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An Oregon Wildfire Is Pushing California Toward the Brink of Blackouts
- toomuchtodo 5y agoLikely this pushes transmission infra to buried HVDC lines if and when new installs or retrofits occur, even with costs being ~3.2x higher than overhead transmission runs. Buried conductors don't burn. Conveniently avoids the NIMBY problem though. https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/the-smarter-grid/utilities-bury-more-transmission-lines-to-prevent-storm-damage https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/the-smarter-grid/utilities-...
- hindsightbias 5y agoHave seen the remnants of large oak root systems completely burned in the LNU fire. Holes 4’ deep and 1’ diameter roots extending at least 10 feet out underground. Oaks are usually very resistant to fire, but these extreme fires light them up. I wonder how easy it will be to suppress roots long term when PG&E had a hard time maintaining distances between branches and overhead lines in rural areas (which I think is impossible in this era of 70 mph winds).
- toomuchtodo 5y agoConcrete channels and root barriers are options depending on the hazards you’re defending against. People need power and it seems as if overhead power is unsustainable in these environments.