Summary:
There is much more to learn than just relying on flashlights and candles for temporary power outages…
It is not only essential, but also our collective responsibility as a community, to be aware of potential actions to take in the face of utility system disruptions. Being prepared empowers us and allows us to take proactive steps in such situations.
Various factors, including human error, natural disasters, and deliberate sabotage, can cause power outages. Understanding these potential causes is not just informative, but it also keeps us aware of the risks and the urgency of being prepared for such eventualities.
How about an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) designed to take out the electric grid during the early stages of war?
Our society is addicted to electric usage just as the government planned, which allows them to control us and target us for non-conformity and non-compliance…
As time passes without electricity restoration, pain and inconvenience escalate, transforming minor irritants into catastrophes that require survival skills, particularly in climates with severe heat and cold weather…
Blame flies like a hummingbird zigzagging between the utility companies not maintaining the lines, and the government overburdening with regulations…
Eventually, life moves from inconvenience to life survival skills…
Few have been trained to make that transition…
When I was young, my family experienced a period without electricity due to financial constraints, which gave me a unique perspective on this issue. However, it’s essential to note that such experiences are not commonplace, and the focus should be on the broader implications of utility system disruptions.
https://madgewaggy.blogspot.com/2024/10/heres-what-happens-when-you-go-without.html
Article:
A complex system generates, stores, and transfers electricity. Electricity flows through an electrical grid far away from our neighborhoods. Southern California receives electricity from various sources, including wind-powered generators, hydroelectric power, natural gas-powered electric turbine generators, and photovoltaic cell (solar) systems. Each of these sources plays a unique role in the grid, contributing to its diversity and complexity.
Electricity in the US for all uses is generated from various sources:·
11% coal-burning furnaces (a fossil derivative)
· 36% -Oil or Petroleum (a fossil derivative). Petroleum is delivered to the end user in an 18-wheeler truck that burns diesel.
· 33% of natural gas (a fossil derivative)
· Eight percent comes from nuclear power. Reactors use uranium instead of fossil fuels for nuclear fuel. Uranium is an abundant metal full of energy.
· 12% (everything else) from multiple renewable materials. Geothermal-.4%, Solar-3%, hydroelectric-6.7%, wind-10.2%, biomass waste-biofuels-5.1%.
Most large commercial electric power generators rely on natural gas, which accounts for nearly 33% of the entire U.S. electric generation fleet. All new conventional electricity generation facilities are powered by gas. For gas distribution, natural gas-powered engine pumps fuel the main compressor stations, which in turn feed large interstate pipelines.
The natural gas grid reciprocally relies on electricity to pump to end locations. For the gas grid to function smoothly in residential distribution directly to the consumer, electric-powered compressors and pumping stations are maintained throughout the system. If the electricity goes out or a pump station fails, the pressure will not be adequate to drive the natural gas into the home. Even though the pressure when delivered to the house is about ¼ PSI (pounds per square inch), it still needs to be pressure forced to travel through the pipes.
The Community electric grid breakdowns can occur due to excessive usage, faulty systems, or intentional disconnections by electricity service providers. Government regulatory overreach has created gridlock in upgrades, replacements, and renewals, thereby adding to the complexity of addressing natural disasters, fires, earthquakes, accidents, and sabotage.
The U.S. leadership has declared war on its citizens. State and federal elites are driving petroleum-based fuel processors and users of the fuel out of business. The grid is intentionally restricted rather than increased. The grid should be upgraded because it is insufficient for greater future capacity demands. As a result, we see state after state, such as in Texas, where the hot weather causes the grid to overload due to excessive use. Commercial corridors, industrial users, and neighborhoods have plunged into darkness. As electrical suppliers strive to keep up, there will be a time when it will be impossible. This situation is a direct result of the government’s energy policies and their Impact on the reliability of the electrical grid.
Climate hysteria is lowering our standard of living, just as the government wants. Self-righteous authoritarians want to limit everything to the middle class, but not to them. The electrification of everything will allow a single tidy bill (payment mechanism) to serve as the primary catalyst. But what about our freedom and choices? Limiting people’s options and movements by creating ‘15-minute cities,’ where everything you need is within a 15-minute walk or bike ride, is convenient. However, this concept also restricts our flexible lifestyles and autonomy, as it implies a more localized and less mobile way of living.
Natural gas is abundant in the U.S., with a 98-year supply. But U.S. leadership is working to destroy that industry.
Next, the government will encourage and then require people to use less energy. We must charge Tesla’s by installing a cost-effective solar panel system on our roof. U.S. leadership will enable and then push for the conservation of every natural resource. Similar abusive actions include prohibiting the use of water and reducing the use of all other resources. However, private jet fuel will be readily available to the elite.
If World War III were to occur, our enemy’s first offensive action would be to destroy the electrical grids and communications networks throughout the U.S. Imagine a time when all community electrical systems are destroyed and remain unrepairable for an extended period. Imagine a world without electricity, communication devices, computers, or automobiles, stuck in a time warp like the turn of the 20th century. Panic is likely when life and survival become exponentially more difficult. The same would apply to the enemy country at war with the U.S. Our transportation corridors, electric grids, and communications networks are destroyed.
Water grid infrastructure is a statewide network of storage facilities that capture rainwater and snowmelt runoff in reservoirs and aquifers. Water movement relies on dams, thousands of miles of rivers, canals, reservoirs, aqueducts, and 100’s of miles of pipes to move water where needed. The system relies on sizeable electrical pumping stations, valves, filtration, and treatment equipment. A large holding tank facility is not refillable without electricity and large water pumps; the result would be no electricity or working electric pumps to move water forward. Keeping community water storage tanks higher than homes allows gravity to down draft pressure, creating a temporary solution for retaining adequate water pressure.
Water and sewer management also requires the use of electrical motors. Since water flows due to gravity, lift and pumping stations serve this purpose. Lift stations are for pumping waste or sewage material to a higher elevation, whereas pump stations raise water to higher heights. Sump pumps move water to a higher level of accumulated groundwater, away from basements, or direct the water to a higher terrain for runoff. The water flows into the sump pump catch basin, which pumps it to street level, a storm drain, or a dry well. Sump pumps are wired into the electrical system and may have a battery backup.
When the electricity goes out in your home, what other systems should you expect to be non-functional?
• The electrical appliances will not function, including the catastrophic consequences of not charging your cell phone, iPad, and flat-screen TV. What about the garage door openers and charging units for your Tesla electric vehicle, as well as the neighborhood charging stations? Sorry – get ready to pedal your bicycle after you pump up the tires using an old-fashioned hand pump! Who has one of those? We may lose all those delicious frozen TV dinners and Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream in the freezer.
• Natural gas flows through a different system that requires electricity. The problem remains that the gas will only continuously flow through the lines with the aid of pressure pumps and regulators, which require electricity to operate. Gas stoves, water heaters, toilets, dishwashers, clothes washers, and forced-air heating will not work. Gas appliances, such as water heaters, typically feature an electric pilot light ignition system.
Gas stations will shut down because the fueling pumps require electricity to operate.
• If you go to the supermarket, there may be no electricity to run the check-out stand and equipment, such as the freezer room. However, larger retailers have backup generators fueled with propane and can start with a 12-volt battery-operated starter.
• If you go to your favorite restaurant, they need all the above services. Uber Eats and DoorDash food delivery services will have the same problem. And Pizza Man will not deliver.
• Suppose you rely on a truck transportation system that uses internal combustion engines to deliver goods. In that case, they may be able to get fuel pumped into the truck if the trucking company has its fuel stock and a self-sufficient pumping station. Most truckers do not.
• For those who choose to place solar energy cells on the roof to generate electricity, the electricity is transferred to a community electric grid for the utility company to store. The electricity is transferred from the community facility back to your home. Sorry, the transfer system from the grid back to the consumer relies on electricity.
If the homeowner purchases a large battery pack and an inverter, they will create, hold, and redistribute their own electricity. Only a few who bought the solar panel system would spend $5,000 to $10,000 extra on the battery storage system if they knew the consequences. Home electrical storage units operate in D.C. (direct current flow) rather than A.C. (alternating current flow). The DC system will require an inverter to convert the DC into A.C., so the electrical current is converted to 110 volts to operate your equipment and appliances.
So, who is creating the mess? Government leadership.
The most obvious answer is a home-based backup generator. There are many options depending upon one’s requirements to generate ongoing electricity. However, this is an overview article, not specific about backup generators, which require research by the consumer.
Options include:
· I have a battery backup connected to my computer monitor and screens so I can continue working for about one hour. However, the cable requires electricity, so it is not connected to the outside world.
• The question is the size of the family budget. Generator units differ in their wattage requirements and space, but a solution is available at a price. Generator units can range from $500 to $100,000.
• Consumers can find a portable or permanent standby generator to do the job.
· Consumers can find a portable or permanent standby generator to do the job.
· Even units operate on multiple fuel sources, including natural gas, propane, and gasoline.
· If one fuel is unavailable, the consumer may switch fuel sources as easily as changing a quick-disconnect coupling.
While knowledge is power, preparing for inevitable catastrophes has become necessary. Learn about your options online, and then create a prepper plan.