We had two brownouts last night

[catmandu57]

Thankfully they came at ten and two when the temps weren't so bad and only lasted for an hour or so. I don't know if the system was overloaded or if the heat killed something, I'm suspecting the latter.
This is the first since 2000, we've got three more days of super hot to get through, how's everyone else doing?

[JDPriestly]

1. Where are you?

[catmandu57]

8. Northwest Missouri

An hour above Kansas City.

[partylessinOhio]

2. No blackouts yet in my area of Northern Ohio. But that is my fear too.

Have no air but need to run fans and hopefully the refrigerator so I won't lose the food I have.

With the high temps across the US I know there is a tremendous drain on the electric grid. If nothing else they will have blackouts to raise the already extortionist prices for utilities.

[MuseRider]

3. Hey neighbor.

Over 100 yesterday, 101 today and then 103 tomorrow then a cold front bringing cooler air of 97 into the area. Sweatball weather. Heat index 117. No brownouts here though, not yet anyway.

[varun]

4. Get used to them

with energy shortages and rising consumption, rolling blackouts are the going to be common.

[donsu]

10. agree - the heat isn't going away and will wear out electrical things

nt

[sabbat hunter]

5. we had brownouts and blackouts

in astoria. all of northwest queens basically was in a brownout with scattered blackouts including laguarida airport and my friends block.

[lonestarnot]

6. I thought those were reserved for blue states? Are the colors changing

there?

[catmandu57]

7. Well, according to survey usa

We're going to kill the piggie here this fall, this state is going heavy blue.

[lonestarnot]

9. That splains it...

What was the given justification? Overload due to heat?

[blonndee]

11. We've just had a couple of flickers here and there, only

lost power once for less than a minute over the last few days. Still a little worrisome. We're going through the heat wave like most of the U.S. It was about 105 yesterday here in central OK.

[Warpy]

12. They're threatening them here in NM

and it's because refrigerated air has been oversold in this area, an example of corporate irresponsibility meeting consumer stupidity.

Let me explain. Here in the desert, the relative humidity is generally under 20% unless it's raining (and then it's cool). We use evaporative coolers out here, an arrangement that drips water onto excelsior pads and draws outside air through them. The air is cooled by the evaporation of water off the pads and it works quite well. The electricity demands are a small pump and a large fan. It's about $15 on my electric bill during peak use.

Enter the big central AC giants. They're pushing refrigerated air by media blitz and a lot of stupid people are buying. It's becoming a selling point in both new and old houses, more reliable, you don't get outdoor odors, etc. It adds about $200 minimum to the electric bill.

We'll soon be having brownouts here because of the gullible, shortsighted schmucks who are falling for this stuff.

[catmandu57]

13. I like swamp coolers

They do better than air conditioners.

[juajen]

14. What's a swamp cooler?

N/T

[catmandu57]

15. Evaporate cooler

Read Warpy's post.