Live Earth switch-off is vetoed (Al Gore's plan)

[Greeby]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6718391.stm

Live Earth switch-off is vetoed
Al Gore's plan to have a symbolic switch-off of lights across the UK during the Live Earth gig in London has been vetoed by the National Grid.

Madonna, James Blunt and Genesis have been lined up to play at the London leg of the global concert series to highlight climate change in July.

But the National Grid said the switch-off stunt could disrupt power supplies across the country.

A National Grid spokesman said they were "keen" for another symbolic idea.

"The organisers had this idea and behaved responsibly by discussing it with us," he said-snip-

[Dhalgren]

1. How could everyone turning off their lights "disrupt the power supply?"

:shrug:

[supernova]

3. Power up?

It's not the turning off of power but everybody turning it back on all at once, can create a power surge that can overwhelm capacity, creating a blackout.

Just guess.

[zeemike]

5. Sudden jerks in usage could cause major problems

It would make the power companies scramble to Shut down there generators to keep from having an overload on the grid and damage there equipment.
Which brings up yet another reason to do away with the grid and have on site generation of power a priority.

[knitter4democracy]

2. Um, how would that mess with power supplies?

If people turned everything off, wouldn't that ease up on the grid?

[razzleberry]

4. follow the money .n/t