On Fri, 4 Nov 2011 12:44:09 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Nov 4, 3:32*pm, Too_Many_Tools wrote:


This storm is just one more excellent example of why the nation's
infrastructure needs to be upgraded.

In today's world, electricity is expected to be there 24/7...and when
it is not it can be life and death.

If the electrical grid is not updated for whatever reason, why don't
houses/apartments come equiped with their own local electrical
generation?

TMT

It is intuitively obvious to the most casual observer that the thing
you think should be done cost money. The power companies do their
best to keep costs down. But if you would like to pay twice is much
for power, I am sure they could fird a way to spend the extra money
improving the system. Why don't you start the ball rolling by sending
the power company twice as much as they bill you? Please post here
when you start paying twice as much for your power.


Dan


Whoops. Pressed the wrong button. Anyway Dan, you must know that our
power grid needs to be updated. And we will have to pay for it. If the
power companies wait too long it will cost us, the rate payers, even
more. The solution is for the work to be started soon and our bills to
go up. But they won't double. And individuals can get the ball roling
by insisting to the government agencies that the power companies start
upgrading and repairing. Here on South Whidbey Island the power
situation got so bad that folks started a campaign to get a P.U.D.
started. Puget Sound Energy mounted a huge campaign against it.
Washington State P.U.C. said that the power delivery was so below
standard that P.S.E. had to upgrade and repair the power delivery
systems. The P.U.D. option went before the people for a vote, per WA
law, and P.S.E. won. So no P.U.D. But we did get immediate remediation
of the poor power delivery since all the complaints to the state by
businesses and homeowners started in earnest. Before, when complaining
only to P.S.E., nothing happened. P.S.E. had fired all the crews that
used to trim trees and hired tree trimming companies to do the work.
But instead of trimming trees before they fell the crews were only
seen after trees were across the lines. Now the trees are being
trimmed in a timely fasion and when I called about trees I had that
were dangerous to the lines but too dangerous for me to remove the
trees were cut down within two weeks. Before all the complaints to the
state I was lucky to get the trees even looked at in less than 4
months. Our rates are controlled by the state because P.S.E. has a
power monoply and when they apply to the state for a rate increase to
pay for updating the grid I'm sure my rates will go up. But not
anywhere near double. Come on Dan, you're an intelligent guy, you can
make a point better than you did above.
Eric