In Heat Waves, Generators Double as Saviors and Polluters (NYT)

[jpak]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/12/nyregion/12generator.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

As searing heat stretched the New York metropolitan region’s electric grid to its limits last week, utilities and elected officials appealed for less power use, and it seemed to work. Industry officials reported that residents and businesses had curbed demand substantially, helping the system avoid major problems.

But it was not all about raised thermostats, doused lights and workers sent home early. Part of the apparent drop in power use was, in fact, no drop at all — just a shift to another, much dirtier source of electricity.

Hundreds of businesses and government agencies fired up diesel generators that produce much more pollution per watt of power output than power plants do. Air quality tends to be poorer in excessively hot weather, anyway, and the generators helped make it even more unhealthy for people across the metropolitan area to go outside and exercise, or even breathe the air for any length of time.

And that use of relatively small, very localized power sources — known as “distributed generation” — has become more common in recent years with the number of backup generators increasing sharply. Power companies and government agencies have encouraged their use in emergencies, which have become more frequent as surging demand tests the ability of power plants to produce enough electricity and the capacity of the wires to deliver it.

<more>

[napi21]

1. I sure don't want to contribute to polution, but I've been shopping for a

BU generator for about a year. Our power went out last year for 5 days due to a storm. It's also very expensive on a personal basis, when you loose everything in your refrigerator and freezer!

For some reason, here where I live, the power Co. doesn't use underground wiring, so almost every time there's a storm we loose power!

My son brought his generator here last year, so we were able to keep the fridge, freezer, and furnace working.

Yes, I realize generators polute more than the power companies, but it's a trade off in our personal finances.

[pooja]

2. time to create the solar generator. especially helpful after

hurricane.. no gas to think about pumping out of lifeless gas stations.

[jpak]

3. They're already on the market

http://www.solarsense.com/Products/1-Complete_Systems/3-NOMAD_1500/NOMAD_1500.html

A friend of mine in Alabama bought a gas-powered generator after Katrina. Unfortunately there was no gas on the Gulf Coast for weeks after the storm.

He used up all his car's gas trying to find gas (and never got to use his new $800 generator at all).

If Rita had come ashore in AL, he would not have been able to evacuate.