Frequency of electricity outages

[Chunkster]

Thanks, TomK. It is interesting to know that it's not just my little corner of the Big Island experiencing this.

[ericlp]

quote:

---

Originally posted by MarkP

The panels were probably produced in China which has an abysmal environmental track record, and our overall standard of living is maintained by nuclear powered subs and aircraft carriers, kerosene fueled jets and cruise missiles, and whatever powers rockets.

---

Wow, that's rich, Only 3 crappy nations that pulled out of the climate talks and USA being one of them. Trumps track record is freakishly sad.

Our standard of living? Your joking right? Helco is powering gas fired generators burning bunker fuel. JOY! Not just Hilo, but Oahu burning the majority of it...talk about cancer causing black smog! And no... no... while we are radiating ourselves, still the majority of America's clean energy??? Comes from coal!

Oh now you want to talk crap about China, that is producing 80% of the world's solar panels and wind farms? China that is actually spending trillions of dollars backed by the government to employ smart grid technology? Oh what is America doing? Reversing clean air and water regs, and rolling back efficiency on just about every electrical appliance and car produced...? And our grid? It's a failing joke at best! And what does trump want to spend money on? No not the grid, but a wall! Sheesh...

The United States, the world's biggest oil consuming country, consumed 18.5 million barrels of oil per day while China with its 1.4 billion population is doing fairly well not even consuming a quarter of what we do.

Puna could be doing MUCH MUCH better if everyone had solar, we could be 100% renewable tomorrow, but our government and wall street doesn't want you to know about that!

[randomq]

Puna can be uniquely solar, since we can get by without central heating and cooling. Run your big loads when the sun is out, and just what you need at night. Then you're not overspending on batteries and the accompanying pollution. If you're willing to change your lifestyle just a little you can say goodbye to HELCO bills and outages.

Also, buy USED solar panels and equipment, you will break even sooner and cause even less pollution.

[leilanidude]

Helco is powering gas fired generators burning bunker fuel.
---------
They tried to get natural gas approved to replace the burning of bunker fuel. The PUC and other agencies denied it.
Natural gas would have also lowered their costs - and consequently our cost of electricity.

[leilanidude]

The United States, the world's biggest oil consuming country, consumed 18.5 million barrels of oil per day while China with its 1.4 billion population is doing fairly well not even consuming a quarter of what we do.
------------
That's a bad comparison. Do you want to live like the average person in China?

[randomq]

Why did the PUC deny it if it was cheaper and cleaner? Must be some facts missing here.

[leilanidude]

PUC said no because they felt it was only a short term (10 years or so) solution to the goal of 100% renewable energy.
Sad part is, natural gas is renewable. Just ask all those landfills that collect and sell it...

[kalakoa]

If you're willing to change your lifestyle just a little

America has the highest standard of living and refuses to change.

a plot (two, actually) that show the stunning increase in power outages and glitches that affected UKIRT

I'm sure HELCO would never crank up the glitches while justifying a rate hike.

[Kapoho Joe]

China is an unregulated environmental disaster. Anyone who disagrees has not stood in the Beijing smog.

[SBH]

If you're tired of power outages and fried appliances you just have to put your power in your own hands. We need cars for transportation so we don't think twice of investing tens of thousands of dollars on a car. We also need electricity all of our lives, but most people resist the idea of investing the same amount of money on electricity. Giving money to Helco is like taking a taxi every day instead of owning a car.

Living off-grid doesn't mean you have to change your quality of life, you just have to size your system to accommodate your needs and become aware of timing of certain loads such as laundry, showers, doing dishes, etc.

We are conditioned to flip a switch for a light at any time and never think about where the electricity comes from. With your own system you have to think about your power usage and when to use big loads as randomq stated if you want to preserve your batteries.

For that $10 billion price being spent on rail on Oahu we could have had solar power for everyone in the entire state. That's over $22,000 for solar at every household in Hawai'i instead of rail which will only benefit a few and won't even be going to the airport or UH.

Hawai'i would go from the number one most dependent state on oil to becoming energy independent and people would have more cash to spend for years to come that wouldn't be going to Hawaii Electric Light Company.