Blackouts

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I heard that after the problems in the 1990s, we off-shored our pollution and environmental problems to Mexico by building 7 new power plants there. I guess that wasn't enough.
 
<p>The problem now is two fold. Power supply is still tight in California, however, if we're out of power, you getting rolling blackouts. The second problem is more sinister, the distribution grid is *not* built to handle the load cause by the build out and McMansionization of neighborhoods. Trying to keep a 3000 sf behemoth chilled to 70 degrees when it's 100F out and the desert sun is blazing down creates a massive power draw and you literally fry the transformers in the distirbution grid.</p>

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<p>Also, ambient load is steadily increasing. If your power bill has been going up, it may not be because you are actively consuming more, but are passively consuming more. By passively, I mean your power draw when you think you have stuff turned off. The TV is off, but it isn't off, it's in standby. As is the DVD player, HTS systems and Cable box. Your laptop, look at the power converter, the LED is still on, even when the laptop is off. </p>

<p>It is one of the big problems, things don't get turned off, they go to standby and suck 10-15% of the on power continuously when "off". Not bad, but a typical TV is on 5 hours per day and off 19. Extra TVs are on even less. So the propagation of TVs to additional rooms and additional monitors for computers etc, has literally created a situation where an TV equivalent is on 24 hours a day in a home even though they are all "off".</p>
 
No_Such_Reality, we have our TVs and computers on power surges - and I click the power surge to "off" when not in use. I'm hoping this avoids the "standby" mode.
 
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