Comment:
It's hot! 104+Far
This shows interconnectedness.

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STORY LINK

State facing electricity crisis By Anna Cock and Belinda Huppatz
03feb00

A POWER crisis with widespread blackouts is expected to hit the state today as temperatures soar into the 40s.

With 12 people treated in metropolitan hospitals yesterday for heat-related problems, Treasurer Rob Lucas appealed for people to conserve power. Adelaide's maximum of 40.6 degrees was the city's hottest day since January 10 last year when the mercury peaked at 41.8.

Iron Knob recorded the State's highest temperature of 46.

Mr Lucas said involuntary load-shedding  the reason for December's blackouts  would begin as soon as supply was unable to keep up with the demand for power.

He urged domestic consumers to turn off airconditioners when no one was home, turn up thermostats, and turn off any unnecessary appliances and lights.

He also called on businesses to have contingency plans ready for power cuts.

The reason for the State's inability to meet demand is because supply from the Victorian interconnector had been slashed because of industrial action and mechanical breakdowns in that state.

Supply only just met the record peak demand yesterday of 2674 megawatts at 2.35pm.

SA's maximum supply capability is 2947 megawatts  500 of which are carried into the State by the Victorian interconnector when it is working.

The National Electricity Market Management Company (NEMMCO) issued market notices yesterday warning of low generation reserves for SA between 10.30am and 7.30pm today and 9.30am and 10.30pm tomorrow.

Blackouts as a result of load-shedding  which occurs automatically when demand exceeds supply  are most likely to occur during those periods.

NEMMCO spokesman Paul Price said the SA market faced a "tight situation" for the rest of the week.

SA Ambulance Service spokeswoman Melinda Asquith said the 12 people taken to hospital were mainly elderly.

And with little relief in sight, extra crews were being put on standby, including paramedics who would be stationed at tomorrow's Big Day Out concert at Wayville showgrounds.

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As you huddle up to your fire and place another wedge of wood on, think of us in South Australia suffering from exposure to extreme conditions.....hehe

Regards from Down Under

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), February 02, 2000

Answers

40s, huh, haven't seen temps like that for quite a while!

-- freezing (in@bean.town), February 02, 2000.

The Victorian situation;

Story Link

Don't ask. I'm just a lil ol' story linker's son.....

Regards from OZ

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), February 02, 2000.

"Adelaide's maximum of 40.6 degrees was the city's hottest day since January 10 last year when the mercury peaked at 41.8. "

Obviously, it's summer time in Australia ..... For the centigrade challenged among us, 40.6 C is a little over 105 F.

41.8 C is slightly hotter than 107 degrees F.

They have my sympathies as they try to escape brownouts and rolling blackouts, even as we dig out from under power lines knocked down by unexpected ice storms. Let's hope this coming summer sees no additional power problems, like those the Midwest faced last summer.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), February 02, 2000.

Pieter,

Thank you for the post.

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 02, 2000.

Pieter, I hear, "smart" Aussies beat this problem by moving to Tassie. :-) OTOH, you could always winter up here and freeze your nuts off, one by one, when that New England wind howls through your blue jeans, ripping, snorting, tearing, and laughing. Yeeee, haaaah, are we havin' fun yet?

-- paul leblanc (bronyaur@gis.net), February 02, 2000.

As I recall, Dick Mills thought that if grid problems developed as a result of y2k, that they were far more likely (in the US) in the summer of 2000, than just after rollover since it would be a period of peak demand, so that any y2k complications could tip the system over the edge. I believe that also assumed that problems, like the inability to secure maintenance parts, would have slowly escalated until that time. So, it will be interesting to see if there are unusual grid problems downunder where they are experiencing their peak demands must sooner after rollover than we will.

-- Still (lurking@in.beantown), February 02, 2000.

Send about 20degC of that this way.

I am...

.........

-- Colder Than an Alaskan Well Diggers Butt (nom@de.plume), February 02, 2000.

Hello Pieter! I can certainly relate to your misery regarding a heat wave. Here in SW Oklahoma, the past 2 summers have been totally MISERABLE in terms of both heat and drought. We lost 2 cows from heat stroke this past August. I'm sure we had over 60 days of over 100 degrees F. in both summers. We can certainly manage to keep warm if the power goes off....its the miserable summer with little or no air conditioning that would be a nightmare here!!!

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), February 02, 2000.