US power rules broken 444 times

[Nottingham]

US power rules broken 444 times
WASHINGTON - Electric companies violated transmission grid rules hundreds of times last year in ways that could have led to a power failure, the president of the rule-making association testified in the first Congressional hearing on the Aug 14 blackout.

Mr Michehl Gent of the North American Electric Reliability Council, said it was still too early to say whether the blackout was caused by someone breaking the rules or a deficiency in the rules themselves.



But in testimony on Wednesday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr Gent said that his organisation had counted 444 violations of operating standards in 2002, about half of which could cause a blackout.

more...
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/world/story/0,4386,208200,00.html?

Maybe its me but obviously if No one disciplines or punishes these Energy companies they will continue to Break the Laws!

:bounce:

[Zhade]

1. Not just you

Give corporations free reign to cut corners and ignore safety regulations in the pursuit of profits, and they will take advantage of the leniency 99.9% of the time.

And to think, the New York Times had a front page story that made the apocryphal statement that too much regulation caused Blackout^'03, when it's deregulation that screwed everything up!

[treepig]

2. i suspect the real number is around 666

for two reasons

1) it's oddly appropriate considering the people involved

2) the malfeasance of these people is generally underestimated (by my estimate) by at least 50% (i.e., 444 + 50% (222) = 666).

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. The problem is too much regulation...

If the power companies could garner what wages are left after medical costs, everything would be hunky-dorie!

Remember, profiteering good. Helping your brother is wasteful and evil.

/sarcasm off