Big Isle gets rolling blackouts

Honolulu Star Bulletin ^ | Saturday, November 23, 2002 | Star-Bulletin staff

[Vidalia]

HILO >> A sudden problem at Hamakua Energy Partners north of Hilo forced the Hawaii Electric Light Co. to conduct rolling blackouts throughout part of the day yesterday, according to the company.

The forced outages affected 10,600 customers.

Hamakua Energy Partners is an independent company that sells power to Helco.

The problem began at 8:04 a.m. when Hamakua abruptly cut off 32 megawatts, Helco said. The island needs up to 170 megawatts, Helco has said.

The morning breakdown caused lost power to 3,300 customers, but Helco was able to start old, standby equipment and restore power in 13 minutes.

As power demand increased toward midday, Helco could not keep up and conducted rolling blackouts affecting 7,300 customers from 12:25 to 2:43 p.m., the company said.

At 3:27 p.m., Hamakua returned its 32 megawatts to service. The cause of Hamakua's malfunction is being investigated, according to Helco.

[Vidalia]

If you're going to San Francisco be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

If you are going to the Big Island of Hawaii, be sure to take a generator...

[I_Love_My_Husband]

How very California of them!

[scouse]

The cause of Hamakua's malfunction is being investigated, according to Helco.

This is what happens when you vote for a dead person. It is known as "The Curse of Patsy Mink".

[toddst]

If you are going to the Big Island of Hawaii, be sure to take a generator..

These things happen - equipment failures, for one. Time-wise, the loss of power was WAY less than in many places where storms cause outages that could not be prevented. Much ado about nothing IMO.

[Vidalia]

Much ado about nothing IMO.

But not when it occurs on a daily, weekly or biweekly basis.

Time of outage is irrelevant. It's 11 a.m. and you're working on an intense data recordation that took you weeks to gather and this is in preparation for a primary database to be backed up upon completion when BAM...no juice, no warning just darkness.

Or a "brownout" occurs frequently, you know, the kind that doesn't quite turn everything off completely, but does disrupt just enough power to turn off every clock, VCR and other toy that is power sensitive.

It is rather like a mosquito that is continuously buzzing your ears for some unfathomable reason and you are unable to kill it or escape it, for it follows you everywhere, and after a while it becomes a real irritant...

[El Gato]

These things happen - equipment failures, for one.

True, stuff breaks. However there should be sufficient reserves to allow for the failure of any one piece of equipment. In this case one generator, one boiler, even one station.

[toddst]

But not when it (power interruption)occurs on a daily, weekly or biweekly basis.

My suggestion is a battery backup for critical electronic equipment. If more power is required then do install an auto-switched backup generator. Power interruptions happen and are most often beyond the producer/provider's control. There is no 24/365 guarantee I'm aware of that you don't provide yourself BTW.

[pabianice]

What poetic justice!

[toddst]

. . . there should be sufficient reserves to allow for the failure of any one piece of equipment. In this case one generator, one boiler, even one station.

Typically there is a certain capacity beyond regular demand. However, if the reserve is excessive providing that overage increases power costs for all users.

[Vidalia]

Power interruptions happen and are most often beyond the producer/provider's control.

The vast majority of these are not.

(I have actually been told by a manager in litigation that "the wind caused the spark-over". After gathering data from the local weather service that showed no wind present, they folded like a house of cards. This BS lying to the customer is rampant.)

They are caused by inept management, fiscal irresponsibility, monies going to pay the exorbitant wages of the union membership that could be used for upgrading the system, etc.

Hawaii is a non seasonal state, and except for the occasional hurricane/severe tropical storm, there should be little excuse for these brownouts and blackouts.

When you pay your bills you expect a reasonable return of electrical service, not this fluctuating availability.

Excepting for the above "acts of God" one should not have to purchase anything more than a very temporary (APC or such) power supply.

Suggesting anything more, such as a full on generator is asinine.

Maybe I should only pay part of my electrical bill, since I am only receiving part of the service for which I contracted.

Yes, that makes perfect sense...

[Old Professer]

Time of outage is irrelevant. It's 11 a.m. and you're working on an intense data recordation that took you weeks to gather and this is in preparation for a primary database to be backed up upon completion when BAM...no juice, no warning just darkness.

Or a "brownout" occurs frequently, you know, the kind that doesn't quite turn everything off completely, but does disrupt just enough power to turn off every clock, VCR and other toy that is power sensitive.

If you are going tobe doing this kind of work, you definitely need a UPS/CPS between your computer and the power source; a brownout is when a minimal amount of power is being delivered because no power loads have been shaved and voltage drops below 110-208AC; heats the crap out of everything as the amperage peaks.

[Vidalia]

Have for quite a while (that was just an example), but that is not the essence of the problem.

It is the fact that these unscheduled interruptions occur on a frequent basis and the true causes thereof aren't forthcoming from the service provider.

When in central Texas, our electric supply has endured torrential rains, temperatures that may range from 112 during the day to below freezing the next day, tornadoes and the ever fun ice storms, without the inconsistencies of supply found on the Big Island. Maybe an independent audit of the Hawaii Electric Company is in order for the not so distant future...

[toddst]

Excepting for the above "acts of God" one should not have to purchase anything more than a very temporary (APC or such) power supply. Suggesting anything more, such as a full on generator is asinine. Maybe I should only pay part of my electrical bill, since I am only receiving part of the service for which I contracted.

Obviously you are free to do as you wish with any "suggestion." Why you find it necessary to characterize what's said as "asinine" reveals more about your intolerance of disagreement than anything about my response.

Take a good look at your contract with the power company. No guarantee of uninterrupted service IMO. Propose a contract that guarantees continous service and see how they respond. My guess is they'll want to install a standby auto-on generator set because that's the only way continous power can be assured.

[toddst]

BTW I'm interested in knowing what you describe as "acts of God" that would impact your power service? My faith assures me that God doesn't mess around with mere natural events like storms.

[hove]

Why the people of the Big Island would buy HELCO electricity at 20+ cents/KWH is beyond me. The island is bathed in solar energy. Every house could be an energy producer.

[Tony in Hawaii]

Hawaii Ocean View Estates?

[hove]

I'm not there at this time...dang it...;>)

Big Island??

[Tony in Hawaii]

I used to live in Hawaiian Acres, between Hilo and Volcano, but I moved back to California a year and a half ago.