Lights Out!

ChronWatch ^ | 16 August 2003 | Doc Farmer

[DocFarmer]

"Lights Out!"

Posted by Doc Farmer Saturday, August 16, 2003

On Thursday, the lights went out along a good stretch of the eastern seaboard. Some blamed lightning, some blamed mechanical failure, some blamed terrorists, and some just reserved judgment until the facts could be discerned. But the real reason behind the failure is not the material issue here. It is that the failure could happen in the first place that must be examined.

For decades, America’s energy grid has been susceptible to damage, failure, and attack. Yes, safety measures are in place, but they do not address the root problem--the infrastructure design. America’s electrical distribution is set along wide areas with major distribution nodes. Although these nodes are monitored, a failure in one can result in a cascade failure of a number of different generators, substations and grids. As was demonstrated on Thursday.

For most of the larger companies and operations, this has been an unscheduled test of their disaster recovery plans (also known as business continuity). Diesel generators are chugging along providing power for essential services and operations. Hospitals do that sort of thing as well, as a matter of course, to help keep their patients alive. But most homeowners and smaller businesses will lose money, time, and patience during the hours of darkness. For them, it is a relatively minor inconvenience. Multiply that a few million times, and it becomes a major concern.

Why has this situation been allowed to stay this way for so long? Why leave a system vulnerable to failure on such a large scale? Probably because the scale to fix the mess is even larger than the vulnerability. And if you only have a failure like this once every decade or two, it’s probably cheaper to just deal with the problem at that point than to fix the underlying infrastructure.

At least, it used to be. Since 9/11, the rules have changed.

We are now a country at war. The lib/dem/soc/commies don’t want to admit or believe that, but it’s a fact. And we have to consider the possibility that our major utilities could be disrupted, on both a local and a regional scale. When the attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania occurred, the entire national air system was grounded. For days. People were stranded, commerce was severely disrupted, and the nation was almost at a standstill. This deepened an economic slowdown that had already been brewing since 2000. Now, imagine if it were to happen again, but on a less spectacular scale.

I remember, long ago, reading a book by a security expert who claimed that the majority of the national grid could be disabled if only six key sites were hit. Instead of the eastern seaboard going dark, think about 3/4 of the country without power. The rest of the country would learn what Californians had to deal with regarding their (lack of) electricity, but not on a rolling blackout basis. This would be longer term.

And think about when. If summer, people would die from the heat, as recently happened in France without a major blackout. If winter, people would die from cold and exposure. Couple that with the economic impact, which could reach the trillions of dollars, and you’ve got a country on the ropes. A situation that would take years, perhaps decades, to rectify.

It’s time that the energy companies sit down together and figure out a way to fix this mess. Actually it was tried, but the lib/dem/soc/commie politicians and media got their knickers in a knot when the current Chief Executive tried to put together a comprehensive national energy policy, which could have addressed this. They kept braying ''Enron'' this, and ''Enron'' that, knowing full well that it was a smokescreen to cover their own failed policies and laws.

This power outage should be a wake-up call to the folks back in Washington. We need to get this problem fixed. Yes, it’ll take years and cost a lot of money. But when you consider the essential nature of the national grid, and the impact in lives and economics from a large-scale outage, it is time and money well spent.

Doc Farmer is a freelance writer who currently lives in Doha, Qatar. He receives e-mail at: docfarmer9999@yahoo.co.uk

This article was originally posted on ChronWatch at: http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=3880

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[gunnedah]

The liberal communist Democrats full well know we are at war. Not only with the terrorist but with them for the soul of the nation.
The liberal lies have started and this is just another step for government under the liberals to take over, like the communist.
Hillary Clinton came out trying to insite rioting with her speech just after this happened. A ploy used for years by communist.She also went on to try and place the blame on Bush trying to cover for her cronie liberal Democrat Senators in the areas most affected by the power outage.
Clintons lies would be exposed but the so called "Liberal Mainstream Media" will help her cover them up.
Bush in 2001 tried to show this problem and the Democrats and environmentalist would have not part of modernizing the system.
Also,Bill Richardson the Democrat Governor from New Mexico who was Bill Clintons energy czar also said that they had brought this to Congress when they were in office and they failed to respond. Well remember, the Democrats controlled the Senate because old Jim Jeffords dropped the Republican Party and Commisar Daschle and friends controlled the Senate.
Wake up conservatives dont let the Communist agenda with their "Mainstream Media" hide these facts.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

Good posting.

This time around it was a three day weekend for the East Coast. What about in January during a blizzard or ice storm?

[rmvh]

For decades, America’s energy grid has been susceptible to damage, failure, and attack. .....It’s time that the energy companies sit down together and figure out a way to fix this mess.

THE WAY "OUT OF THIS MESS" IS TO INSURE THAT PEOPLE WITH THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY AND EXPERIENCE, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITHING THE ENERGY INDUSTRY, ARE NOT MUZZLED AND IGNORED BY THE GRANDSTANDING POLITICAL CLASS AND THE ENVIORNMENTAL WACKOS IN WASHINGTON.....AS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS.

[Sacajaweau]

You're absolutely right. It's "stock" the pantry time, buy batteries and a sterno unit.

Soda lasts forever and provides some calories. VITAMINS, powdered milk, sugar, coffee, canned fruits, veggies, beans, Dinty Moore store, tuna go a long way.

Be Wise!!

[jacquej]

I read a book way back in the 70s about how vulnerable NYC was if disaster happened, and how impossible it would be to evacuate the island. I decided right then and there, no way would we ever live there, or in any major city.

I really do think there need to be some sort of evacuation plan in place. Whether it is possible to do it or not, I have no idea.

People need to be prepared, but it is hard to convince them to do so, as folks are so used to electricity that life without it is unimaginable.

Many of us who live in rural areas are in much better shape regarding getting by, should we lose modern conveniences.

[buffyt]

Sodas don't last forever. My father in law had some in his basement where he keeps his wine, etc. The sodas had gone flat. But you could still drink them. Just lost their fizz.

We have always had to keep food, sterno, candles, batteries, etc. on hand because I have always lived where there are disasters that cause power outages. Okla (tornadoes), Calif (earthquakes), and Texas (hurricanes). A lot of people even have gas generators. During Hurricane Claudette our power was out for five and 1/2 hours. During Hurricane Alicia our power was out, in HOT August on the Gulf Coast for NINE DAYS! Our power was out for several days in San Marino, Calif due to Santa Anita winds. That was in LA area, I don't remember if LA lost power too.

It is ALWAYS a good idea to have canned food, water, medicine, flashlights, batteries, extra clothes (don't get caught with all your clothes dirty, may not be able to do laundry for a while), candles, matches, sterno, charcoal, lighter fluid, radio that uses batteries....

During Hurricane Claudette last month I was able to use my cell phone and my laptop computer, and my battery radio. That helped. Otherwise everything else was OFF.

[buffyt]

Powdered milk and Dinty Moore stew THOSE ARE GREAT SUGGESTIONS! We could all put our heads together and come up with a great survival list.

In San Marino Calif my kids were in grade school when we lived there. Each child had to have an earthquake survival pack stored at the school. Water, food, snacks, blanket, thermal plastic water proof blanket too, and a toy, and a change of clothes. Just in case. As the Boy Scouts always say BE PREPARED.

[Sacajaweau]

CAN OPENER: Using DUCT TAPE, tape a can opener to a can or throw an extra one in the car tool box.

[sergeantdave]

I checked my emergency supply and saw I was missing one important item - a pizza oven. Bought one this morning. This outage was a big wake-up call for me.

[Don W]

Well, HERE'S a good starting place for your list.

[Don W]

I have a can opener (US army style) on my keychain, about 150 cans of tuna in the cupboard, a genset and 2 freezers full of food, plus several cans of beer concentrate and 3 fridges also pretty well stocked.

As I'm within 2 miles of several lakes, water isn't too big a concern for me.