Electricity: The Weakest Link?
We love our gadgets. Our homes are equipped with everything from electric can openers to home entertainment systems. However, as our collection of gadgets continues unabated, our basic source to power our electronics conveniences is in serious trouble.
Whether you believe that all the hubbub over the coming electricity crisis is another phony claim by alarmists who were wrong about Y2K, a scam by the power companies, ineptitude of our government leaders, or a plot by environmental activists to throw us back to the stone age by preventing the construction of new power plants, the reality is that available electric power generating capacity and distribution capability is quickly falling short of the demmand of users.
While the government, corporations, and environmentalists point fingers, we, the consumers, are facing a major crisis with no short-term solution. For those residing in the areas of the country outside the Western U.S. who think you are immune, will be surprised this Summer when you, too, will experience the possibility of rolling black outs and brown outs as the already-strained power grid tries to cope with the Summer weather.
So, while the politicians, environmentalists, and power companies sort out this mess (which will take several years), what can you, as a consumer, do to protect your electronic investments from becoming victim of unforseen power outages and/or forced interruptions?
At one extreme, you have the option of buying your own power generator (make sure you have a supply of gasoline), or other type of backup power system. Short of that, there are many other products available to protect your investments from damage during an unexpected power flucuation or outage.
For your appliances and home entertainment devices, the surge suppressor is a vital piece of equipment. When shopping for them, make sure they have the adequate safety range of voltage, amperage, and joule protection. Check the specifications of any surge supression product. Also, make sure you check your surge protector after each outage. Some will only be effective over one or two major surges, and may have to be replaced. Don't go for those "bargain" buys at your local electronics store.
Also, there are many backup power supplies to protect your computer from outages. This is vitally important since important files can be corrupted, or even lost, if the power unexpectedly goes off while you are working with your computer. A backup power supply will insure that you have enough time to finish what you can, and safely power down your computer.
However, while the practical solutions above will get us through the short term, it will take several years, by most estimates, for the U.S. to work its way out of this mess. However, the nation has endured far worse. Contrary to claims by environmentalists that our power resources are diminshing, and only drastic conversion solely to alternatives, such as solar and wind will provide for our needs, the capital outlays for such a comprehensive system are huge, with less that immediate cost-effective results. In addition, government controlled power distribution is also a fallacy. Government cannot do anything except wastefully spend other people's money.
In California, the state of electrical power distribution is closer to collapse than many realize. Working power plants are shut down for "maintenance" or have been regulated out of business. Many co-generation plants have also been shut down due to over-regulation. No new power plants of signifigant size have been built in over a decade, and permits for new ones are only now being considered. If you were the head of an electric power generating company, would you want to build a new power plant in that type of environment? I don't think so.
The solution to our power distribution problem lies in the marketplace. Prices need to rise and fall based on supply and demmand. What good is price-controlled elecricity if you only have it a few hours a day?
Also, there needs to be sensible incentives and regulatory sanity for the building of power plants, whether fueled by clean burning fossil fuel technology, natural gas, nuclear, solar, or wind. A mixture of all these types of power generation sources can, and must be, maintained in order to provide stable, efficient, and cost-effective power generation capacity to meet our needs.
In addition, consumers themselves need to declare power independence. With today's technology, homeowners and small businesses should be allowed more freedom to set up and maintain their own power generation facilities on a permanent basis. So-called co-generation facilities can go a long way to stabilize the power grid, and excess power generated by such units can actually be sold back into the grid. This not only makes the personal capital outlays of such equipment worthwhile for the consumer, but in times of need, the consumer still has the abiity to tap into the main grid for power, perhaps drawing on credit built up from feeding into the grid of previous excess generation.
In conclusion, regardless of what the state of the power distribution system, one must always be prepared; not just from political incompetence or business corruption, but also from natural disasters and other everyday electrical problems that can arise from a blown circuit breaker in your house, a construction worker accidently cutting the wrong cable, or a car running into the corner power pole. A power outage is not the end of the world, just make sure its not the end of your electronic devices.
We depend on electric power for our entire lifestyle, from the alarm clock radio that wakes us up in the morning, to the appliances and computers that make our work easier throughout the day, to our home entertainment systems that let us to temporarily escape the stresses of life, bring the family together, and relax us in the evening. However, the electricity we take for granted may becoming the weakest link in maintaining our electronic lifestyle.
For a more extensive resource on how to management your power needs and information on essential products, check out my Power Management Resources.
In addition, be sure to also check out my Home Automation Resources for tips and products to make the electronic gadgets in your home run more efficiently.
For information on the current status of the electric power crisis and what you can do, check in with About Alternative Energy and About Electric Power/Utilities.
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