Remember when they told you that America has plenty of room for all those immigrants? And when they said Americans needed to reduce their dependence upon nuclear power and fossil fuels?
Well, the demand for electricity now surpasses the ability of American power plants to supply it.
- The largest U.S. power grid operator has issued a Energy Emergency Alert – Level 2 (EEA2) because it is “NO LONGER ABLE TO PROVIDE EXPECTED ENERGY REQUIREMENTS.” According to the PJM Emergency Procedures Website, Electric Utilities MUST begin cutting the energy load immediately: The alert was issued to increase reserves on the system and avert outages during peak demand around 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT) on Friday, it said. PJM also notified neighboring regional grids, including in New York and the Midwest, that electricity exports from PJM may be curtailed, a procedural step that allows those neighboring regions to plan accordingly.
- Consolidated Edison Company, the electric utility for the five boroughs of New York City, has had to cut power levels by eight percent (8%) in areas of Brooklyn and Queens. The announcement reads as follows: “We are asking customers in parts of Queens and Brooklyn to conserve energy while crews complete equipment repairs. As a precaution to help maintain reliable service, voltage has been reduced by 8% in neighborhoods including Glendale, Forest Hills, Forest Hills Gardens, Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, Long Island City, Hunters Point, Sunnyside, Sunnyside Gardens, Woodside, Bay Ridge, Borough Park, Carroll Gardens, Dyker Heights, Park Slope, Sunset Park, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Flatbush, and Bensonhurst.
- Liars. It’s 25% less here in Forest Hills.
Sooner or later, reality always intrudes. Not only can we touch the real, but the real will eventually touch even the most fevered ideological imaginations. 250 years is a very good run, but the USA will not make it to a third centennial.