How to tell how long power was out?

[sunwarriors]

Looks like this article answers my questions...

'It's extremely frustrating': Thousands waiting for PG&E to fix power outages

Customers without power received a message indicating crews would arrive by January 10.

www.kcra.com

Estimated time to get power restored for people is January 10?! This is definitely not normal, and the preparation people have to anticipate this seems inadequate across the board.

The worst part is there are no standard solutions for people. PG&E just tells people to check with "211". There are no emergency centers for people to try and get warm, and no structured program for guide people into finding alternate housing. It really is just 50,000 families trying to figure things out on their own.

As always, PG&E has no one accountable or responsible. They just need billions more money. Right.

I've never felt there was a ROI on batteries, but I went with energy storage because it really just boiled down to me not trusting the utility, any utility to fix stuff affecting you as their #1 priority. I'm sure PG&E is busy and it's the holidays and I'm sure the crews rather not be out in a freezing blizzard and rather stay home and with family, but since it's not 'their' problem, it's just not a priority currently (all my opinion). They probably have hundreds of other thousands without power, but almost 2 weeks is really long in this day and age.

This is also my stance AGAINST mass scale, supposedly lower cost energy storage at the IOU level that a lot of people like to tout. They still need transmission lines so having energy generated/used at a site/home just makes sense. It's just impossible for a utility to care about your individual situation and I suppose it's selfish, but I see it more as independence (like these customers are depending on PG&E to come out on Jan 10th). Like someone else posted, maybe they should have gone with larger generators, solar/batteries and more knowing they get power outages 3-5 days at a time, do more things to protect against it..

Since we simply can't choose another power companies vs. a store to shop at, restaurant to eat at, etc...we're just all putting all our eggs in PG&E (or whatever IOU to do their best efforts). I'd rather not bet on that horse.

At the end of the day, I guess it's just $$ and we all choose to spend however we choose to spend in preparation for these seemingly monthly 'once in a lifetime' weather events. Heard there was snow in Seattle just recently. I'm waiting to see if Texas has another 'once in a lifetime' global freeze in Jan-Feb 2022.

 

[bmah]

Gather 'round the fireplace; grandpa has a story. In my day, we had these things called clocks. They were boxes that told the time and did nothing else. No movies, no talking, it couldn't even open the garage door. Just had the time. Of course they couldn't resist the impulse build them into other things, so sometimes radios or ovens had them.

So after the power failed sometime in the night, I observed the following. The analog clock, being nothing more than a motor, gears and hands, simply stopped for the duration. So the amount of time "it was slow" by told how long the power was out. Then the one in the VCR had started up at the traditional 12:00. The time shown on that told when the power was restored. Finally, the clock radio had a battery and never missed a beat. That one told what the correct time was.

Those were the days.

I remember having wind-up clocks (and watches).

Bruce.

 

[holeydonut]

IMO, this is just another example of whats wrong in our county!! These folks KNOW, KNEW they elected to buy in an area that can have issues like this!! But, what did they do, nothing! So now they bitch it is someone elses fault they do not have power. They CHOSE to now have in place options. I do not feel sorry for them at all. I have paid lots of money to be ready with different options if my power goes out! I am ready.

Did you alert your neighbors about the SGIP/resiliency program? I think that program was poorly messaged so a lot of people never even heard of the SGIP; and many cannot afford the high cost of ESS.

 

[holeydonut]

I remember having wind-up clocks (and watches).

Bruce.

1000 IQ move: get an electric watch winder that is powered by your Powerwalls to then keep your mechanical watch going during a power outage.

 

[jboy210]

... I'm waiting to see if Texas has another 'once in a lifetime' global freeze in Jan-Feb 2022.

Well if they do we are somewhat prepared. Added a portable generator to the Austin house. But if we can't get gas well ... Last year the area still had natural gas for the fireplace, but without electricity, the gas whole heater did not work.

 

[holeydonut]

Well if they do we are somewhat prepared. Added a portable generator to the Austin house. But if we can't get gas well ... Last year the area still had natural gas for the fireplace, but without electricity, the gas whole heater did not work.

I'm tellin' you all... wood fireplace inserts are the future-proof technology to stay warm during an outage...

 

[jboy210]

I'm tellin' you all... wood fireplace inserts are the future-proof technology to stay warm during an outage...

A fireplace we have, but with gas logs. And while this is suburban Texas, I am not sure how they feel about us cutting down park trees for firewood.

 

[Electrph]

1000 IQ move: get an electric watch winder that is powered by your Powerwalls to then keep your mechanical watch going during a power outage.

already done

 

[RKCRLR]

I'm tellin' you all... wood fireplace inserts are the future-proof technology to stay warm during an outage...

Yep, I run my built-in woodstove daily during the winter. When I have power, I use the heat pump to heat up the house in the morning. Then I maintain the temperature with the woodstove. When the power is out and the Powerwalls have power I switch to propane to heat up the house in the morning. I run the generator at strategic times during the day to extend the Powerwall charge so I can run off the Powerwalls overnight. Once the Powerwalls are depleted then I run the generator at strategic times during the day and stuff the woodstove for heat overnight. I get up in the morning and start the generator so I can use propane to quickly heat the house.

If California wants people to transition off fossil fuels we need a RELIABLE electrical grid and keep the cost of electricity reasonable.

 

[SMAlset]

Thanks!
It is lightly raining now. I'm hoping that will melt the snow or make it heavy enough to slide off the panels. But that is a double edged sword. If it stays below freezing long enough that very wet snow turns to solid ice. My wife's 2wd car couldn't make it up our driveway for a week during the last similar snow because the shaded ice didn't melt. And it is very difficult to "shovel" off.

Be glad that at least your area isn’t facing “Icemageddon” like parts of Alaska sound like they might be. Just read this BBC article and when I saw your comment about the ice it made me think of it. Sheesh solid thick icy roads until March or April there!

Alaska 'Icemageddon' warning follows heat record

The coldest US state faces weather extremes after heavy snowfall and torrential rain.

www.bbc.com

So much bad weather being experienced now. I’ve also been reading in the news about people letting Google maps suggest routes to drivers to avoid being stuck in stopped highway traffic due to road closures ahead, routes that are down right dangerous. Locals know not to take those routes but drivers unfamiliar with the area end up finding themselves in trouble. Wouldn’t be surprised to learn of some people dying in their cars after getting snowed in and no heat and unable to leave to warm safety.

And then there’s the Denver/Boulder area of Colorado with hundreds of homes and businesses burned down in the last day or two as the area faces out of control wildfires in high winds with tens of thousands being under evacuation orders. Reported wind gusts of 115mph in one area. They think powerlines were knocked down in the high winds and started the fires. No electricity and heat for many and can’t help but think of all of the damage the cold did to Texas last year from loss of electricity and frozen pipes. I thought I read parts of Colorado just had something like 16 feet of snow.

Lots of hurt going around weather wise right now on top of covid. Hope you guys stay safe and warm.

 

[jboy210]

Be glad that at least your area isn’t facing “Icemageddon” like parts of Alaska sound like they might be. Just read this BBC article and when I saw your comment about the ice it made me think of it. Sheesh solid thick icy roads until March or April there!

Alaska 'Icemageddon' warning follows heat record

The coldest US state faces weather extremes after heavy snowfall and torrential rain.

www.bbc.com

So much bad weather being experienced now. I’ve also been reading in the news about people letting Google maps suggest routes to drivers to avoid being stuck in stopped highway traffic due to road closures ahead, routes that are down right dangerous. Locals know not to take those routes but drivers unfamiliar with the area end up finding themselves in trouble. Wouldn’t be surprised to learn of some people dying in their cars after getting snowed in and no heat and unable to leave to warm safety.

And then there’s the Denver/Boulder area of Colorado with hundreds of homes and businesses burned down in the last day or two as the area faces out of control wildfires in high winds with tens of thousands being under evacuation orders. Reported wind gusts of 115mph in one area. They think powerlines were knocked down in the high winds and started the fires. No electricity and heat for many and can’t help but think of all of the damage the cold did to Texas last year from loss of electricity and frozen pipes. I thought I read parts of Colorado just had something like 16 feet of snow.

Lots of hurt going around weather wise right now on top of covid. Hope you guys stay safe and warm.

Alaska is the canary in the coal mine for warming. Kodiak Island was 67 on Sunday. They are going to have highly variable weather over time and a large disruption of people's lives and the ecosystem there.

 

[taphil]

The canary died 10-20 years ago. Humanity is still staring at the cage and scratching its head wondering why.

 

[holeydonut]

The canary died 10-20 years ago. Humanity is still staring at the cage and scratching its head wondering why.

If you read the posts from all the climate deniers in TMC's "global warming" mega-thread, you'll realize Humanity is staring at your dead-canary-cage, but many think a sleeping canary is very cute.

It seems some think it's stupid to pass climate-legislation since it's their God Given Right to cultivate some goddamn sleeping canaries. People like cute things, and they want to see some more sleeping canaries. Plus, clean coal couldn't possibly be bad, so it's probably the canary's fault for being caught in the cage to begin with.

On a related note, there is no analogy I can think of connecting wood fireplace inserts to dead birds. I'm still eying one of those suckas for future purchase. Need to harden this house for those once in a lifetime severe weather events that happen ever year now.

 

[charlesj]

.... Plus, clean coal couldn't possibly be bad, so it's probably the canary's fault for being caught in the cage to begin with.

....

Well, it should have adapted to the change.

 

[RKCRLR]

I saw on the news last night that Garden Valley and Georgetown were expected to have power restored in 24 hours.
However, I have received no such notifications from PG&E. I get a daily phone call and text that PG&E is starting to gain access to my area to assess outages; and restoration efforts will be starting soon and continuing for several days. I'm supposed to get email updates but I only get them every few days. The last one was just an apology for the outage and nothing else.
If I go to PG&E's outage website it says a crew has been assigned to assess the outage with restoration "to be announced". It has been the same message for several days.
The lack of communication and/or contradicting communication is frustrating since I would plan differently for restoration in 24 hours vs an indefinite restoration.

 

[BGbreeder]

I saw on the news last night that Garden Valley and Georgetown were expected to have power restored in 24 hours.
However, I have received no such notifications from PG&E. I get a daily phone call and text that PG&E is starting to gain access to my area to assess outages; and restoration efforts will be starting soon and continuing for several days. I'm supposed to get email updates but I only get them every few days. The last one was just an apology for the outage and nothing else.
If I go to PG&E's outage website it says a crew has been assigned to assess the outage with restoration "to be announced". It has been the same message for several days.
The lack of communication and/or contradicting communication is frustrating since I would plan differently for restoration in 24 hours vs an indefinite restoration.

FWIW: I have found that until the web page for outages show crew on location that the PG&E estimates aren't worth anything much, understandably. Your outages are so widespread that I don't know if that pertains, as your outage might be caused by a tree down ten miles away, and that could get cleared, with restoration dependent on a line check.

Fingers crossed for a speedy return to normality.

All the best,

BG

 

[RKCRLR]

FWIW: I have found that until the web page for outages show crew on location that the PG&E estimates aren't worth anything much, understandably. Your outages are so widespread that I don't know if that pertains, as your outage might be caused by a tree down ten miles away, and that could get cleared, with restoration dependent on a line check.

Fingers crossed for a speedy return to normality.

All the best,

BG

I know there are a lot of lines down along CA193 to Georgetown. I also know Coloma has power and has had it throughout the outage. I wish I knew where my power came from so I could at least make my own evaluation of when the power might be restored if PG&E isn't going to keep me informed.

 

[RKCRLR]

I know there are a lot of lines down along CA193 to Georgetown. I also know Coloma has power and has had it throughout the outage. I wish I knew where my power came from so I could at least make my own evaluation of when the power might be restored if PG&E isn't going to keep me informed.

The good news is the TV news report was right and my power is back on!
The frustrating part it PG&E wouldn't provide me the same information it gives the news agencies so I can plan appropriately.