Is it really that cold?

[BilletHead]

10 minutes ago, nomolites said:

$18 MWH is dirt cheap - final costs are typically multiple times that after the all misc adders like “peak” demand charges are calculated and added to an invoice.  Electricity under peak demand is always cost prohibitive and most big consumers curtail or drop off line rather than take that beating....that may be driving at least some of these blackouts where utilities are buying from someone else.  I don’t think they are allowed to pass their posterior whooping for that power on to the end user..and may be why you don’t get it.

Mike

                      Mike,

            They should not pass that on to the consumer but I am going to bet there will asking for rate increases in the near future. We will pay one way or another. 

[Flysmallie]

1 hour ago, fishinwrench said:

Typically they exaggerate substantially.....just in case. 

They exaggerate to keep people watching. That is the single most important thing to any news you see or hear. More viewers means more money. If you ever watch KY3 in Springfield you understand. Every storm is the end of the world. 

[nomolites]

1 hour ago, BilletHead said:

                      Mike,

            They should not pass that on to the consumer but I am going to bet there will asking for rate increases in the near future. We will pay one way or another. 

Agree they should not be able to stick the consumer, but should they be able to shut you down if supplying you is not profitable?  Currently, the answer appears to be yes.  I see this becoming more of an issue, not less, with movement away from more stable energy sources.  If you need power, you better have a backup, because the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine....and if they aren’t making money - you will be off line.

Mike

[Terrierman]

17 minutes ago, nomolites said:

Agree they should not be able to stick the consumer, but should they be able to shut you down if supplying you is not profitable?  Currently, the answer appears to be yes.  I see this becoming more of an issue, not less, with movement away from more stable energy sources.  If you need power, you better have a backup, because the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine....and if they aren’t making money - you will be off line.

Mike

This was in Texas and they have summertime peaks that are a lot higher than what demand is now.  They've got a lot of capacity down for planned maintenance and others are down due to problems that are weather related.  Seems they were a bit over optimistic in predicting demand and didn't leave enough reserve for a situation like this one.  Heads are going to roll down there.

[tjm]

17 minutes ago, Terrierman said:

This was in Texas

A fellow on another fishing forum from Bulverde, Tx has been without power since last night and is cooking on a camp stove. Claimed a foot of snow and <50F indoors this AM about 8. I guess even a 4000$ they didn't get enough to go around.

[BilletHead]

33 minutes ago, nomolites said:

Agree they should not be able to stick the consumer, but should they be able to shut you down if supplying you is not profitable?  Currently, the answer appears to be yes.  I see this becoming more of an issue, not less, with movement away from more stable energy sources.  If you need power, you better have a backup, because the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine....and if they aren’t making money - you will be off line.

Mike

                       Yes this sucks big time and I don't think they should have to shut you off. I am not sure what is going on with utilities now. When I did line work service was most important first and foremost.  When poles needed changed during routine maintenance we did it hot. Single phase, three phase buck arm corners. You put guts on the lines and laid them out on hot arms. Sure during acts of nature it was dead anyway and you could replace a pole lickety split. So after I had to retire the company changed hands a couple times. A couple of the guys I worked with are now retired but said with the changes so did most service. If the ones that called the shot said it looked dangerous they contacted the folks for outages and it was killed and worked dead. I am not saying all jobs are this way but now many are. I could care less if they have to wheel power from other sources to keep it on for a higher price. The power grid is quite large. If I can remember right our grid goes clear to the East coast. Like I said we will pay in the long run. i have been out of the loop for quite a spell. Is there still a public service commission where electric companies have to ask for rate increases or are we all under deregulation? I see a rate increase regardless over this. I am now under a coop and not public utility. Again this sucks as a consumer  

[snagged in outlet 3]

2 hours ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

. Might just sit in the Taney parking lot in a lawn chair wearing a tank top and a Banana in the cup holder😂😂

[Terrierman]

8 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

                       Yes this sucks big time and I don't think they should have to shut you off. I am not sure what is going on with utilities now. When I did line work service was most important first and foremost.  When poles needed changed during routine maintenance we did it hot. Single phase, three phase buck arm corners. You put guts on the lines and laid them out on hot arms. Sure during acts of nature it was dead anyway and you could replace a pole lickety split. So after I had to retire the company changed hands a couple times. A couple of the guys I worked with are now retired but said with the changes so did most service. If the ones that called the shot said it looked dangerous they contacted the folks for outages and it was killed and worked dead. I am not saying all jobs are this way but now many are. I could care less if they have to wheel power from other sources to keep it on for a higher price. The power grid is quite large. If I can remember right our grid goes clear to the East coast. Like I said we will pay in the long run. i have been out of the loop for quite a spell. Is there still a public service commission where electric companies have to ask for rate increases or are we all under deregulation? I see a rate increase regardless over this. I am now under a coop and not public utility. Again this sucks as a consumer  

PSC regulates investor owned utilities.  Co-ops are member owned and governed therefore not under PSC  authority.

[Terrierman]

1 minute ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

2 hours ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

. Might just sit in the Taney parking lot in a lawn chair wearing a tank top and a Banana in the cup holder😂😂

We were walking our usual trail the other day behind the Ozark Community Center.  It was in the upper twenties and there was a woman sunning in her bathing suit on the deck outside the pool.

[BilletHead]

8 minutes ago, Terrierman said:

PSC regulates investor owned utilities.  Co-ops are member owned and governed therefore not under PSC  authority.

          Thanks I thought that was still right but didn't want to speak out of line. You @Terrierman know the deal where I worked for years. Your kin Odie was my foreman during my apprenticeship. When he finally retired out I bid and got his foreman job and had my own crew. By then it was a two man crew instead of three but I had a crew:)!