Update on My Post: Not the End of the World-- Just a Crippling Ice Storm . . .
This post is an update on my post, Not the End of the World-- Just a Crippling Ice Storm . . .
Last night, I was informed by my wife at dinnertime, that people we know in Massachusetts and New Hampshire are still without power one week later . . . this is disgraceful! Especially with the premium prices these companies command for their "service".
In this day and age, we shouldn't expect flawless utilities, but service interruptions of a week or more? A couple of years ago Queens, NY was powerless for almost two weeks in the dog days of summer.
My theory is that in their rush to cut costs (and thereby raise THEIR profits), the utility companies cut staff through layoffs and attrition and now lack the manpower to adequately deal with problems to the system when they occur.
Bottomline: 2008 and we, the consumers, still suffer at the hands of greedy incompetents . . . be prepared to help yourself, because "they" certainly won't do it!
Categories: Homesteading, Self Sufficiency, DIY, Simple Living
Tags: Homesteading Self Sufficiency DIY Simple Living
Part of the reality of the world we live in is that our infrastructure (and the veneer of society) is relatively thin. The number of miles of transmission and distribution lines that are exposed to harsh weather (and other causes of failure) is amazing.
And, ice storms are difficult to defend against because of the weight they put on the lines and the number of miles of line and hundreds of structures they affect.
Also, many of the systems have had their customer load grow up around them and so we have inadequate systems to feed the load - that leads to failure. Lastly, some of the infrastructure is difficult to maintain, replace or update due in part to its location, so allowing failure (for a small set of causes) is an approach to management practiced by the industry.
Responding to large failures is very time consuming, no matter how many troops are in the field 24/7. The wise thing is to recognize electric power as just another one of the many things that we have become dependent on. You are right, a backup plan is in order.
Everyone should have fuel and a little generator of some sort that gets tested periodically. If you count on candles and oil lamps during a power outage, that's just what you'll have to work with.
We don't get long power outages out here in the prairie, but they occur many times throughout the year. High winds slap lines together, and the lines trip out. We've only had to use our generator once, to keep chicks warm during a power failure. Our backup power source gets tested ever month or so for at least 10 to 15 minutes so I know that it is ready.
We all have a choice - pay a little extra upfront to be personally prepared, or be at the mercy of others to whom we have become a type of dependant.
Clair
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