A little
after 4:00 PM yesterday, our 150-amp power box came online. We were in hopes of
activating the solar power system late in the afternoon. This will not happen
until Monday because it was too late in the afternoon for the solar power
people to come out.
Am I relieved to see all this come together
after 18 months? Of course, I feel relieved. Do I feel joyous that this great
project is coming to fruition?
What unfolded from 08:30 in the morning
until after 4:00 PM is a cautionary tale about the future. Three huge trucks,
numerous support vehicles and a crew of up to 6 men were employed to make this
happen. Travel along our street was disrupted. Our power was cut off all day
long. Our generator went right to work and kept us with electric power all day
long. Some of our neighbors were not so fortunate. Elena and I did not have to
pay the bill for this operation. I would not like to know how much it cost
Pacific Gas and Electric.
The 150-amp power box is "the wave
of the future." Homes and apartments will need additional electric power
to support charging of electrical vehicles and new electrical appliances coming
online. (Environmentalists are demanding that natural-gas appliances and
heating systems be eliminated.) It is sobering to consider the resources that
will have to be employed to do this changeover.
We have another big challenge coming as
temperatures rise. People will rely more and more on cooling devices like air
conditioners. Power grids will be strained beyond their limits. You will have
frequent power blackouts and load shedding. Alternate ways of generating power
such as solar and wind will have to come online and fast. Nuclear power will
come into play. Bill Gates and his foundation have designed a new nuclear
reactor that is cost effective and quite safe.
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