Make a Power Move?

[travelover]

From a practical standpoint, if all you need is power for the internet and a few lights and the refrigerator, you can get by with a small quiet inverter generator. In my breaker box, I have a main circuit breaker interlock that allows me to turn off the main breaker and flip a second inlet breaker connected to a generator plug. This interlock is made by the same company that makes the breaker box - totally legitimate and safe.

I wired a plug for my small 110 volt generator that powers both sides of the breaker box. I flip off all the 220 volt breakers, but it is not really necessary as those circuits see 0 volts between the two legs. I have a second, larger 220 volt generator that plugs into the same inlet and powers anything in the house. I use it intermittently to power the well, but it is loud and sucks fuel.

 

[aja8888]

California is a great place to visit, but I'd never want to live there. Between the cost of living, taxes, overbearing laws, earthquakes, fires, etc., I don't know why anyone would choose to live there. Sorry Californians!

Don't forget about one's "low carbon footprint"!

 

[Another Reader]

And how did the regulators deal with that? And how long did it go unnoticed by the regulators?

-ERD50

They didn't. This has been going on for over half a century. The regulators are part of the problem. When PG&E was forced to divest their plants so the state could implement deregulation but had to sell the power at existing contract rates, all those good old energy traders from out of state manipulated the newly created market and drove them into bankruptcy #1. There was no money for anything at that point. Regulators were afraid PG&E would disappear and gave them a pass on pretty much everything.

The wikipedia article on PG&E is eye-opening if you haven't lived with this mess.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Gas_and_Electric_Company

 

[Senator]

Maybe it's time for CA to get everyone off the grid. They have plenty of solar power and battery banks.

I toured properties at Prescott, AZ. There were many real nice homes, off the grid.

It would be best for the environment to just shut the utility down, not fix the infrastructure.

 

[Rianne]

The Midwest is lovely in the spring, summer and fall. We have the Great Lakes. Not many storms or fires. Lots of water, clean water. I do feel guilty eating almonds. I love them.

 

[Another Reader]

Maybe it's time for CA to get everyone off the grid. They have plenty of solar power and battery banks.

I toured properties at Prescott, AZ. There were many real nice homes, off the grid.

It would be best for the environment to just shut the utility down, not fix the infrastructure.

Well, the governor said yesterday after his visit to the Kincade fire zone that California was now a nation-state... Maybe after he is appointed King, he can do that.

Something maybe ERD can answer - During these shutdowns, the utilities seem to de-energize the distribution lines, not the long distance transmission lines. I assume the transmission lines have to stay active to support the larger grid. Is that accurate? I wonder if there is much point to shutting down the distribution lines, because most of the big fires have been caused by transmission line failures. Thoughts on this?

 

[swakyaby]

I’ve lived in California my entire life, and I have noticed the climate has gradually changed. Summers are hotter (inland) and the dry season now lasts longer. It used to be the rains started in October, coinciding with some windy days. Now, the windy days still occur in the fall, but the rains don’t seem to come until well into December. It makes the months of October and November extremely dry and still windy. The mega-fires that have occurred in recent years seem to, at least in part, reflect the noticeable climate change.

Why would anyone still want to live in California? Well, the whole state is not big cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco. There are still beautiful areas with lakes, streams, forested mountains, the Pacific Ocean coastline along with some very nice weather. I have sometimes thought about moving to another part of the country after retiring. But this state feels like home. And I am fortunate to be living in a city that is not served by PG&E which is currently shutting down power to neighboring communities due to forecasts of high winds, while my power remains on. If I were subject to PG&E’s power shutdowns (which last for days, not hours), I would consider relocating too.

 

[marko]

Wait a minute...what happened to Florida being the state nobody wanted to live?

 

[calmloki]

Yep - Kansas - the new retirement fantasy land

 

[swakyaby]

Yep - Kansas - the new retirement fantasy land

 

[Montecfo]

To a degree. But they probably have as much call on help as flood and hurricane areas do. They overbuilt in high risk burn areas but others build up barrier islands and flood plains. Also there seems to be evidence that the CA burns are greater due to climate change which is less CA's fault than other locations. CA has done more to push emission controls than others haven't they?

Sure.

California has done little to address its water, power and more recently homeless/addiction issues. In fact they have enacted policies which make these issues worse.

Why not simply rely on solar and wind?

 

[RAE]

Also there seems to be evidence that the CA burns are greater due to climate change which is less CA's fault than other locations.

+1. It doesn't make sense to blame this problem solely on the utility. There are going to be more fires in Calif. in the coming years, and more intense fires, because of climate change - regardless what measures PG&E takes to prevent them. I'm sure it's extremely disruptive to experience these power outages, and I would not be happy if I lived there either, but we've unfortunately failed to deal with climate change (even though we knew this would happen) for years/decades now. So, what is happening now was really quite predictable. And in another decade or two, the inconveniences being experienced now are probably going to seem pretty minor compared to what is coming. It's not a pretty picture.

 

[Senator]

Yep. They should arrest the CEO and order the utility to be shut down immediately. Just like they do to banks.

Or add a large surcharge to everyone's bill so they can replace the infrastructure and pay restitution for fire damages.

Then, everyone wins.

 

[RAE]

The Midwest is lovely in the spring, summer and fall. We have the Great Lakes. Not many storms or fires. Lots of water, clean water. I do feel guilty eating almonds. I love them.

I don't know about lack of storms in the Midwest. Northern Wisconsin had a huge windstorm this past July (with winds up to 100 mph) that flattened approximately 250,000 acres of forest land. Yes, you read that right, a quarter million acres. Not many homes were destroyed, and no lives were lost, so you probably didn't read that much about it in the papers. And we've had quite a few (supposedly) 100-year rainstorm events in the Midwest over the last 5-10 years or so also.

We do have plenty of fresh water, though. The Great Lakes are all at record- or near-record water levels right now. People living along the shores of the Great Lakes are having all sorts of problems trying to cope with the high water that has eroded their shorelines, and in some causes is now threatening their homes.

I'm not sure Al would like the winters in the Midwest either.......there is that nasty Polar Vortex that seems to pay us a visit at least a couple times each winter.

But hey, you have to live somewhere, right?..........

 

[bigreader]

Sure.

California has done little to address its water, power and more recently homeless/addiction issues. In fact they have enacted policies which make these issues worse.

Why not simply rely on solar and wind?

What policies are you referring to? It would be good to understand how Virginia, and particularly Northern Virginia, dealt with these issues differently and with better results.

 

[aaronc879]

California is a great place to visit, but I'd never want to live there. Between the cost of living, taxes, overbearing laws, earthquakes, fires, etc., I don't know why anyone would choose to live there. Sorry Californians!

And don't forget the homeless. I prefer societies that are not in complete disarray and deteriorating to unbelievable levels. The homeless issue is one of those problems without any solution.

In addition to high wages in certain sectors, I think the weather is what drives most people to coastal California. No where better in the continental US. That is also why there is a larger homeless population than anywhere else. It's the best place for living outside, in a tent, or in a car. I also do not see a solution.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

What policies are you referring to? It would be good to understand how Virginia, and particularly Northern Virginia, dealt with these issues differently and with better results.

I can answer part of your question. The town next to me where I have a rental property voted in a tax on the utility bill. (water or electric, can't remember at this moment.) This tax is for homeless services. So the police department hands out mats to sleep on, phones, and other goodies as well.

Result? Now there's a dozen or so out there instead of hardly any which had been the norm. So the property owners ultimately raise the rents on the tenants to pay for a tax so the homeless can be given more things and attract more homeless.

 

[COcheesehead]

Don't forget about one's "low carbon footprint"!

Bring your own straws too.

 

[bigreader]

I can answer part of your question. The town next to me where I have a rental property voted in a tax on the utility bill. (water or electric, can't remember at this moment.) This tax is for homeless services. So the police department hands out mats to sleep on, phones, and other goodies as well.

Result? Now there's a dozen or so out there instead of hardly any which had been the norm. So the property owners ultimately raise the rents on the tenants to pay for a tax so the homeless can be given more things and attract more homeless.

So let me ask you this. Did this program create homelessness? Do people give up homes and orderly lives so that they can sleep outside on mats that the local cops hand out? You may or may not agree, but I think not. Then the issue becomes what is the right step to address a problem or is it best to ignore it. A lot of communities, maybe most, ignore it or give it minimal attention. However, this basically outsources a local problem to other communities, businesses and churches who respond.

Again, I can accept that a community chooses not to act on some of these issues and maintains the status quo. But then it can't claim to be better or more virtuous. The problem hasn't been solved, it's been outsourced.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

So let me ask you this. Did this program create homelessness? Do people give up homes and orderly lives so that they can sleep outside on mats that the local cops hand out? You may or may not agree, but I think not. Then the issue becomes what is the right step to address a problem or is it best to ignore it. A lot of communities, maybe most, ignore it or give it minimal attention. However, this basically outsources a local problem to other communities, businesses and churches who respond.

Again, I can accept that a community chooses not to act on some of these issues and maintains the status quo. But then it can't claim to be better or more virtuous. The problem hasn't been solved, it's been outsourced.

You asked for a policy, so I gave you one. By asking if they gave up homes and orderly lives to come get a free mat, you describe a ludicrous scenario to defend the policy.

As long as you increase the taxes for the population that pays taxes, and give that taxation to those that don't contribute to the tax base, the group that receives the freebies will grow larger and larger.

Eventually you run out of other peoples money.

 

[SmallCityDave]

Climate change

 

[street]

You can have the best built constructed lines and high winds are still an issue. PUD are heavily regulated and in most cases the public don't want lines to be built and the problems go on and on for UC's.

 

[Senator]

Proper forest management would go a long ways towards solving the forest fire issue. Forests need to be logged to prevent fires.

 

[Senator]

You asked for a policy, so I gave you one. By asking if they gave up homes and orderly lives to come get a free mat, you describe a ludicrous scenario to defend the policy.

As long as you increase the taxes for the population that pays taxes, and give that taxation to those that don't contribute to the tax base, the group that receives the freebies will grow larger and larger.

Eventually you run out of other peoples money.

Give a person a match, you keep them warm for a minute. Light a person on fire, you keep them warm the rest of their life.

 

[street]

Proper forest management would go a long ways towards solving the forest fire issue. Forests need to be logged to prevent fires.

Another great point made. The state has not been any help for PUD in their laws and regulations over the years.