Still no word from my cousin Harry. I am worried.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, October 11, 2024 - 05:26 pm: Edit

I'm sorry to hear that, Jean.

By Jean Sexton Beddow (Jsexton) on Monday, October 14, 2024 - 01:47 pm: Edit

Harry is alive!!!! He couldn't get off the mountain because the road was destroyed on both ends. No power, no cell phone service. But he got off finally and is safe!

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Monday, October 14, 2024 - 02:03 pm: Edit

Wonderful news.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Monday, October 14, 2024 - 03:20 pm: Edit

Excellent news, Jean!

By John M. Williams (Jay) on Monday, October 14, 2024 - 04:19 pm: Edit

Great news!

By Dal Downing (Rambler) on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 - 01:42 pm: Edit

Glad he turned u.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Saturday, October 19, 2024 - 04:36 pm: Edit

Cuba suffered a complete island-wide failure of its electrical grid on Friday, when the Antonio Guiteras power plant -- Cuba's largest and most efficient (for sufficiently large variables of "efficient"; Cuba's power plants are extraordinarily old and dilapidated) -- collapsed.

Efforts to restart the grid ended in a second complete crash today; there is no indication at this juncture when power might be restored.

As a note, Cuba's grid has been in trouble for many years now. The poor condition of their power plants aside, they rely mainly on oil shipments from Venezuela to keep them going...and Venezuela slashed shipments to Cuba this year due to their own serious problems.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, October 19, 2024 - 04:49 pm: Edit

Score another event to Marxist-Lenist ideologies.

There have been reports that California energy grid, while not in the same shape or condition that Cuba power system is in, has been declining due to many factors.

Deferred maintenance just being one.

Combined with the State mandated reliance on Electric vehicles increasing demand over the next ten years will add huge new stresses to an already overloaded system.

If you are lucky enough (or intelligent enough) to live outside of California, it will be an interesting process to observe.

By Michael F Guntly (Ares) on Saturday, October 19, 2024 - 06:13 pm: Edit

And hurricane Oscar is heading toward Cuba?

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Sunday, October 20, 2024 - 06:49 pm: Edit

Jswile: California isn't alone in its grid problems; Texas finally (and very reluctantly) agreed to a true interconnection with a neighboring grid due to the past few years of reliability problems in both cold and heat.

(Note for those wondering: Amarillo isn't on the Texas grid; it along with most of the rest of the panhandle are part of the SPP, which itself is part of the Eastern Interconnection.)

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Monday, October 21, 2024 - 07:38 am: Edit

Jessica Orsini:

There is a difference.

California issues seem to be directly related to poor governing practices, and a judiciary that frankly value’s protecting some animal species more than human life.

Deferred maintenance, refusal to expand electrical generating facilities (hydro, natural gas, coal, nuclear etc.) directly results in outages that are not related to extreme weather or climate events.

Texas, for better or worse, did not anticipate such extreme conditions, and therefore did not plan for such contingencies.

California, in comparison, has a government (both governor and legislature, not to mention activist judges) think that passing laws some how will allow the state to ignore laws of nature, physics and common sense.

For example, outlawing internal combustion powered vehicles with replacement by battery powered EVs without expanding the electric generation capacity has no other possible conflict except huge demand for recharging electric vehicles using the existing capacity that can only support a fraction of the electricity demand. (And that doesn’t take into account electric heating or cooling demands of the population of California residents.)

Just because Gov Newsome signs legislation into law, does not make it possible to suspend finite limits.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Monday, October 21, 2024 - 10:14 am: Edit

In your opinion, Jswile, that is the major difference.

In my opinion, there is a different major difference: the Texas Interconnection has for decades resisted robust tie-ins with neighboring interstate grids, and has done so (until now) because it specifically did not want to be subject to the robust standards levied upon said grids by federal regulation of interstate grids.

That said, both California and Texas are guilty of both poor planning and an astonishing level of deferred maintenance. And they are far from alone in this; the state of our transmission network in the U.S. ranges from so-so to poor from coast to coast...again, largely as a result of poor planning and deferred maintenance.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Monday, October 21, 2024 - 10:46 am: Edit

Same could be said of many capital projects in the United States.

Interstate highways, bridges, fresh water systems, sanitary systems, rail roads, ship canals… I could go on, but surely the point has been made.

What makes California stand out, is the exceptionally poor choices made by judges, bureaucrats and elected officials.

One example was the judgement ordering large sustained releases of water from the water reserves to help a tiny fish on the endangered species list.

The net result is wide spread water shortages mandating cuts in water allocation to industry, agriculture and other needs.

It created a water crisis that has had a profound human impact on residents in California.

At the very least, it should have been put up for a vote by California residents, not left to a judge who is largely immune to the voters of California.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Monday, October 21, 2024 - 12:49 pm: Edit

Lol, blame it on the fish!

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, October 21, 2024 - 10:34 pm: Edit

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 12:05 am: Edit

Wouldn't it be too funny if it turned out the fish was an invasive species?

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 09:41 am: Edit

Steve: just don't forget your towel. ;)

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - 03:58 pm: Edit

I use my towel for a blanket when I am chilled.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, November 01, 2024 - 05:45 pm: Edit

Jobs deleted.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Friday, November 01, 2024 - 06:06 pm: Edit

Jobs deleted

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Friday, November 01, 2024 - 06:18 pm: Edit

Jobs deleted

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Friday, November 01, 2024 - 06:42 pm: Edit

Jobs deleted

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Friday, November 01, 2024 - 07:52 pm: Edit

I

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, November 01, 2024 - 10:55 pm: Edit

Jobs deleted