Blackout in north east...why weren't our reactors independent of each other ?

Question

that's what we get for writing a BLANK check to civil engineers !!!...yea ?

Answer 1

The system works much better if it's tied together in a grid. When someone doesn't have enough power for their customers, somebody else can help.

But what works well for small problems can cause the whole system to go down if there's a big one. The small ones happen every day. The big ones are rare occurrences. It's a simple trade off, and a necessary one.

Answer 2

No. For the electric power system to work, the various power procduction plants have to be connected into the electric grid. If that fails, large parts of the system can go down, granted. But the alternative is to restrict communities to local power sources. Now, if you don't mind paying a power bill about twice what you're now paying, that can be done. Of course, everyone else will have to pay more to--which means everything you buy will go up in price.

The occasional outage is a pain, sure. But no system is perfect--and this is the best trade-off available. If you don't like it, invest in a solar power system for your home--that's even cheaper in the long run.

Of course, you could also try learning something about what engineers have to deal with before you make smart-alec remarks. But that's som much harder than just b~tching!

Answer 3

The power supply plants normally are, but the grid isn't. It was probably a surge on one part, that causes the rest to trip in turn in order to protect them.

Answer 4

Wow...you mean there's somebody still living up there?? I thought they'd all come down south or out west. LOL

Answer 5

It wasn't the generating stations -- it was the grid of transmission lines.

Answer 6

Buddy, the place you are living in right now (unless you are living in the woods) is standing thanks to civil engineers.