Planet Detroit on LinkedIn: New Michigan power outage map highlights disparities in electricity… (2024)

More evidence that it is time to prepare.

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Having a plan to avoid or mitigate loss in the face of power shortages or outages can save you from stressful and costly occurrences. Winterize your homes and businesses prior to the freeze! Consider backup generators. Finally, never forget about your pipes!

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Wow, 18 outages in a year is not a great customer experience!"It’s not unusual for Chris Justice to be sitting at his desk in his home office about a 15-minute drive outside Ann Arbor speaking with his manager when it happens.""For Justice and his wife Ingrid, who live on a leafy property two miles south of Dexter, outages have become the norm, rain or shine. They’ve clocked 18 interruptions in their DTE Energy electrical service in the past year, and that was before storms rolled through on Thursday night, Aug. 24, again briefly knocking out power."#customerexperience #electricity #energy #energytransition #energypolicy #infrastructure #transmission #distribution #resiliency #energysecurity

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Remember the snow and ice storms that left many Michigan residents without power for days? The impact was devastating, and residents spoke out in a series of hearings hosted by the Michigan Public Service Commission. The message was clear: something has to change.Consumers Energy listened and is ready to act. Recently, they announced a proposal for a pilot program to bury power lines in certain areas of Michigan susceptible to outages. Burying power lines has several benefits: 💡Reduces fire hazards, accidents, and safety risks💡Improves grid reliability (especially during strong storms)💡Boosts grid resiliency (in the specified area) 💡Protects power lines from high winds and falling tree limbs💡Allows communities to recover more quickly from storm damage➡️ Tap the Follow button to stay up-to-date with the latest energy-related news!#powerley #utilityindustry #energyindustry #energymanagement #growthmindset #energy #utility #solutionsRead more here: https://lnkd.in/ge7r4XpA

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“The loss of [electrical] power poses a real danger to the well-being and livelihoods of Maryland families and businesses…”“Until these current risks to our grid are fully dealt with, it's a mistake to close reliable, baseload power plants too soon. That should be a concern to consumers in Maryland and businesses in Maryland that rely on dependable power."According to PJM Interconnection, the closure of Brandon Shores would impact Baltimore in addition to grids in northern Virginia, the District of Columbia, Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania.The unreliability of electricity made matters worse for families who were already struggling with scarcity during the Great Depression. The darkness that engulfed houses at the time became symbolic of the widespread difficulties that many people encountered.The Northeast Blackout of 2003 was one of the most significant blackouts in American history. Its far-reaching consequences left sections of the northeastern and midwestern United States, as well as Canada, reeling from a sudden loss of power.For days, millions were plunged into darkness, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. People found themselves traversing their homes, communities, and cities using basic means for the first time. The intense vulnerability felt during those days emphasized the significance of dependable energy sources in our modern lives.The 2011 Western North America Blackout revealed the electricity grid's vulnerability. This cascade failure in areas of California, Arizona, and Mexico highlighted the critical interdependence of our energy systems. At times like this, the contemporary world's frailty becomes painfully apparent. The blackout highlighted the significance of investing in resilient and adaptive infrastructure as people dealt with the consequences.In light of this vulnerability, it is critical to recognize that we must expect more similar blackouts in the future and learn to prepare for them. This needs foresight and resourcefulness. Here are some important projects to consider to protect your family:Solar Panels: Use solar energy to power essentials during power outages, decreasing reliance on the grid.Invest in backup generators to supply interim electricity when the grid goes down.Home Battery Storage: Use extra solar energy to power your home at night, maintaining a continuous power source.Energy-Efficient Appliances: Select appliances that use less energy, hence prolonging available resources.Install battery-powered or solar-powered lights to help navigate during power outages.Hand-Cranked Devices: For communication, choose hand-cranked radios, flashlights, and chargers.

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Ameren Missouri is planning a substantial increase in electricity rates, amounting to a staggering $140 million annually.As part of these changes, a Time of Use schedule is on the horizon, potentially impacting how and when you get charged for electricity making your bills even more confusing to understand. The details about how these changes will directly affect your bills are still unclear. However, one thing is certain: rates are going up, and this is just the beginning.For all the specifics and insights, check out the full article below. Stay informed and keep the conversation going about what this means for our community and energy choices.

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As winter weather begins to grip much of the country, our electric grid's resilience gets a lot of attention. See how Ameren Illinois has improved reliability by 17% and reduced outage times by 19% through strategic use of composite poles.

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We have a plan to build a world-class grid, one that can withstand increasingly extreme weather and support our state’s transition to electrification. We’re investing in four key areas: trimming trees, updating existing infrastructure, rebuilding significant portions of the grid and accelerating our transition to a smart grid. This work is already underway and it’s showing results for our customers. We’ll keep driving this transformation until Michigan leads the nation in reliability.

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Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Gavin Newsom, what #security procedures do you have for the #obsolete #energy #grid? A #nonintelligentgrid, a #nondistributedgrid, an #oldgrid, the unreasonable fight for killing the #solarenergy industry in #California, three #deaths in North #BayArea, a #defeat in confronting a #winterstorm are not enough to make you #thinking about energy grid security, #modernization, and #restructuring? What about stopping #NEM3point0?https://lnkd.in/gkZWp8iSThe New York Times The Wall Street Journal The Washington Post The White House U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) California State Senate

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Take one step outside and it's clear summer is here. With that comes the constant running of air conditioners in many inefficient & old, leaky Texas homes. Today, as temperatures soar into triple-digits, ERCOT is asking Texans to reduce power use. But it is possible to keep our buildings comfortable and reduce stress on the grid at the same time. We have the tools to solve many of these demand-side issues by simply increasing our utility #energyefficiency goals and implementing more demand response & stronger building codes. By improving our buildings through proper insulation, sealing ducts and gaps in windows/doors, and installing efficient heat pumps or smart thermostats we can significantly reduce demand and stress on the grid which often leads to power outages. Plus it saves consumers $$.https://lnkd.in/dtY-3Btq

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