I Wonder?……
….How many of those millions of people on the East coast that have been without electricity for a week might now agree with my outlook that ALL electric lines should be buried?….. Â Hu-m-m-m, just a thought…… Â I also wonder, although I know the answer, how many politicians in Washington D.C. went without power for more than a day?….. Â My answer would be NONE!….. Â (Of course, I’m not including those politicians who are on some higher-up politician’s S-List – They may be without power for a long, long time)…..
We have become dangerously dependent upon a very unreliable source of energy that effects almost every aspect of our daily lives, and, this source is mis-managed, under-maintained, and about as secure from damage by outside forces (weather, thieves, terrorists, etc.) as an egg trying to hold up a cement block….. Â WAKE UP, AMERICA!!!!….. Â It’s pretty sad when you can look at any picture taken in the 1920-30’s and the constant with a picture taken today is all the utility poles, and, upon closer examination, you find that the poles in 20-30’s pictures are bigger, straighter, stronger, and obviously better maintained….. Â Sad, sad…. Â Post that on your Blog and argue it out…. Â That is, IF YOU HAVE ELECTRICITY!….. Â (YES, batteries do have to be recharged, with, guess what – ELECTRICITY!…..) Â (Step off soapbox, Pound Head against wall because nobody’s listening)…..
July 6th, 2012 at 7:21 pm
Due to popular demand, from henceforth your electric bills will have an extra $50 added to them to cover “infrastructure upgrades.”
July 7th, 2012 at 9:11 am
HS, I don’t know how competent and reliable your local electric company is, but, O.G.&E., my local source is always applying to the corporation commission for customer rate increases due mainly to storm damage….. We have had some bad large hail/wind storms this year (and in past)….. The same areas keep getting hit (Mother Nature has a pattern), therefore, they are constantly replacing the same damaged grids and passing the cost on to the customers….. Other areas where we have old, worn-out, leaning poles are not being serviced until they finally break or a storm comes along and finishes them off (despite OG&E’s website claims of “Hardening the Grids”)….. So-o-o-o, what’s the difference in one large increase over a bunch of small ones where everything remains the same…. I would gladly pay a large increase for two (2) reasons: 1. It would be extremely satisfying to know that my electric would remain on when I most need it – In the middle of severely dangerous weather conditions…. That’s about the only way we get moisture of any kind in Oklahoma, and, 2. Eventually, the electric companies will be forced to back off on rates due to fact that they no longer have to expend funds to constantly send out repair crews to repair/replace the same storm damaged lines over and over again….. Think about it…..
July 8th, 2012 at 2:21 pm
Maybe I need to upload some pics of power poles. There are two leaners on my street alone.
July 8th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
If you start taking pictures of “Leaners”, Robo, you had better have a bunch of gig’s of memory, and you won’t have to cover much area….. They’re the Norm rather than the exception around here…..
July 9th, 2012 at 10:40 pm
I will be selective on the photos I take. A leaner has to be warped or split to get a photo. I have seen some that look like bows. When the center of the weight load is outside of the foot print of the leaner you’re just waiting for a power outage. I have actually seen a power pole fail from a side load (not weather related). I live in Oklahoma I have seen many power line scattered to the wind by T-storms. Other then online I have never seen evidence of the hardening of the power lines in OKC. OK MR. you can have the soap box back now thanks for the loan.
July 12th, 2012 at 6:56 pm
I agree. HS: How come every time we bring up this topic you are the most vocal against it? Do you have stocks in the utilities? I would rather pay a upgrade fee once instead of paying every time the utilities asks for a rate increase because they have to rebuild the power grid after some storm knocks down all the poles in some city. I don’t see the problem with digging trenches along where the existing power lines are, threading the power lines through PVC, or equivalent tubing, burying it, and bringing them up right under my meter. I can Guarantee that done that way the upkeep will cost less than the current way. I can also hear the argument, ” They will tear my yard up burying the lines” I would bet that if you ask most of the people that have went for several days without power, lost every bit of food in their Fridge, Had to have their Computer rebuilt because of the power surge, or been broken into because their alarm lost power would say “Dig Away”. Next up on the Soap box.