3 ms·

The idea of a strategic reserve of large power transformers has been discussed at length to help ameliorate the impact of something like this from an order of l

The idea of a strategic reserve of large power transformers has been discussed at length to help ameliorate the impact of something like this from an order of literally 6-24 months, compounded into multiple years, down to... perhaps a couple of weeks/lower order of months. It seems completely insane that we're not prioritizing this sort of reserve. We could basically order 50 or so LPTs for < $2B which is a goddamn steal for the peace of mind and short-ish turnaround time we'd have for replacing critical infrastructure. There are some issues in that many are bespoke for their specific implementation, but the report discusses that as well. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/04/f34/Strategic%20Transformer%20Reserve%20Report%20-%20FINAL.pdf https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/04/f34/Strategi...

HenryBemis 6y ago
I believe that those who make the choices think with their wallets, not their mind (and it's thereof peace). Imagine you got a $2bn worth of stock, that you need to maintain (even if it's just removing the dust from the box). Then an upgrade comes up on component ABZXYZ1B so now you need to fly someone from Germany, fly in the component, replace the thing, test the think, repack the thing. That extra cost and effort is considered. Do all stations use the same make/type/version of the thing? Or we need to stockpile 20 categories of them $500m-$2bn of each type? A good and expensive side-gain would be repairing and/or upgrading some infrastructure (roads/bridges for the transportation, which is extra cost). I had a quick read on the Report (thank you)
- throwaway_pdp09 6y ago
  > A good and expensive side-gain would be repairing and/or upgrading some infrastructure (roads/bridges for the transportation, which is extra cost). Without electricity I find it difficult to see how anything gets done + No mobile phones (handsets rapidly run out, base stations (is this the right term?) are fried, and if they weren't they'd be without power + No landline phones + No internet - how are you going to co-ordinate anything including crop gathering, packing, distribution, and sales? How are people going to buy anything without money, or a job to earn money if that money hadn't disappeared in a puff of no-bank-account-because the banks... see below. + Pumps for fuel are electric aren't they. Cash registers are electric. Banks are effectively electric these days - no electricity no action so no movement of money. Plus if we keep using fossil fuels and don't transfer to electrical power throughout, what w ill climate change throw at us.
supernova87a 6y ago
Yeah, when would we ever need such a stockpile of unnecessary extra transformers? (says a guy from his ICU bed on a ventilator because of COVID)

HenryBemis 6y ago

I believe that those who make the choices think with their wallets, not their mind (and it's thereof peace). Imagine you got a $2bn worth of stock, that you need to maintain (even if it's just removing the dust from the box). Then an upgrade comes up on component ABZXYZ1B so now you need to fly someone from Germany, fly in the component, replace the thing, test the think, repack the thing. That extra cost and effort is considered. Do all stations use the same make/type/version of the thing? Or we need to stockpile 20 categories of them $500m-$2bn of each type? A good and expensive side-gain would be repairing and/or upgrading some infrastructure (roads/bridges for the transportation, which is extra cost). I had a quick read on the Report (thank you)

throwaway_pdp09 6y ago
> A good and expensive side-gain would be repairing and/or upgrading some infrastructure (roads/bridges for the transportation, which is extra cost). Without electricity I find it difficult to see how anything gets done + No mobile phones (handsets rapidly run out, base stations (is this the right term?) are fried, and if they weren't they'd be without power + No landline phones + No internet - how are you going to co-ordinate anything including crop gathering, packing, distribution, and sales? How are people going to buy anything without money, or a job to earn money if that money hadn't disappeared in a puff of no-bank-account-because the banks... see below. + Pumps for fuel are electric aren't they. Cash registers are electric. Banks are effectively electric these days - no electricity no action so no movement of money. Plus if we keep using fossil fuels and don't transfer to electrical power throughout, what w ill climate change throw at us.

supernova87a 6y ago

Yeah, when would we ever need such a stockpile of unnecessary extra transformers? (says a guy from his ICU bed on a ventilator because of COVID)