"no electricity" by no electricity

greyghost 2 years, 2 months ago

Don't voting machines run on electricity?

PowerPlantOps 2 years, 2 months ago

Grinderman,

We are in the process of adding four additional breakers to our Newton Street Substation. I will try to explain the project to you in more detail.

Why is this project necessary?

This project became necessary primarily due to system voltage upgrades, and Baldwin’s overall increased City load. Baldwin’s peak demand load over the last 30 years has ranged from 4,280 kW in 1980, to 10,025 kW in 2010. Essentially we are dealing with more than twice as much load today, and only 4 usable feeders. Adding additional breakers will provide us an avenue to distribute some of the excessive load to other feeders making the existing loads more manageable.

How are we going to make the upgrades?

During the first phase (April 6th), workers will prep the existing switchgear building to accept the addition. This is expected to take approximately 4 hours. The next day (April 7th), we will have a crane on site to set the new addition in place. On April 12th, workers will make the electrical connections inside the switchgear, connecting the new section to the original. This is expected to take approximately 8 hours.

Will an outage be necessary?

The Newton Substation will need to be taken offline on April 6th, and again on April 12th to perform the work necessary. During these times, we will be bypassing the Substation all together and generating the City load directly from our power plant # 2. This will require the linemen to “parallel” all of the city feeders together as one, and then feed the entire city load directly from the generators at the power plant. While we DO NOT anticipate any interruption of service, generating the city load isolated with all of the feeders paralleled does pose unusual challenges. If for instance a truck accidentally hits a power pole on the upper north end of town, the entire city may very well go offline as there will be no individual feeder breaker protection. If this were to happen, it doesn’t mean the power would remain off for the entire time. The linemen would have to troubleshoot the problem, isolate the area, reopen all the switches, and then a restart at the power plant would be possible. This could take upwards of 45-90 minutes to complete depending on the circumstances.

How do you plan to notify the customers?

Starting Monday morning March 28th, we will be going door to door passing out notices to all of our residential customers. We will also be talking one on one to our business and commercial customers, as well as placing an ad in the local paper with dates and times. We try to do everything possible to notify everyone during a planned event such as this.

If you have any other questions, or would like meet with me in person to discuss this project in more detail, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Rob Culley Power Plant Superintendent Baldwin City Municipal Power & Light 785-594-3261 - Office
785-423-1083 - Cell

PowerPlantOps 2 years, 2 months ago

Grinderman,

I just realized I hadn’t addressed all of your questions.

Why are we doing this system upgrade during the day instead of overnight?

We have had several discussions about this with our staff, contractors, and engineers. Our primary goal is to get this project complete as quickly and safely as possible while minimizing service interruptions to our customers. The modifications necessary to our existing switchgear bus is located in a very confined space with limited access. The decision was made by us to do these modifications during the daylight hours rather than overnight. It is much safer for the city staff and contractors to perform this type of work during the daylight hours.

Rob Culley Power Plant Superintendent Baldwin City Municipal Power & Light 785-594-3261 - Office
785-423-1083 – Cell

notwhatyouthink 2 years, 1 month ago

Yet another reason to sell the system to a real power company.

First off our small operating budget can't handle large expenses like this and it will only cost us more in the future.

Second if we were part of a real power company we would not be an isolated grid where the city would have to be shut down. KCPL make upgrades like this all the time and you don't hear from those customers how the power goes off for 4 to 8 hours.

ksrush 2 years, 1 month ago

That option has been presented to the City for a year and a half. The City has also had the option of buying from Westar or at least getting a competetive bid. No interest on the part of the City

The result - a 13% electricity increase over the next 2 years. Great job boys

Bloggerboo 2 years, 1 month ago

Doesn't Rob mention above that they DO NOT expect any service interruptions? Or am I misreading that?

TheOnlyGreyghost 2 years, 1 month ago

Yes, Bloggerboo--that's exactly what I read, too. But when has an argumentative blowhard or trouble stirrer ever allowed the facts to get in the way of a good rant?

ksrush 2 years, 1 month ago

So you're happy with the current rates and structure of the utilities we are paying for ? Are you rich or just don't care.

TheOnlyGreyghost 2 years, 1 month ago

Way to stay on topic! They have meds for that, you know.

I responded on one point and one point alone.

I was agreeing with Bloggerboo on the point that, despite the howls and whines of Grinderman and Notwhatyouthink, these procedures do NOT call for power to be shut off for hours at a time. In fact, if you read Mr Culley's post, you would know that the power plant superintendent (and I will quote him here) does "NOT anticipate any interruption of service."

Apparently, Notwhatyouthink did not take the time to read Mr Culley's informative post, as he chimed in LATER with the irrelevant comment that, "Second if we were part of a real power company we would not be an isolated grid where the city would have to be shut down." (Um...Notwhat....? The city doesn't have to "be shut down." Mr. Culley just told you that. Stop hyperventilating now, okay?)

Again, ksrush~ I did not comment on the electric rates. I did not comment on the structuring of the utilities. I did not comment on ANYTHING but the clarification on electricity NOT being shut down for the procedures that are taking place on April 6 and 12.

Thus, the question of wealth or ennui really does not pertain.

greyghost 2 years, 1 month ago

I really want to know why ksrush puts a space before his question marks. I think it's a pretty cool new punctuation style. What establishment's parking lot could I expect to find him, so I can ask him in person ?

oldman 2 years, 1 month ago

Because of the rates, I am going Solar and wind power.

notwhatyouthink 2 years, 1 month ago

First of all you know there will be an interuption of service. There has to be when we go on generators, even if for their alleged 30 seconds. That quick shut down is great on all your electronics and compressor motors.

Secondly rates have everything to do with this post. We continually have to upgrade becuase of our increased demand and that cost us all even if you are not useing more on your end. Along with that most here want to have more businesses and homes which will only increase demand more. Which will require more upgrades. Do you see the cycle here.

Peabody 2 years, 1 month ago

I know this is important and I value the thoughtful contributions. Thanks especially to Rob Culley for responding to concerns posted on this blog.

But I want to know what happened to the post about ksrush sitting in a white truck with "Psion Engineering" on the door stealing the wireless internet signal of a local retailer. I thought that was the best post on this thread -- and now it's gone!

Anybody else seen this truck around town stealing your internet signal? I hoped for better from an upstanding community member like ksrush.

ksrush 2 years, 1 month ago

Yeah me too. Especially since I dont have a truck, laptop or work for an engineering co.

Peabody 2 years, 1 month ago

Then where'd the initial post go? And who is this mysterious internet thief in the white truck? Why is Psion Engineering always in the middle of weird small town scandals?

Why can't we get answers to these questions? What is the Signal trying to hide? Jimmy?

greyghost 2 years, 1 month ago

My response to that post was also removed, as well as a response from TheOnlyGreyghost.

The only thing I can think is that the original poster was trying to out ksrush and his/her anonymity - a violation of TOS. But surely someone must have hit the "suggest removal" link, because it was removed pretty quickly.

I do want to know more about Psion Engineering, as well. Maybe the original poster could come back and let us all know what type of pornography Psion Engineering looks at when they hijack internet services from our local businesses.

On the other hand, I did see Jimmy riding in a white pick-up the other day. Hmmmmmm......

clonmell 2 years, 1 month ago

I've seen a white truck in town that says "Precision Engineering" on it. Wonder if that one is it.

Peabody 2 years, 1 month ago

I think we have enough circumstantial evidence to launch a city-wide alert in the great tradition of television detectives Barnaby Jones and Jim Rockford. Those guys always solved their cases in under an hour, which is about how much energy I have to devote to this vexing puzzle.

We know that the internet thief drives a white truck with the label of an engineering firm that starts with the letter "P." Any direct statements made against the driver of this white truck are removed from the blog by someone with the authority to do so. The primary suspect, aka ksrush, vehemently denies any guilt on any allegations attributed to him.

We have an interesting case on our hands, my friends. Very interesting. Perhaps these events are mere coincidence, but all the evidence seems to be too connected to be left to chance. This is certainly a conundrum within a paradox inside a dilemma.

Jimmy?

notwhatyouthink 2 years, 1 month ago

If you leave your internet signal unsecure then it really isn't stealing. If you listen to the police radio on your scanner are you stealing?

arcocelli 2 years, 1 month ago

If you leave your door unlocked and someone comes in and takes your stuff, is it stealing?

Bloggerboo 2 years, 1 month ago

Not a good analogy, arc. You can't transmit your doorway off of your property. However, with radio signals (wifi) you can and often do transmit them completely over and beyond your property lines.

The legality of this appears to be completely up in the air. My guess is if tested in Kansas courts, it would be found to an unauthorized use. But I don't necessarily agree with that, and I think strong arguments could be made. Television stations and radio stations send out their signals unsecured for anyone and everyone to access, and no one calls that stealing. Now, since satellite services secure theirs (with their boxes), it is clear you are stealing if you hack into those, and the law definitely supports them on that.

arcocelli 2 years, 1 month ago

I think a TV signal is an even worse analogy. It's broadcast over a wide area and meant to be picked up by anyone who wants it. My WIFI signal is meant to be accessed by the people in our house only, which is why I have it secured as well as I can and it's setup to broadcast in a pretty short range. If you don't want people on your network or in your house, you lock them up.

Bloggerboo 2 years, 1 month ago

You've you really shown your lack of intelligence here. My comparison is at least near the same technologically. You are comparing unlocked physical doors, which are immobile, to openly transmitted radio signals. Most state and federal laws haven't even addressed the issue thoroughly, but you proclaim loudly that if you leave it unlocked, it should still be safe, as if you have some kind of legal knowledge here. You don't. You don't know squat.

Then you talk about how you are securing yours to be safe, but you just said it should be fine to leave it open, because walking into someone's open front door and taking something is stealing. Why are you securing your internet then? Shouldn't everyone already know that it is illegal to connect to an unsecured one?

You really are all over the place on this one arc, and don't seem to have a good understanding of the law, various technologies, nor how to make accurate analogies.

arcocelli 2 years, 1 month ago

Well, I didn't think I would get attacked for my opinion!

I understand that TV and wifi are technologically similar but I think that's where the similarities end. They have different uses. As far as just stealing bandwidth, say from a neighbor's unsecured network, I believe that's considered illegal, though it's been a while since I've read anything about it. I would think that most people would know not steal a neighbor's bandwidth but then again, most people would know better than to walk in to an unlocked house and take whatever they want. I guess the point is that I think theft is theft, no matter what the technology is.

I do secure my network, just like I lock the doors on my car or my home. I do so because there are people who will steal. I know that the ways I secure my network or lock my house are not 100% effective but if I just left everything unsecured someone would take advantage of it.

notwhatyouthink 2 years, 1 month ago

Ok you can look the statue up. I guess in the broadest interpretation of the law it is a felony. KSA 21-3755

It is right up there with KSA 21-3750. Better mark all your DVDs and CDs so they conspicuously disclose the name and address of the manufacturer of such recorded article.

Bloggerboo 2 years, 1 month ago

Silliness. If all you are doing is using someone else's open wifi to gain access to the internet, then 3755 suggests that computer trespassing, which wifi "stealing" is at most, is a nonperson misdemeanor, because the rest of the statue pertains to intent to damage, defraud, etc. It would be different if you were attempting to gain access to the local computers on the network and gain information, files, etc. But, just to access the internet...I see no problem with it, and a good lawyer would run circles around anyone saying it was against this statue.

3750 only pertains to attempts to sell or rent said audio or video items, not just what you have laying around for personal use. Do you rent or sell a lot of dvd's without the manufacturer labels?