I have frequently seen the term "rolling blackouts" used regarding Y2k. Now I know what a brownout is, and I know what a blackout is, but frankly the notion of rolling blackouts stumps me. Can someone please explain this.

Clueless

-- Kasey (brinker@aol.com), March 21, 1999

Answers

Certain areas are shut down for a period of time, then turned on again while another place is shut down.

-- SCOTTY (BLehman202@aol.com), March 21, 1999.

Put another way, rationing of electricity due to a shortage of generating capacity.

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous.com), March 21, 1999.

During the 70s gas crisis and miner's strike in Britain, rolling gas and electric blackouts were coordinated, so that in most cases you might have electricity for four hours in the a.m. but no gas. Then you would have gas in the afternoon but no electricity.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), March 21, 1999.

See this thread "A taste of rolling blackouts" about the 1989 South Florida rolling blackouts.

-- Online2Much (ready_for_y2k@mindspring.com), March 21, 1999.

Hi guys,

Electricity in the morning and gas in the afternoon?? Bad idea. How can a gas-fired hot air furnace run under those conditions?

Anyway, rolling blackouts are usually scheduled x hours on, y hours off on a rotating basis. If little power is available, x could be 1 and y = 11. As more power becomes available, it would switch to x=1, y=5, then x=2, y=4, etc.

-- Dean -- from (almost) Duh Moines (dtmiller@nevia.net), March 21, 1999.