've been issued murky warnings over the years.

On Monday, the North American Electric Reliability Council, an organization funded by the power industry, and that was named by federal regulators in July as the new watchdog group in charge of overseeing the rules for operating the nation's power grid, issued a grim report that confirmed an investigative story first reported by Truthout in August: three years after a devastating blackout left 50 million people in the dark in the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada for nearly three days, and forced the closure of the New York Stock Exchange, nothing substantial has been done to overhaul the country's dilapidated power grid.

"The adequacy of North America's electricity system will decline unless changes are made soon," said Rick Sergel, president and CEO of the North American Electric Reliability Council. "Our economy and quality of life are more reliant on electricity every day, yet the operation and planning for a reliable and adequate electricity system is becoming increasingly difficult. The transmission system requires additional investment to address reliability issues and economic impacts. Expansion and strengthening of the transmission system continues to lag demand growth and expansion of generating resources in most areas."

Today, the US power grid - three interconnected grids made up of 3,500 utilities serving 283 million people - still hangs together by a thread. The slightest glitch on the transmission superhighway could upset the smooth distribution of electricity over thousands of miles of transmission lines and darken states from Ohio to New York in a matter of seconds, bringing hospitals and airports to a standstill and putting an untold number of lives at risk.

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[grytpype]

1. Gosh, how many business hours do we have left until the blackout?

:scared:

[phantom power]

2. I hear there are still people without power in Buffalo. Two weeks later.

[bluestateguy]

3. Now will those days be measured in 24 hours or 24 business hours?

nt

[liberal N proud]

4. This could happen on November 7th

It would be easy for them to use something like this to disrupt the elections.

:tinfoilhat:

[MrModerate]

5. Any post that starts out "One of the biggest failures of GW Bush . . ."

Is going to have a lengthy list of "biggest" to draw from.

However, infrastructure failures would certainly make the list. The problem highlights where this administration is profoundly screwed up in a way that equally ideological administrations (none come to mind right now, but you know what I mean) were not: there is no interest at the top in good governance. Governing is boooooring, and best left to greasy grinds who (surprise, surprise) don't really enjoy working for ideologues; only politics is interesting enough to get the blood pumping.

Like so much else, Bush has shined the electrical infrastructure on, leaving for someone else to fix.

And so neglect of the grid is also "one of the biggest" justifications for his immediate impeachment.

[bullimiami]

6. well. its nice to be at the end of a long archipelago for a change.

[Horse with no Name]

7. It's the privatization that is killing us

These companies reep huge profits then refuse to keep up the infrastructure.
When it all goes to hell, they are awarded government grants to fix what they should have fixed with their profits and then they only put bandaids on it.
It's the ultimate boondoggle.
I live in an older home circa 1950. We have had to have electricians put in extra outlets because back then, there wasn't a need for all of the extra circuitry. So if you think about in this vein, it makes sense. In a home in the 1950's, there was probably one television and a radio. In my home, we have 6 televisions, 4 computers, 6 VCR's, 6 DVD players, alarm clocks in each room, 4 cell phones that have to be charged, a microwave, deep freeze, as well as other luxury items. My home wasn't built for this. We had to adapt. Multiply my home exponentially, and it isn't hard to figure out that our infrastructure would have to be adapted for this. Problem is, it isn't.
One of these days, people will awaken to find our country living like a Third World country and only have electricity certain hours of the day because our government would rather their croneys make a few bucks instead of taking care of business.

[SheilaT]

8. Whew! You have a lot of stuff.

Although probably a typical amount. Let's see, we have one TV, 3 computers (5 when sons are home from college), 1 VCR/DVD player, 2 cell phones (4 when sons are home), 6 or so clock radios, fridge, electric stove, microwave, and probably stuff I'm forgetting about. Our house, built about 30 years ago, has about 2/3 of the circuitry on one thing. Whoever wired it put way too much stuff on one circuit, and sometimes blow-drying my hair without turning off a couple of lights trips the whatchacallit (can't remember the name, dammit!). Ideally I suppose houses at least thirty years old should be completely rewired, but the real point is how much more stuff sucking up electricity we all have.

[Horse with no Name]

9. I agree

Too much stuff. However, there are 4 adults and 1 child living under my roof. My two oldest in college live at home, and they have the majority of stuff.

[DemReadingDU]

11. Lots of electric used in my house too

plus washng machine/dryer, hair dryers, treadmill, etc., and my hubby has a garage full of power tools. I'd hate the day when we couldn't use any of this stuff that we've been accustomed to have and need.

[Kolesar]

12. Do you mean "deregulation" as opposed to "privatization"?

In Ohio, the deregulation scheme totally fell apart. It was only tried in First Energy's territory. Green Mountain Energy & the regional buying collective ended their agreement, and now we are back to FE as the supplier.

[skids]

10. Solar panels and microwind sounding better and better...

...each day.