PG&E - Paralyzed from the neck up..

[UncleDave]

Terrible last two week in the Sierras.

PG&E communicated with opacity of an Alan Greenspan speech
We were up, down, down, up , browned out, up, down again.

They switched us back and froth from their grid to a micro-grid power by 4 2MW Monster cats which itself would go on and off at random intervals.

Without transfer switches we did it on our own- found suitable gensets with reasonable THD and enough power We made our own panel and cables

Without power local station couldn't pump those that did were drained to almost nothing and huge lines.

We spent 24 hours a day for three days straight keeping IT up so we could work IF we had power.

Lots of guy doing good work there - others not so much

Now were looking at big gensets or microturbines - not gonna get stung like this.


You know the old saying - "fool me once shame on you- fool me twice....wont get fooled again"


UD

 

[Linctex]

54 Hz is way, way, way too low....

Please adjust the governor of each engine up until you reach 60 Hz

 

[Linctex]

I do love that "roll-a-round" OSB-board power distribution center

 

[4WD]

Microgrid on 3516's ?

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

They need to force them into bankruptcy and sell them to the highest bidder!

 

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted by 4WD
Microgrid on 3516's ?


Yup... Pretty impressive..

My buds in peoria know how to get it done.

UD

 

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted by Linctex
54 Hz is way, way, way too low....
Please adjust the governor of each engine up until you reach 60 Hz



Thats the hour reading.

They were holding frequency and voltage.

We ended up with something just shy of 120 run hours doing hot refills round the clock

We swapped back to the UPS and did break in oil changes at 20 hours.

UD

 

[fdcg27]

Nothing wrong with PG&E's grid that couldn't be fixed with more money, meaning sharply higher rates for the ratepayers.
I think this utility has taken a bum rap for not having had enough money to maintain its easements.
Enough money would mean higher rates and we can't have that.
I also think that the years of unusually dry conditions accompanied by unusually strong winds have created a situation that the state government is going to have to deal with, perhaps over the years to come.
Blaming a utility company is both futile and foolish.

 

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted by fdcg27
Nothing wrong with PG&E's grid that couldn't be fixed with more money, meaning sharply higher rates for the ratepayers.
I think this utility has taken a bum rap for not having had enough money to maintain its easements.
Enough money would mean higher rates and we can't have that.
I also think that the years of unusually dry conditions accompanied by unusually strong winds have created a situation that the state government is going to have to deal with, perhaps over the years to come.
Blaming a utility company is both futile and foolish.


There wasn't a problem I couldn't deal with if I'd been COMMUNICATED with clearly.

They could have done that for free.

The fact that they paid their exec 11M in bonuses while their grid was deteriorating, and their other myriad of issues is secondary.





UD

 

[Mr Nice]

Power outtages will be a regular even in California during the fire season.

This will cause many to pack up and permanently leave the state.

 

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted by Mr Nice
Power outtages will be a regular even in California during the fire season.

This will cause many to pack up and permanently leave the state.




Yup - multiple weeks of this has pushed many a small business to the brink in short order.

Were lucky to have both money and people resources to solve our problems.

 

[KrisZ]

PG&E will have even less money staring 2020 because all new developments are mandated to have solar installed. PG&E is forced to buy the electricity produced by solar and wind at very high prices, you know, to make the technology viable. That's where all the money is going.
If they stopped the "green" energy nonsense, there would be plenty of money to maintain and even upgrade the infrastructure.

 

[4WD]

I just bought six of them for a project … Kato gens behind them …

 

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted by 4WD
I just bought six of them for a project … Kato gens behind them …


Hopefully enough to get er done for you.

UD

 

[maxdustington]

Originally Posted by KrisZ
PG&E will have even less money staring 2020 because all new developments are mandated to have solar installed. PG&E is forced to buy the electricity produced by solar and wind at very high prices, you know, to make the technology viable. That's where all the money is going.
If they stopped the "green" energy nonsense, there would be plenty of money to maintain and even upgrade the infrastructure.
Here in Ontaria they call it "delivery fees".

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

UncleDave, that comment on rate increases wasn't meant for you, it was for the individual who exonerated the utility for no infrastructure upgrades, and blamed the problems on dry weather (it hasn't been), unusual excessive winds (they are so unusual there is a name for them, the Santa Ana winds, which happen every year), etc.

PG&E is regulated by the California Public Utility Comission, which consists of 5 members appointed by the governor, and approved by the state senate. The utility is able to make political contributions, and has done so in a manner some consider excessive, and almost exclusively to members of the party that controls California. The close relationship was damaged after the gas explosion in San Bruno (8 fatalities) was determined to have resulted from PG&E negligence, and an audit found that $100 million had been diverted from PG&E safety improvement funds to executive pay and bonuses. It was further damaged when a Comission member was criminally investigated in 2015 for being in bed with the utility.

The state has aggressive green programs, to include cap and trade. Not all the fault of the current problems lie with PG&E, but I think it would be hard to argue that PG&E and the state government aren't completely responsible. The good news is when the last productive citizen leaves California, nobody will have to tell him to turn out the lights. They will already be off.

 

[UncleDave]

I was commiserating with you......

UD

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by maxdustington
Originally Posted by KrisZ
PG&E will have even less money staring 2020 because all new developments are mandated to have solar installed. PG&E is forced to buy the electricity produced by solar and wind at very high prices, you know, to make the technology viable. That's where all the money is going.
If they stopped the "green" energy nonsense, there would be plenty of money to maintain and even upgrade the infrastructure.
Here in Ontaria they call it "delivery fees".


Delivery fees fund infrastructure, and they have gone up to tie all the renewable nonsense to the grid unfortunately. But they are separate from our rates (thankfully) so we can see how that cost sits relative to them, which have also gone up, thanks to the renewable nonsense (FIT/MicroFIT). Thankfully, that's all been stopped now, but the damage is done.

 

[michaelluscher]

Wow.

They make my local utilities look well run and competent

Didn't think that was possible

 

[M56959]

Please keep political commentary to yourselves. There is nothing complaining about California politics on BITOG is going to accomplish.