Ohio fingered for blackout

[Socialist Christian]

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/LondonFreePress/News/2003/11/20/262926.html

<snip>

WASHINGTON -- Canada wasn't to blame for North America's biggest power outage last August, said an interim report released yesterday that pinpoints equipment failures, human error and inadequate training at a Ohio facility and its regional co-ordinator. "This blackout was largely preventable," said U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.

"However, the report also tells that once the problem grew to a certain magnitude, nothing could have been done to prevent it from cascading out of control."

Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal, in Washington to release the joint task force report with Abraham, dismissed the idea of compensation for millions of people in Ontario who were plunged into the dark.

But he welcomed U.S. support for new mandatory reliability standards for the vast north-south power grid in energy legislation just passed by Co

[farmbo]

1. Never forget: the culprit (Tony Alexander) is a Bush "Pioneer"

CEO of FirstEnergy in Akron Ohio, Anthony Alexander, didn't have the money to pay a tree-trimming crew, but he did raise $200,000.00 for BushCo.

:grr:

[MercutioATC]

2. Oberlin (Ohio) Power knew there was a problem 45 minutes before

the blackout. My facility has its own power generation system, but we use local power until the need to go to generator arises. The local power company told us about 45 minutes prior to the blackout that there was a problem on the grid and advised that we switch to our power.

Of course, FirstEnergy claims that they knew nothing until they lost power at their headquarters. This, from the company that allowed a reactor lid to corrode damn near all the way through and then petitioned to be allowed to patch it rather than repair it...

[MercutioATC]

3. Bump because there's not enough badmouthing of FirstEnergy here...

I'm serious. They're one deregulation-abusing, environtmentally-unfriendly, profit-driven unsafe utility.

[hippywife]

5. And let's not forget to mention

that this is the same company (renamed) that Dennis Kucinich prevented from creating a utility monopoly while he was mayor of Cleveland. As of 1995 this move had saved the people of Cleveland $200 million and still counting. :)

[MercutioATC]

7. Yes! Imagine if they faced NO competition in Cleveland...

They already perverted the system by spinning off companies to "bid against" them when Ohio deregulated. Preserving competition in Cleveland was Kucinich's greatest acomplishment, regardless of how some attempt to demonize him for it.

[Thor_MN]

4. Hey, the voluntary standards are working... most of the time

What do we need manditory standards for? The industry will modernize much faster if we pass voluntary standards /EndShrubDelusions

[Copperred]

6. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK OHIO!!!

Let the coasts know we aint in tune with you...

[Ecotopian]

8. So do something about it!

For those of you who live relatively close to Cleveland, there is a public meeting by PUCO to discuss FirstEnergy's stranded costs. I believe the meeting will be held in the State Goverment Building in downtown Cleveland on Monday the 24th. Hopefully it will be before the biggest Dickhead in the country comes to town to shore up fundraising money. It seems like a perfect time to not only protest the Dick but also to give comments on FirstEnergy. I'm sure there's going to be a firestorm for both.

[wellst0nev0ter]

9. Those Durned Canadians

Making us look like complete dipshits once again. :eyes: