Are you sure that wasn’t a raccoon which was wind-blasted across your patio?
Criminy…I hope SCE doesn’t pull the plug on you two.
BTW…I love the utterly predictable way in which Gov. Nuisance and other CA pols are placing all of the blame for the wind-related blackouts and fires on PG&E and SCE. (And it does seem they have neglected equipment maintenance and upgrades for a long time.)
But decades of shitty government/environmental policies have left a lot of kindling around and made it effectively impossible for electric utilities to trim right-of-ways, which has been an important contributor to the current situation, too.
As such, I propose that the first step in addressing this situation ought to be the use of controlled burns and woodchippers…on CA politicians and environmentalists.
When I was still in CA and we were getting rolling blackouts, if I recall they were blaming things on PG&E because they had “deregulated” it, proving we needed more government control. There version of “deregulation” was to say they could buy where they wanted but had to buy on the spot market, the most expensive way to buy, and were not allowed to make long term deals to stabilize or reduce prices. At the same time the price they could charge was set by the State so they had to sell energy for less than they paid for it, sometimes much less. PG&E went bankrupt, a public utility monopoly. I don’t know the current set up but I suspect the same kind of Catch-22 is at work, can’t upgrade or maintain the infrastructure but you are responsible for any failures.
After the utter failure of “deregulation”, the powers that be changed things up, again. Electric utilities can buy from whomever they want, and can sign long-term contracts, but you have to have an ever-increasing percentage come from “green” sources (nuclear doesn’t count). Now my bills include separate line items for power generation and delivery.
PG&E, while having legitimate complaints regarding the environmental nightmare they have to wade through to trim brush in their right-of-ways, has spent hundreds of millions on government-favored “green” projects that never penciled-out.
The Replacements. Gene Hackman and Keanu Reeves. One of them movies that you can watch whenever you come across it -- kind of like Die Hard. The “NFL” goes on strike and the league brings in replacement players to keep the season going. Has a really good soundtrack too.
Mrs. Paddy and I are heading up to Sonoma for the week for a bit of a vacation before her extremely busy season hits. We were hoping to see some fall colors, but with expected highs around 88°F, that’s really doubtful. We’re hoping to take a hot air balloon ride on Wednesday morning -- got reservations, but it’s subject to weather conditions. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
A blessed Sabbath, Gerbil Nation!
I recognize the look on that kitteh!
Happy Sunday, GN!
Heya, Paddy!
National Period Day? Really?!?
I demand to know why there’s no National Oxford Comma Day; that’s an outrage!!
(I suppose a National Interrobang Day is entirely out of the question.)
Please! Not in front of the children!
Happy Sunday, GN! Hello Paddy and Fatwasset!
Winds are kicking up out here -- something just went bouncing across the patio -- might have been a cat or a pail.
Hiya, Sven!
Are you sure that wasn’t a raccoon which was wind-blasted across your patio?
Criminy…I hope SCE doesn’t pull the plug on you two.
BTW…I love the utterly predictable way in which Gov. Nuisance and other CA pols are placing all of the blame for the wind-related blackouts and fires on PG&E and SCE. (And it does seem they have neglected equipment maintenance and upgrades for a long time.)
But decades of shitty government/environmental policies have left a lot of kindling around and made it effectively impossible for electric utilities to trim right-of-ways, which has been an important contributor to the current situation, too.
As such, I propose that the first step in addressing this situation ought to be the use of controlled burns and woodchippers…on CA politicians and environmentalists.
When I was still in CA and we were getting rolling blackouts, if I recall they were blaming things on PG&E because they had “deregulated” it, proving we needed more government control. There version of “deregulation” was to say they could buy where they wanted but had to buy on the spot market, the most expensive way to buy, and were not allowed to make long term deals to stabilize or reduce prices. At the same time the price they could charge was set by the State so they had to sell energy for less than they paid for it, sometimes much less. PG&E went bankrupt, a public utility monopoly. I don’t know the current set up but I suspect the same kind of Catch-22 is at work, can’t upgrade or maintain the infrastructure but you are responsible for any failures.
Hiya, Mac!
That’s pretty much my recollection, too.
In the Golden State, companies evil; government good.
After the utter failure of “deregulation”, the powers that be changed things up, again. Electric utilities can buy from whomever they want, and can sign long-term contracts, but you have to have an ever-increasing percentage come from “green” sources (nuclear doesn’t count). Now my bills include separate line items for power generation and delivery.
PG&E, while having legitimate complaints regarding the environmental nightmare they have to wade through to trim brush in their right-of-ways, has spent hundreds of millions on government-favored “green” projects that never penciled-out.
The Replacements. Gene Hackman and Keanu Reeves. One of them movies that you can watch whenever you come across it -- kind of like Die Hard. The “NFL” goes on strike and the league brings in replacement players to keep the season going. Has a really good soundtrack too.
One of my favorite scenes.
I’m going to have to watch that.
Mrs. Paddy and I are heading up to Sonoma for the week for a bit of a vacation before her extremely busy season hits. We were hoping to see some fall colors, but with expected highs around 88°F, that’s really doubtful. We’re hoping to take a hot air balloon ride on Wednesday morning -- got reservations, but it’s subject to weather conditions. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.