Joseph Pisenti of RealLifeLore asks “What If We Covered the Sahara With Solar Panels?”
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Bladeless wind turbines are quiet, and no threat to birds. They wiggle, though.
More:
“Good vibrations: bladeless turbines could bring wind power to your home,” Jillian Ambrose, The Guardian
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“A single monkey caused a nationwide blackout in Kenya after falling on to a crucial piece of equipment.
The monkey fell on a transformer at the Gitaru hydroelectric power station last Tuesday, electricity provider KenGen [Kenya Electricity Generating Company] said in a statement.
The transformer then tripped, resulting in the loss of 180 megawatts of power and triggering a blackout across Kenya.
Power was restored almost four hours later and the monkey survived its adventure, KenGen said.”
— “Kenya nationwide blackout caused by rogue monkey,” BBC News
Many of Kenya’s businesses had already installed backup generators due to previous monkeys.
More:
“Monkey stumbles into hydroelectric power plant and triggers 4-hour blackout across Kenya,” Ben Guarino, Washington Post
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Image (“Monkey Holding High-Tension Lines, after Ohara Koson”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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“As solar technology gets dramatically cheaper, tens of thousands of Americans are putting photovoltaic panels up on their roofs, generating their own power. At the same time, 43 states and Washington DC have ‘net metering’ laws that allow solar-powered households to sell their excess electricity back to the grid at retail prices.
That’s a genuine problem for utilities. All these solar households are now buying less and less electricity, but the utilities still have to manage the costs of connecting them to the grid. Indeed, a new study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory argues that, without policy changes, this trend could soon put utilities in dire financial straits. If rooftop solar were to grab 10 percent of the market over the next decade, utility earnings could decline as much as 41 percent.
To avoid that fate, many utilities are now pushing for reforms that would at least slow the breakneck growth of rooftop solar — say, by scaling back those ‘net metering’ laws. And that’s opened up a war with many fronts.”
— “Solar power is growing so fast that older energy companies are trying to stop it,” Brad Plumer, Vox
More:
“Solar Advocates Fight Utilities Over Grid Access,” Jeff Brady, NPR
“Taxes, fees: the worldwide battle between utilities and solar,” Tracy Rucinski and Byron Kaye, Reuters
“Old Energy’ Utilities See Rising Threat from Solar,” Taegan Goddard, Wonk Wire
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For years now we’ve told you, and told you, and told you yet again about a persistent threat to America’s infrastructure. Now that the New York Times has caught up, maybe now you’ll listen.
This year there have been stealth attacks on the electric power grid in Virginia, Illinois, Delaware, Virginia, Oregon, Ohio, Maryland, and dozens of places across the country, and they continue. These attacks on electrical substations are predictable and avoidable, yet nothing is done to avert them. Perhaps if we claim they are caused by Iranian hackers we can get relief.
More:
“Squirrel Power!” Jon Mooallem, New York Times
“Squirrels and electricity: A shocking problem,” Bruce Kennedy, MSN Money
“How squirrels are screwing with America’s power grid,” Katie Drummond, The Verge
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The assault is on. Raiders from the extremist Sciurus carolinensis group are attacking the vulnerable U.S. electric power infrastructure, paralyzing the nation and plunging Americans into darkness. In Virginia. In New Jersey. In Nebraska and Washington State.
Mass evacuation in Trenton. Terror in Tennessee. Services severed in North Carolina. Arson in Idaho.
Can nothing be done? Is no one safe? When will it end?
Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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Despite billions spent on homeland security, the Obama Administration is Bush-league when it comes to defending America’s vital power grid from home-grown terrorists. Known to experts as Sciurus carolinensis, these sly, suicidal saboteurs infiltrate transformer stations at will, denying thousands of loyal Americans their God-given right to power up their Chinese-made flat-screen TVs.
October 24, 2009, Fulton, MO: “”Squirrel causes power failure in Fulton on Saturday,” Fulton Sun.
October 19, 2009, Ogdensburg, NY: “Squirrel causes 8-hour outage,” Watertown Daily Times.
October 10, 2009, Chico CA: “Squirrel causes power outage,” Chico Enterprise-Record.
October 7, 2009, Anderson IN: “Squirrel blamed for power outage to southwest Anderson,” The Herald Bulletin.
October 7, 2009, Fredericksburg VA: “Squirrel Sparks Power Outage,” University of Mary Washington Bullet.
October 2, 2009, Glendale, CA: “Squirrel causes power outage,” Glendale News Press
September 30, 2009, Pekin, IL: “Squirrel causes power outage,” Pekin Daily Times.
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