FragilousSpectunkery t1_j5o9vxb wrote
The overarching reason for snowstorm power issues are trees. There are 2 solutions. First is to trim trees back from lines so that it is impossible for anything to fall on the lines. In residential areas this means a LOT of decorative trees will be gone. Or, spend a lot more money and underground the lines. Neither is cheap, neither is easy. It really doesn't matter, in the moment, who owns the lines. Storm response is a process, prioritizing different lines based on how many are downstream. They obviously want to first do the things that improve the most connections.
TimothyOilypants t1_j5oc0e9 wrote
This is an underappreciated point.
As much as everyone wants to vilify CMP, I'm sure if they rolled up in spring and said they were going to remove every tree on their property tall enough to fall on a line, all these people would lose their shit.
Anyone who owns overland power lines is going to have the same endless maintenance issues. We COULD bury everything, but then everyone would be complaining about rate hikes, or tax hikes if it's a subsidized project.
Long story short, the free ride of America's post-war boom is over; our marker has been called in and everything is going to be harder and cost more forever now.
curtludwig t1_j5opofv wrote
Cutting back trees has been a battle for CMP even before they got bought and their service went to crap.
Underground wires are also not a panacea. Stringing lines in the air gives you clearance and cooling. You get neither of those underground. That's a bigger problem for the very high voltage trunk lines but it affects all of them. The work involved to keep big trunk lines operating underground is staggering.
sirgoofs t1_j5rq2ca wrote
Having a generator or battery storage is the solution, or candles and wood stoves.
No need to cut down millions of trees.
TimothyOilypants t1_j5t4cwh wrote
Wait, you want the people who are whining online about how all their problems are someone else's fault to demonstrate personal responsibility? Do you know what country you live in?
Seems like it would be easier, and more effective, just to take their internet away.
sirgoofs t1_j5tjoee wrote
When the solution to an inconvenience or lack of planning is to decimate a million trees, it’s time to reassess. These are the same people who buy stainless steel straws… instead of just not using a straw
TimothyOilypants t1_j5totnt wrote
You realize I'm not suggesting we do this right? My point is that even the "foolproof" solution would not appease the folks here whining about how self preservation isn't their responsibility. Obviously they should be prepared or suck it up and STFU.
Also FWIW, our entire presence in this state required the "decimation of millions of trees". So as long as you're living in a wood house, in a lumber state, you may want to check how much toity you've got in your hoity there...
Also, "decimate" mean "to reduce by ten percent".
sirgoofs t1_j5tr47c wrote
I was expounding on what you said, actually.
The construction of my house in 1947 probably required 10-20 mature trees… so two trees a decade. I’m well aware of the environmental footprint there, which is why I try to preserve the structure by maintaining it as close to it’s original form as possible. Also aware of the fact that I burn 2 cords of wood a year for heat, which I harvest sustainably from the woodlot on my property that I’m fortunate to own and care for.
And I’m aware that forests have been decimated in the past and are at a tipping point now that requires a different way of thinking than was historically done. The decimation I’m talking about is the scenario where shade-providing, aesthetically important street trees are removed to save people the inconvenience of an occasional power outage.
TimothyOilypants t1_j5tt3dl wrote
You lost me at "aesthetically important". If people are too inconvenienced by power outages I say we tear their houses down and send 'em packing to some nice urban community out west.
Also, if you think that "10-20 mature trees" is the only casualty of your developed residential lot I don't think you fully understand what this place looked like prior to European colonization.
Let's just agree that the people complaining about CMP are fucking insufferable and of limited value to our species moving forward.
sirgoofs t1_j5ty8rq wrote
I bet I understand what colonization did to this continent much better than you think I do
TimothyOilypants t1_j5u0wsj wrote
Cool! Maybe you'd like to come give a presentation to my first nations community?
sirgoofs t1_j5uxxnn wrote
So much clout.
Guess there’s no way I could know anything about the subject.
TimothyOilypants t1_j5v7ep4 wrote
Then use your words. Don't claim that 10-20 trees +/- a cord is the only impact for your lot... That was an asinine assertion that undermined anything else you had to say on the matter.
sirgoofs t1_j5vgb0h wrote
I didn’t realize you expected a full encyclopedic entry on the effects of colonization on the forests, waterways, and indigenous peoples of the northeast area of the North American continent… you insufferable, know-it-all, windbag. I’ll try harder next time… to avoid you.
TimothyOilypants t1_j5vtpyx wrote
Cool.
In the future, feel free to expound sand if you have nothing intelligent to offer.
You southies are tiresome...
Pimathman_irrational t1_j5vqrdv wrote
I asked Versant to address branches leaning on a line. They are evil. They stated the only reason they would come out is if the tree was down and on the line. They are evil.
TimothyOilypants t1_j5vuqfa wrote
That's a pretty low bar for "evil"... I guess we really are "post-truth" where everyone's feelings trump reality...
All utilities have multi-year maintenance schedules and limited resources. Can you imagine if they had to push their maintenance schedule for EVERY layperson homeowner who called in with a "totally definitely serious and immediately urgent concern"? There are branches on lines fucking everywhere and only a small percentage of those lead to outages, and an even smaller percentage to bodily harm.
What's your hypothesis here? You think the people they hire don't know what their doing or how to assess risk as well as you? Do you think the company WANTS outages and infrastructure damage they will need to pay for? Or do you think they just get off on the thought of YOU being in the dark for a few hours?
Get over yourself...
costabius t1_j5ol5g1 wrote
Mmmm yeah but remember this, the PUC only allows CMP to pass on a certain amount of routine maintenance costs to the customer as rate increases. Emergency storm repairs on the other hand, 100%.
They get to preserve their profits by flying in line crews from all over the country to fix issues that could have been prevented much cheaper with maintenance.
-Operator t1_j5oowiq wrote
This... I plow a lot in Augusta. Had easily 2 dozen bucket trucks from New Brunswick staged in my lot all day waiting for a call that never came
FragilousSpectunkery t1_j5ov8md wrote
Yes, but also the line clearing would be passed on, as would the undergrounding of lines. There is no part of the capital infrastructure owned by the Avangrifters that we, the ratepayers, haven't given them through "cost of delivery". It's the biggest lie told by CMP and the PUC. Allowing for-profit infrastructure is harming the economy, and enriching the already wealthy.
indyaj t1_j5p3ff5 wrote
This explains so much. Like, everything.
DarkEyes5150 t1_j5r1qsl wrote
I was born and raised in Indiana for 40 years trimming the trees is something the electric company came by and did every single year
FragilousSpectunkery t1_j5rfevn wrote
I'm not versed in the vagaries of state PUC rules, but most have a list of allowable expenses for inclusion in the "cost to deliver" electricity rates. In Oregon they can expense maintenance of right of ways, but it's a fixed amount. Like, the total for maintenance is capped, and how much they do is proportional to the cost per mile. They also have to maintain the entire network, and not just the easy bits. Indiana might be different, as might Maine. I do know CMP hires local ROW maintenance crews.
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