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Subject: Re: Dam now we are getting involuntary power outages
Name:
 ludicrous
Date: 7/22/2001 7:41:15 PM (GMT-7)
IP Address: 138.67.74.229
In Reply to: Dam now we are getting involuntary power outages posted by
Bob
Message:
Actually, hate to rain logic on your frustration parade, but the entire United States power grid is rather strained right now and if people won't cut their power use voluntarily, then forced rolling blackouts are the only other option. The entire grid is rather fragile and if even one or two major links were somehow knocked out by overconsumption, the chain reaction on the grid could be nigh catastrophic.
The average sodium-vapor streetlight only consumes 1-200W of power draw, less than a typical ROOM in a typical house/apartment, and only runs during the night when overall power draw is lower anyway. And quite frankly, I don't think you want LESS streetlights in Detroit 
A greater problem is the air conditioner -- a typical larger residential cenral air conditioning unit can draw about 3000W, and every additional 4 degrees of cooling increases the average midday per-hour runtime of the unit by about 30%. If more people would learn power is a limited resource, and that it IS possible to live at 78F even if it isn't ice-box comfortable...
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