We are having rolling black-outs in Texas

[dogday]

Say Houston is having 15 minute rolling blackouts.... Have not experienced one yet, but it sure is hot outside... Crap....

[don954]

1. 2 words

Solar & Wind
www.homepower.com

[joemurphy]

2. Send a letter complaining to Rick Perry. n/t

[dogday]

4. Apparently just this one grid controls

85% of Texas... That does not sound like a smart move to me, cause the grid goes out and 85% of the state is affected... That's a load of crap....

[don954]

10. nope, you can build Solar/wind into a home with less than

10% of the average home value, just about eliminating your power bill. And in Texas, with 200-300$+ power bills (and i used to live there till very recently so I know what I'm talking about) its well worth it. With good grid inter-tie and net metering laws in texas, you can sell excess power to the utilities and have a net 0 balance on your power bill.

Check out www.homepower.com
You can download a copy of the magazine for free.

[TexasLawyer]

13. wow- I'm interested

I pay over $500/month in the summer. Plus I like the idea of going green in my power production.

Did you have a solar system?

[don954]

16. I had one in Texas, and now i have one on my boat.

100% power requirement for 10 months of the year. I paid about 50$ one summer for 2 months for some extra juice for the AC unit... I could have installed some more panels but I couldn't bring myself to get on the roof in middle of august...! I lived in that house for 4 years then sold it higher than any home in the neighborhood had ever sold, due to the solar panels and wind gen.

My boat is a cruising Sailboat that has 2x AIR-403 wind gens and 400 watts of solar panels, i can run everything i want.. ;) I'm preparing it for a circumnavigation.

[TexasLawyer]

17. Oooh--

I'm definitely going to look into this.

[bmbmd]

24. You, sir-

are my new hero. Sort of a "Then Came Bronson" for the third millenium. Good luck.

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. Oh year? And just how, may I ask, can the power companies

make any money that way?

Do you only think of yourself? How (humpff) selfish!

[IdaBriggs]

22. Thanks for that tip -- I'm sending the link to my husband right now!

The solar powered Attic Fan looks like something we could DEFINITELY use. :)

[joemurphy]

3. After we rebuild the power grid in Iraq we'll address the situation

in Texas.

[rzemanfl]

7. Just like the $100 million for the "Garden of Eden Wetlands

Restoration Project" in Iraq when the levees in New Orleans were being neglected.

[rzemanfl]

5. While you sit in the dark, shout "Bush, Cheney, Delay! Enron!" nt

[dogday]

6. Some other words come to mind

they say they have blacked out Houston, but it did not affect me.. Has not yet, did not even know except MSNBC had it on...

[BlueGirlRedState]

8. We are having rolling blackouts in Austin

Only a short time at our house so far.

[dogday]

9. Said they were short 15 min intervals...

[Reciprocity]

11. Same here in Lufkin.

Wolfie is reporting on this right now on CNN.

[BeTheChange]

12. Was it really 100 degrees in Dallas today..

Holy shit. We did the last two summers in Dallas with a poorly insulated apartment and paid over 200 bucks a month to keep it at 75 if we were lucky. Last summer I wanted to die some days. I hate the heat.

I cannot imagine what this summer will be like if it is already this hot. I also cant imagine what the hurricanes will be like if the gulf starts heating up in April.

[Fleshdancer]

14. It's 98 degrees in Austin right now (6:30 pm CST)

Waaay too hot.

you're right about the gulf heating up...it's not going to be fun.

:(

[Dr. Jones]

23. Technically last year it was a "cool summer" here in Dallas...

only 2 days officially above 100. Texas is used to daily heat above 100 in the summertime. I was once in Amarillo in 107 degree temps, you literally cannot be outside in that damn sun for more than 15 minutes at a time. Same with San Antonio - gets hot as hell there too. Dallas is slightly cooler but not by a whole lot.

Most dwellings in Texas are outfitted with ceiling fans which help cut down on the AC usage. We keep our thermostat at 84 during the day, 81 at night and we're okay with that. We keep the floor fans/ceiling fans running and it saves us $$$.

I'm the opposite. I loathe cold weather and don't mind the heat as much. I'd rather sweat like hell than freeze my ass off. :)

[BeTheChange]

27. Not in the concrete jungle...

There is absolutely no way there were only two days above 100 degrees last summer in most parts of the city limits. We were in Irving where there is way more grass then trees and managed only to stay maybe a degree or two cooler during the night then the airport. In August alone there were 9 days of temps over 100 in my zip and another 5 where it was 99. If you live outside the sprawl Im sure it was a few degrees cooler, but still...
http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KDFW/2005/8/18/MonthlyHistory.html

That was the most miserable month of my life. I lost almost 20 lbs because we had to move and I had no choice but to be moving around in it. We had so many fans we had to weight things down in the house but it isnt much of a relief when all it does it blow hot air on you. I have a very hard time sleeping when it is warmer then 80 degrees and its too hot to even have a sheet on you.

In July there were 4 and there was even one in June and 4 in September! I went to HS down near houston and college at TAMU.. I remember warm.. but not this. It was insane.

[Jim Warren]

18. Did Kenny Boy Lay get a work release?

[Avalux]

19. More coming today here in San Antonio - high to be 100

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA041806.1A.poweroutages.d5589f7.html

Not only is it hot as hell, the humidity is stifling. I can handle this stuff in July and August but not April.

[Dr. Jones]

20. Dallas yesterday (Plano): 15 minute blackout between 5:15-5:30pm

I thought this was strange. Dallas is used to 100 degree temps in the summertime - usually it's day after day of 100 degree weather. Now we have ONE day above 100 in the springtime, and they're doing rolling blackouts? What gives??

[gatorboy]

21. Too bad Gray Davis isn't still the governor of California...

They could blame him! :eyes:

[Horse with no Name]

25. I think all one really needs to do is follow the money

How intertwined are all of the "deregulated" energy companies?
My guess is that they are incestuous and I would bet that there are many of the same players involved at various levels.
The other thing one has to consider is that a few months ago, the PUC took the companies to task and talked about lowering their rates for them since they wouldn't do it themselves.
I never heard anything else about it, but since my electric rates haven't gone down, my guess is that the PUC was all talk and no play.
Is this the electric companies way of getting back at them and showing them that their rates are justified?
Let people do without electricity and you won't hear a peep out of them when it comes time to raise rates again.

[Saphire]

26. had one Monday in San Antonio, too.

[dogday]

31. Grew up in San Antonio

my Dad still lives there.. I love that city...:hi:

[paparush]

28. This is why the Bush** ranch is totally off the grid.

How f*cking ironic is that?

[Poiuyt]

29. Man, it's only April. What are you going to do when August comes around?

[dogday]

30. Good freaking question

this has never happened, only in CA....