General Discussion

cbayer

(146,218 posts)

15. I wasn't aware of that. I thought New Orleans had a long range plan to do this,

Sat Nov 10, 2012, 08:16 PM

Nov 2012

but perhaps I am wrong. Could not the pads be elevated?

I know it's more expensive, but many places have done it for a reason.

I openly admit that my knowledge in this area is very limited, but having lived for a long time in an area with frequent loss of power (New Orleans) very often due to transformers blowing out or tree limbs taking out lines in thunderstorms, it seems there must be better solutions.

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Our disgraceful inability to restore power in times of emergency. [View all] Stinky The Clown Nov 2012 OP

Uh, what do you mean by "our inability"? Private sector power companies are responsible for not kelliekat44 Nov 2012 #1

Long Island is served by LIPA, a government owned/operated utility... PoliticAverse Nov 2012 #3

Thanks for the information. freshwest Nov 2012 #18

Still the private sector rules kelliekat44 Nov 2012 #27

Such language, is it from a sales brochure? I am biased toward public, since mine is. freshwest Nov 2012 #31

Would be no different if it nationalised dipsydoodle Nov 2012 #4

It seems the problem is less a lack of engineers as it is linemen (workers). And hurricanes... freshwest Nov 2012 #19

All good points. But it is funny how so many can make reasonable explanations when entities other kelliekat44 Nov 2012 #28

I think some people are born under a complaining star, or something. Nothing can ever satisfy. freshwest Nov 2012 #30

Having worked utility reconstruction, we knew the company waited for disasters to charge off costs freshwest Nov 2012 #2

Sounds like a workforce to bury powerlines maxrandb Nov 2012 #5

What a great idea. We are so far behind the curve in this area and cbayer Nov 2012 #6

Per my husband: Underground cables means pad mounted transformers Ship of Fools Nov 2012 #14

I wasn't aware of that. I thought New Orleans had a long range plan to do this, cbayer Nov 2012 #15

Almost all UG systems are fed by overhead lines Ship of Fools Nov 2012 #16

Yes, the pad transformers do flood. That form of UG only prevents outage to the serivce address. freshwest Nov 2012 #20

Pad mounted transformers can be designed as submersible transformers brentspeak Nov 2012 #32

Power restoration is not always that easy hollysmom Nov 2012 #7

There's also a shortage of trained workers...they're retiring and there's not enough to replace them Lars39 Nov 2012 #8

Our antiquated grid in our area ofTexas has been failing more and more frequently Horse with no Name Nov 2012 #9

+1. Power used to go out at my house every month for a couple of hours. It's better now. Still goes Honeycombe8 Nov 2012 #23

Several years ago we had a severe wind storm in St. Louis Sherman A1 Nov 2012 #10

I live in a rural area with a co-op service. No power means no water since we have wells in this appleannie1 Nov 2012 #11

The power companies could prevent a lot of outages by trimming trees properly FarCenter Nov 2012 #12

Or the county/city/state could do it. jp11 Nov 2012 #17

The lines are in an easement. The utility companies have the right to maintain the lines. freshwest Nov 2012 #21

Obama done it!!!!!1111 jpak Nov 2012 #13

Well, of course!! And life sucks, you suffer and then you die. Where are my worms for dinner? freshwest Nov 2012 #22

Heard on NPR that Gov. Cuomo is spittin mad at some power company... Honeycombe8 Nov 2012 #24

Maybe our Governmnet needs to set up an organization like the German THW... TheMightyFavog Nov 2012 #25

People have become so spoiled that instant service is seen as a right. Odin2005 Nov 2012 #26

We're not spoiled, you are just too young to remember when things were owned by communities Egalitarian Thug Nov 2012 #33

And burying power lines is not a good move when subject to salt water flooding. hobbit709 Nov 2012 #29