[UPDATE] King Salmon Power Plant Could Be Used to Offset Effects of PG&E’s Possible Humboldt County Power Shut Off
Humboldt Bay Power Station aerial view. [Image from North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District]
Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services (Sheriff’s OES) is preparing for the potential shutdown of PG&E power to areas of Humboldt County. On Tuesday, Oct. 8, PG&E notified the county that it may activate Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) protocols in neighboring counties due to extreme weather. Transmission lines that power Humboldt County could be affected as a result of a shutdown in another county. The shutdown could impact parts of Humboldt County within the next 24 hours.
Humboldt County is ready to respond to the effects of the power outage; however, the decision to turn off the power and the speed at which it is restored is managed solely by PG&E. The utility is working on a solution to generate power locally at its King Salmon power plant that would help offset the effects of any shutoff.
Sheriff’s OES has taken steps in preparation for a potential power shutdown after being notified by PG&E of their new PSPS program earlier this year. OES is currently operating the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and is actively coordinating with our operational area response partners and monitoring the situation.
Sheriff’s OES has notified community partners including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, Humboldt Senior Resource Center, PACE, Open Door Community Health Centers and other critical service providers in the county. Adult Protective Services staff are working on contingency plans to protect the most vulnerable. Local emergency services including 911 dispatch have backup power and should remain active in the event of a power shutoff.
Learn more about PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs and sign up for PSPS alerts at prepareforpowerdown.comOpens a New Window. or call 1-877-9000-PGE. PG&E is monitoring weather patterns and will provide updates to customers and Humboldt County when information is available.
Sheriff’s OES reminds residents and visitors that it is important to have an emergency plan in place. FEMA and the county recommend taking steps to prepare for a power outage, including:
Sign up for Humboldt ALERT at humboldtgov.org/alertsOpens a New Window. to receive safety information and be informed of imminent threats to personal safety or property, tailored to an address of your choosing.
To receive updated information from PG&E, update your contact information at prepareforpowerdown.comOpens a New Window..
Talk to your medical provider about a power outage plan for medical devices powered by electricity and refrigerated medicines. Plan for batteries and other alternatives to meet your needs when the power goes out.
Many medications are still usable for two to three days at room temperature, including insulin, which can keep for 28 to 30 days. However, if you are in doubt, please be sure to check with your medical provider.
Review the supplies that are available in case of a power outage. Have flashlights with extra batteries for every household member. Have enough nonperishable food and water.
Use a thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer so you can know the temperature when the power is restored. Throw out food if the temperature is 40 degrees or higher.
Keep mobile phones and other electric equipment charged and gas tanks full.
Know how to manually open electric garage doors and gates.
For more information, including what to do during a power outage, visit prepareforpowerdown.com
Earlier Chapter: Humboldt, Trinity Counties Added to PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (Tips on How to Prepare)
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Whaaa, ha, ha, enjoying the conditioning comrades. You will comply. Oh, and here’s another part from your party leaders you’ll love. Pay up suckers.
https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/gov-newsoms-executive-order-authorizing-theft-of-voter-approved-gas-tax-money/
What an awful thing to do! There’s got to be a penalty for that. That’s why we have codes in place, to protect the people from self serving tyrants like him.
On a brighter note:
I’ve seen too many bus and train wrecks over the years. I think we should ban all buses and trains. If it saves just one life… think of the children!
It’s either corporate copyright codes or the constitution, it can’t be both.
Bullpucky.
The codes are there to penalize tyrants, especially the tyrants posing as govt workers.
Look up the code for Treason or Sedition or etc. All have consequences for betraying the Constitution.
I’ll post a few to get the ball rolling.
18 U.S. Code § 242.Deprivation of rights under color of law
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/242
18 U.S. Code § 594.Intimidation of voters
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/594
18 U.S. Code CHAPTER 115—TREASON, SEDITION, AND SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/part-I/chapter-115
shak,
~i’m not going to go back-n-forth w/you over this. Why you want to complicate law with foreign Codes, scribed by Attorneys is beyond me.
Let those who will be deceived, be deceived. -said somebody
[…] King Salmon Power Plant Could Be Used to Offset Effects of PG&E’s Possible Humboldt County… Redheaded Blackbelt […]
Activate those rods and crank that bad boy up.
HI Kym,
I am wondering if Cell phone towers will also be without power–meaning cell outages too. Any info? Thanks.
“The utility is working on a solution to generate power locally at its King Salmon power plant that would help offset the effects of any shutoff.”
Wouldnt the solution be to fire up all four genies and cut the breakers to power line in fire prone areas? Why are they “working on it” after theyve been announcing this all year?
They have generators on site.
This has been done before on numerous previous occasions. When winter storms hit, there have been times both the main 115kv Transmission circuits have been taken out by trees or slides. One circuit sort of follows Hwy 299, the other sort follows Hwy 36.
When both those inter-ties are taken out, the Humboldt area essentially “islands off” and local generated power from Humboldt Bay, Fairhaven Power and Humboldt Redwood Co Cogen, carries the local load. So long as there is a supply of natural gas for Humboldt Bay and biomass fuel for the cogens, this event should be no different.
That is why the original Humboldt Bay Plant was designed as a “Reliability Must Run (RMR)” plant, to provide local load, in load isolating events from inter-tie loss.
Can not have it both ways, either turn off the power to prevent fires or do not make them liable if they leave them on during high winds and there is a fire.
You seem to be saying they have no obligation to provide for SAFE power transmission. The courts and the law feel differently, hence the enormous judgement against PG&E for failing to do just that. Perhaps you don’t follow the news.
PG&E is the entity trying to have it both ways here sir
Safe power would have been smart to start and have the fuckers underground where wind couldn’t get to em, there’s ways to easily waterproof and crush proof/resist wires / cables as well so other then lazy shortcuts to save money early, they didn’t have safety on their minds then and they don’t know, they only care about not getting the pants sued off them again like with the fire not to long ago.
While living on the Mendocino coast, we noticed that during storm outages, we still had telephone service, due, it was said to AT&T burying their cables. We often wondered why PG&E didn’t do the same. “Underground power lines make up about 18% of U.S. transmission lines, according to the federal Energy Information Agency. Nearly all new residential and commercial developments have underground electric service, the agency said.”
I’ve been reading that PG&E has not kept up with maintenance, because they are directing their finances towards paying lobbyists, and otherwise influencing politics. I don’t know if this is true. Does anyone have any factual thoughts to share?
[…] King Salmon Power Plant Could Be Used to Offset Effects of PG&E’s Possible Humboldt County… Redheaded Blackbelt […]
[…] King Salmon Power Plant Could Be Used to Offset Effects of PG&E’s Possible Humboldt Count… Redheaded Blackbelt […]
It is a catch 22, do we anger over defrosting food in the freezer? Or do we take the gamble. My family lost everything. In a matter of minutes during the camp fire. Generators are relatively inexpensive, lives are not.
It is not a “catch 22”. These fires were caused by GROSS negligence in maintenance of the infrastructure gifted to PG&E by the taxpayer. Well, that and a handful of arsonists. One of whom was allowed (by CalFire “prevention” units) to continue lighting fires so they could build a better case against him.
Case in point: The Camp incident was sparked by dangling rusted out hardware that had been noted months prior to falling apart.
If PG&E were held to task by the PUC and voters (who voted to partially deregulate) we would not be in this situation.
PG&E had received the funding to replace the transformer. And didn’t.
“We’re in a tight spot.” George Clooney, Oh Brother Where Art Thou?
Generators are a good solution for those with houses, but what about apartment dwellers? Due to the lack of power, all the senior residents of my building were left with dark hallways, and no elevator. While a generator able to serve the needs of an entire building would be difficult and costly, a generator sufficient to provide the the hall lights, and the elevator would have made this experience a lot safer for seniors.
Basically PG&E is flexing its muscle. If the Camp /Paradise conflagration had been started by a sparking rim on a trailer this whole scene would not be happening. Power can be flammable.
~dang those sparking rims.
Only thing it’s flexing is its asscheeks to not get rammed by another massive lawsuit that cost them $11 billion due to them not actually doing proper maintenance and upkeep on their infrastructures…. If they had a brain to start they’d be updating/repairing and putting better people on sites to keep lines and such up rather then some redneck / halfassed people who have no real interest in anything other then a paycheck.
Well said!
~so now we’re powering down at midnight?
Bankrupt PG&E is creating such a flurry in the past 12 hrs. We’ve gone from maybe, might, to gasoline lines out and down the road.
This summer, the first two of the “Pole Replacement” 10-hr. outages, we received, 5-days prior, mail notifications, only. The third outage -no notice. PG&E called it an “emergency”, that would be back on at 6 pm. This emergency took 10 hrs., and was back on at exactly 6 pm. The power was off from the Carlotta Post Office, East to Martin & Shirley’s @ Riverside Park Road. From Fisher Road on westward to Hydesville, the power wasn’t shut off at all. Fourth time, 1-week mail notification, then, 1 day prior, un-notification.
Today, without any mail notification, there’s been short -term notification Press Releases, radio blurbs, and recorded telephone messages. Two different recorded telephone messages. One for noon today, and a different one this evening. Now my friend in Eureka tells me, midnight is lights out. Wonder if it’s blowing so hard in Eureka, enough to blow over power poles? There’s no wind blowing here. Isn’t this take over being blamed on high winds?
“We’re in a tight spot.”
Why wasn’t King Salmon used to keep the lights on in Eureka and Arcata at least? PG&E could de-energize the transmission lines heading East and keep the populated areas energized. While the lines running East go through Tier II and Tier III wildfire threat areas, Arcata and Eureka have low wildfire potential.
The Humboldt Bay Power Plant is ten 16MW Wartsila marine engines that are capable of keeping the lights on. They are black start capable, and can run in isochronous mode to match the generation to load. Also,this seems like a perfect opportunity for the saw mills to reduce wildfire fuel in the Humboldt area, too. Less wildfire potential if the forests are managed well.