Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Eh. There were many valid reasons why it took so long. The Puerto Rican power grid had been mismanaged and neglected for decades and not maintained well. And as the grid was repaired this time, improvements to the system were also made. We don't even have steel power poles in the US for our residential connections, only steel towers for the main transmission lines.
Quote:
The Ponce neighborhood was the last to be reconnected to the grid because landslides and rough terrain made it difficult for crews from the electrical authority or contractors to reach the area to make repairs, said Carlos Alvarado, chief of technical operations for the power authority.
Utility crews used a helicopter to replace wooden power poles knocked down in the storm with steel ones that officials hope will do a better job staying up during future storms.
Eh. There were many valid reasons why it took so long. The Puerto Rican power grid had been mismanaged and neglected for decades and not maintained well. And as the grid was repaired this time, improvements to the system were also made. We don't even have steel power poles in the US for our residential connections, only steel towers for the main transmission lines.
I was just saying about time lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hot ho
Is the new grid buried underground, so power won't go out if they gets hit again?
The power will definitely still go out, buried lines help weigh restoring power without needing to put poles back up.
Is the new grid buried underground, so power won't go out if they gets hit again?
Probably not yet. Burying the lines is really expensive, so expensive that the conversion from elevated power lines to underground ones haven't been done in many parts of the US yet. It will take decades and many millions of dollars to bury the power grid in Puerto Rico.
But many of the wooden poles have been replaced with steel ones. So at least there has been some improvement.
The power will definitely still go out, buried lines help weigh restoring power without needing to put poles back up.
Definitely not. It helps PREVENT power from going out, but identifying the source of the problem during outages with underground systems is MUCH more difficult, and the cost to repair astronomically higher than with overhead system failures.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hot ho
Is the new grid buried underground, so power won't go out if they gets hit again?
There isn't just one grid on the entire island. For one.
Second, I have yet to see a fully-underground power grid. Is it possible to build one? Sure, but the cost is most definitely not worthwhile. Also, things such as routine maintenance and service/ repair become major operations, rather than simple visual inspections. Third, you are just shifting from one problem to another. What happens during flooding? Storm surges? Ground erosion? Etc.? Whereas a blown fuse from a fallen tree causing a shortage can be seen simply by driving to it, and then repaired in a very short amount of time with little resources, underground work will create all kinds of issues.
No competent engineer is going to call for fully-underground systems. In fact, the majority agree that feeder lines should be kept overhead as much as possible. Short stretches of underground are fine (road crossings, thick trees, aerial hazards) but an entire grid? No way.
That must be a great relief. It's RELIABLE power now, right?
How about clean water and access to medications? Especially for diabetics.
I'm sure that's available to any islander who is living close to one of the major cities. But not likely for anyone living in one of the many remote rural shantytowns... which was the same situation BEFORE the hurricane strike.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
