It’s interesting to note that every time there is a big storm that knocks out power, people immediately assault power companies for failing to spend oodles of money upgrading their infrastructure. Like just last year in New Jersey. This past July saw people and government freaking out on PepCo, a Maryland power company, along with a few others, blaming them for the power outages, for having done nothing to upgrade the system, even threatening fines. Remember how much people freaked out after the giant Northeast power outage in 2003 and how there where calls to upgrade the infrastructure? But, what happens when a power company tries to actually Do Something?
(NJ.com) The New Jersey Sierra Club says PSEG is “taking a risky bet” by moving ahead with construction work related to its massive power-line upgrade in northern New Jersey, as it’s still awaiting certain federal approvals for the project.
The Sierra Club has long objected to the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line project, which would install a 500,000 volt transmission line from the Berwick area in Pennsylvania to PSE&G’s substation in Roseland, running through 16 New Jersey communities.
“PSEG is taking a risky bet because if they do not get federal or DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) approvals or our court challenge of the BPU (Board of Public Utilities) approval is successful, they will have wasted taxpayer money,” the Sierra Club wrote in a statement sent to media after initial construction work started.
Why? Well
Regional grid operator PJM Interconnection has argued the project is necessary to ensure reliable service. The Sierra Club and other environmental groups opposing the project have argued it will ruin views at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, cut through public lands and keep coal-fired plants open by enabling them to sell power to East Coast customers.
So, they have a problem with ruing the view? What do you think happens when the landscape is blotted with solar panels and wind turbines? And then there’s the coal fired plant issue: enviroweenies/Warmists are really unhappy that other people should be able to get reliable, cheap power. PSEG should disconnect the headquarters of the Sierra Club and it’s employees from the power grid and tell them to install solar panels and wind turbines, see how quick these people whine about not having usable power.
The power companies should then come back and say, “ok, that leaves you with two options. 1) We get heavy machinery and bury the cables under the waters, or 2) We run the cables over private property and increase the construction price 5 fold.
Another reason to repeal the law that allows 3rd party lawsuits to be filed and paid for, whether win or lose, by taxpayers.
Reminds me of Marin County, just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, where I lived for many years. The local environmentalists started bitching about the utility doing too much in the way of tree trimming for power lines, so they cut back on tree trimming to keep the noise-making activists and tree lovers happy,
Then a big winter storm blew in, after 7 years of drought, and guess what? Massive power outages from tree branches breaking power lines. Surprise!
Another issue difficult to resolve is power reliability and earthquakes. We could spend a LOT of money, which would show up in our power bills to hardened the power system to reduce (but not eliminate) earthquake-caused power outages. Where do you find the balance?
I’d be happy if they just protect us from surges, spikes… and especially EMP pulses. After security, we can then worry about being structurally sound.
Here in Detroit, DTE is running ads saying that leaf blowers are extremely polluting the atmosphere and that people should rake their leaves with a rake.
What nerve of a massive power company to attack the small engine yard tool industry, to tell people what’s polluting and how people should roll-back their lifestyle.
HAHA .. I say GFY!
“I’d be happy if they just protect us from surges, spikes”
I have a friend that lives near a substation and the power company says there is nothing they can do about surges… and if I would not have donated hundreds of dollars in top quality surge protectors to this person they would have by now replaced every electronic appliance and device in their home.
Hey GK, yeah, you and I both know that they can protect against surges, spikes and browns. If they can’t, then how come there is a VAST market for surge protection post-wire and pre-home?? If it was not possible, then how come there are VAST numbers of electric mfgs that make surge devices?
I know they can’t protect us wholly against lightning strike causes surges, but they can protect us from the normal surges that they themselves create. Thus,… reason why capacitors were created. transformers in of themselves also help limit power fluctuations. Knowing this, there must be some HUGE fluctuations going on outside of the power plants.
When I lived way out in the country, about 500 miles from a power station, I became a big believer in UPS’. I had lost a number of hard drives in my computers from all the browns and surges flowing thru. If I could, I’d buy a whole house UPS because lord knows how this crap flowing down the wires affects the appliances life spans.