Re:Houston area frustrated as it enters 6th day without powe...
by deepsun on Sunday July 14, 2024 @09:36AM
(#40960882)
In Europe (at least some countries), all electricity consumers belong to one of 3 categories. E.g. medical facilities are 1 category higher than regular homes.
Each category has their own reliability targets, although I don't think policy specifies how that target is met: separate circuits or a backup generator.
My point -- it's all already known for 50+ years. And I believe it's all must be already done in Texas as well.
Re:Houston area frustrated as it enters 6th day without powe...
by neilknowsbest on Sunday July 14, 2024 @03:31PM
(#40962726)
I don't think there is any misunderstanding. The issues are with local distribution, not generation or transmission. So it's simply a matter of prioritizing the restoration of distribution circuits which serve hospitals, seniors, etc. They don't need to have separate circuits and separate power plants that exclusively serve those loads in order for them to be prioritized.
That shows a gaping misunderstanding of electricity.
For that to be possible in this situation, the assisted living and nursing homes would have to have their own, dedicated power plant that is knocked out by a hurricane, separate from the knocked-out power plants for anything else. Then you prioritize fixing that power plant first.
That would require them to be on their own dedicated circuits, separate from everything else in the same city block. And for the problem to be local to them, and not the outage of a big power station far away.
Idea: maybe these homes should have their own wind, solar and generators, not to be 100% reliant on the grid.