Massachusetts Electricity Infrastructure Facing Possible Collapse this Summer
May 15th, 2007Via: Boston Herald:
With temperatures already surging into the 80s and a scorching summer on tap, many Massachusetts communities could face a spike in blackouts – and possibly even explosions – from thousands of potentially dangerous overloaded electrical transformers.
Documents obtained by the Herald show more than 12,000 transformers from Attleboro to Ayer are operating at above 200 percent capacity, with some as high as 900 percent over design standards. Union officials, who last night reached an agreement in contract talks with National Grid, say the overloads are pushing the state’s electrical system to the brink and could lead to widespread blackouts this summer.
Research Credit: Life After the Oil Crash
Over where I live in Vienna, VA we’ve been experiencing mild brownouts for no apparent reason this summer (the brownouts don’t match the temperature highs). Also, just a few days ago we had a light rain on a moderately warm (78 F) day and the two cylinders (transformers?) on the poles in front of our house exploded. The next day I found a burnt lawn covering about 20 sq ft that must have burnt and put itself out. Also, my boss who lives in a fairly affluent neighborhood had her power go out recently for a very mild storm as well. We’ll see if this is a trend or just paranoia (likely both) but until the results come in I’m checking my fire extinguishers. I think to this day I’m the only one who noticed the burnt lawn since it’s on the other side of a hedge and even I noticed it the next day.