Latest news with #poweroutage
Fast Company
2 hours ago
- Fast Company
The grid may fail, airports shouldn't
The power always comes back on. It did at London's Heathrow Airport earlier this year after a fire at a substation disrupted some 1,400 flights at the global hub, upending the plans and lives of 200,000 passengers. It did again on the Iberian Peninsula in April after a power outage, whose cause is still undetermined, knocking out transit in Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon and grounding flights even as back-up generators kicked on. And it did in May after the air traffic control tower at Houston Hobby lost power for an hour and backup generators kicked on. Some might say the missed business meetings, the vacations disrupted, and the cargo delayed are unfortunate costs of doing business, collateral damage in a system that supports $4.1 trillion in world economic activity. Others might think the airport power outages are so rare or brief that the fix—a power source not reliant on the existing electric grid—is a cost-prohibitive solution. Critical role in global connectivity The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) surveyed 24 commercial airports in 2023 and found a total of 321 electrical power outages—i.e., an unplanned loss of power lasting five minutes or longer—from 2015 through 2022. Eleven of the airports reported six or more outages over this eight-year period. The GAO study came after Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport— the world's busiest —had a power outage in 2017 and LAX—the world's seventh busiest —had one in 2019. Because of the interconnected nature of commercial aviation, the effects of those outages rippled across the nation and world. Airports play a critical role in global connectivity, in local and regional economic growth, and— in the event of disasters—the most likely place where aid and rebuilding supplies will first arrive. They are also where transplant organs, high-value, time-sensitive goods, and critical machinery/parts needed for hospitals and utility companies arrive. Reliably functioning airport infrastructure matters. Our lives and livelihoods depend on them. New energy solutions At Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), we started to think about options after Atlanta's outage and took decisive action after Los Angeles' outage. Our goal was to ensure resiliency and redundancy so we could have power, no matter what. Four years ago, we commissioned a first-in-the-world airport microgrid that fully powers a major airport. Since then, we have achieved site-hardened infrastructure, lowered our cost of energy (in the millions, annually) and contributed to cleaner air by sourcing our energy very locally. PIT's microgrid, powered by a 20 MW energy plant using on-site natural gas and a 3MW solar facility with nearly 10,000 panels built on top of a landfill, allows us to operate independently if outside disruptions occur—and they have. A recent regional power loss that impacted commercial customers throughout the region had no effect on the airport. Our microgrid provided full power to our airport and airfield, without any disruption. Not every airport is blessed with huge supplies of natural gas on property, but by adopting innovative solutions to provide energy security, we can make our world a better place for everyone—whether they fly or not. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Airports must analyze the resources available that make the most sense for their circumstances—whether it's solar power, natural gas pipelines, or other creative options. The industry has faced threats and found solutions time and time again. As a result, air travel is safer and more secure. Now is the time for airports to lead with a vision that sees beyond runways and terminals and create plans for resilience and build a future that withstands the loss of power. Because wouldn't it be better and safer for us all if the power never went out?
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Dry, windy weekend heightens California's wildfire risks, triggering power shutoffs for thousands
Thousands of Californians had electricity shut off Friday with even more possibly losing power over the weekend due to heightened wildfire risks from a weather system that is bringing dry, gusty winds across much of the state. Pacific Gas & Electric, the state's largest utility, turned off power to almost 7,000 customers in Central and Northern California on Friday "due to severe weather and wildfire risk," continuing shutoffs that began Thursday and were expected to continue through the weekend, PG&E wrote in an update. Southern California Edison, the largest power provider in the Southland, shut off power to more than a thousand customers Friday morning, mostly in Santa Barbara and Kern counties, but said more than 30,000 other customers could lose power through Sunday as winds remain a concern. 'With the windy conditions, still pretty low humidities, and the finer fuels being pretty dry, we're looking at elevated to brief critical fire conditions,' said Kristen Lund, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard, about the southern Santa Barbara County and surrounding areas. Though the conditions in Southern California don't meet the threshold to trigger a red flag warning, there will still be the potential for a fast-growing fire, she said. Hazardous winds peaking today and Saturday - strongest 2-9pm. Boaters should stay in safe harbor. Drivers, watch for road debris and blowing dust. Isolated power outages and downed trees possible. Elevated risk of grass fires - stay aware of your surroundings. #cawx — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) June 20, 2025 Jeff Monford, a spokesperson for Edison, said the planned outages are "an essential tool for public safety." The so-called Public Safety Power Shutoffs are initiated by utilities to minimize potential fire sparks during high-risk conditions. The state's three biggest utilities — PG&E, SCE and San Diego Gas & Electric — began adopting power shutoffs as a strategy to reduce the risk of starting a fire about a decade ago after their equipment in the years prior started some of the deadliest and most destructive fires in modern history. SCE's equipment is part of the investigation into the start of the Eaton fire in January, that killed 18 people and destroyed thousands of homes and buildings in Altadena and surrounding communities. In Southern California, further outages were being considered for other areas of Santa Barbara County, as well as Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Kern, Inyo, Tulare and Mono counties, SCE said. PG&E said it was considering outages for almost 12,000 customers across 15 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Shasta, Stanislaus, Tehama and Trinity. A red flag warning, indicating critical fire weather conditions, had been issued in a few pockets of the state, and across wide swaths of the American West. In the Indian Wells valley area of the Mojave Desert, in parts of northern San Bernardino, Inyo and Kern counties, westward winds with gusts up to 60 mph were expected through early Saturday, the National Weather Service wrote in the red flag warning. The weather service warned that "any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly." In Lassen, Alpine and Mono counties, near the Nevada border, a red flag warning was also issued through midnight Friday. The critical warnings also included almost all of Nevada and Utah, northern Arizona and much of Colorado. "A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior," the weather service warned of these areas. "Avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting, or campfires." Read more: Edison to bury more than 150 miles of power lines in wake of devastating L.A. County firestorms Although other areas hadn't yet been elevated to a red flag warning, the weather service had issued several other advisories about high wind and fire concerns, most lasting through Sunday. Across much of southern Santa Barbara County and into northern L.A. County, the weather service had issued a high wind alert, warning that "gusty northerly winds are expected ... for the next several nights." In southern Santa Barbara County, winds on Thursday evening hit 60 mph, but the weather service said "even stronger winds are expected Friday night." Lund said those conditions would create high fire risk. All of the Mojave Desert was under a wind advisory for most of the weekend. Much of the Sacramento Valley and the northern San Joaquin Valley had been put under a fire weather watch for Saturday and Sunday: "The combination of gusty winds and low humidity can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity," that warning said. Parts of the Santa Barbara County coast and Santa Ynez mountains were also under a high wind watch Friday, with gusts up to 60 mph possible. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CTV News
6 hours ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Several regions in Quebec hit by violent storms
Montreal Watch Several regions of Quebec were hit by violent storms that left thousands without power as high winds tore off roofs.
Mail & Guardian
7 hours ago
- General
- Mail & Guardian
Living in the darkness of a broken city
(Graphic: John McCann/M&G) The electricity cable to my house has broken. I know this because four weeks after the power switched off in the last week of April, a truck visited and assessed the cable. They came on the day that my partner called a radio station to complain about living in prolonged darkness. We were told that the cable had broken at the base of the street pole. Fortunately for everyone, they would not need to dig up the road even as they warned that the cable to the house is old and will need to be replaced at some point. They repaired the break in the cable, but the lights stayed off because there was something wrong with the meter. They temporarily bypassed the meter and left us with a caution; the power was now on the neutral cable and posed some risk. Instead of darkness, we chose the power we were given. It lasted a week. I write this piece five days into the darkness, on the coldest week of the year so far. Another call was logged with City Power. Over the past six weeks many calls have been made. The call centre agents eventually respond by picking up the phone and then ignoring us while they continue their conversations. On their system, they count the number of calls received but to them, this is a game. In a landscape of so much unemployment, for them, work is a plaything. When we eventually escalate to a supervisor, promises are made. But we languish in the dark. Our municipal account has arrived. It is just over R11 000. While the bill has arrived, the power has not. Before the power switched off in the week of Freedom Day, for several weeks, the electricity voltage had been low and only some appliances and lights worked. Touching some taps and shower knobs sent a jolt of shock through the body. And then everything went dark. We are firmly middle class in my household. We have it better than most residents of this city. We shower at the gym, we cook on a gas plate stove, and we charge our computers and devices at work. We live. But the middle-class trappings and security systems that we need to protect ourselves from the inequality of this city are gone. We cannot use the electrical security system, the gate battery has died, and there are no outside perimeter lights. In the darkness of this broken city, we are sitting ducks. We are black and we are not suffering from a native nostalgia for the apartheid city of the past. But it was not always like this. We would know because we have lived in our house for 15 years. Like everyone, we experienced the blackouts of load-shedding. Then, our suffering was shared. Now, as the lone house without power, no one knows our fate. We cannot log it with EskomSePush or the city's X account. Without the pressure of an entire neighbourhood, our calls can be ignored. The City Power trucks that drive by the neighbourhood know us. We sometimes stop them and direct them to the house. We are prepared to entertain their requests for cold drinks — code to compensate them for their paid work. Corruption is in the marrow of this city. In previous years, when technicians have come for repairs on the problematic electric pole, they have asked us for money to buy electrical parts because these have supposedly run out at the warehouse. Waiting for stock means there may be delays which could take weeks or months. So, we give them what they ask for. They buy the parts and fix the problem. But because this is generally only patchwork, the problem often reemerges. The next person criticises the work of the previous technician. We pay again. This is the illicit economy of a failing city of ageing infrastructure and city officials that have lost their hold over the city they supposedly manage. As residents that know nothing about electrical parts, we are at the mercy of officials who may or may not be corrupt. One thing is apparent though; the city's residents are rendered vulnerable by a city that pretends to know what it is doing but is failing spectacularly. When I call my mother in Lusikisiki, she is empathetic. We share notes about when to cook all the meat in the fridge before it spoils. She often has no electricity because the wind is sometimes too strong for the lightweight Eskom infrastructure in the village. Or a donkey might have rubbed itself against the electric pole. In the villages, power outages can take weeks to resolve. We wrongly expect this because we have come to accept that rural life is cheap and unimportant. But it is jarring when this becomes the norm in the economic heart of the country where we pay inflated municipal rates. The collapse of Johannesburg is in full swing. The ruin of the central business district has been self-evident for a while now. The gas explosion of Lilian Ngoyi Street might be read as the final confirmation of a known truth. The lethargic repairs tell us all we need to know about the city's capabilities. Townships have been held in place by the sheer ingenuity of their residents. They navigate sink holes and sewage leaks. They no longer bother with City Power. They climb the poles and connect themselves. To fix a common problem, they conduct a collection and pay the cold drink fee of a rogue city employee. The middle-class suburbs have been the last line of defence to a decent life. But in the tree-lined streets, the ominous signs of decay are here too. Potholes poke holes into the middle-class bubble. If residents do not fix pavements, kerbs and street walks, they degenerate because the city will not repair anything now. All this at our own cost. I know this from firsthand experience. When flood waters washed away the pavement outside my yard, I repaired it at the cost of R20 000 after a year of reporting it to the councillor. Long lines periodically emerge when water runs out of many areas of the city. At the same time, water and sewage pipe bursts release water and faecal matter which run down Louis Botha Avenue unchecked. Shit splatters in the wake of the roaring traffic. Breathe in the droplets at your risk, dear resident. The story is the same: ageing city infrastructure, but there is no end date given for when it will be changed. Water tanks poke over people's walls as residents take on the role of municipalities. Those who can't afford private water wait for water tankers. Solar panels are everywhere. The cost of living here has ballooned in the last decade. The city is not just fraying at the edges. It is broken. What is to be done? Our mayoral office has been a revolving door of failures. I don't believe a change in those who don mayoral chains is the solution. The recycling of a former mayor of Cape Town with colonial longings does not excite me. Sitting in this dark place, I don't know what is to be done. There are people that are paid to vision and implement plans. Chief executive officers, city managers and committees with dizzying salaries. My immediate need is simpler than a vision or solution. All I really want is reliable electricity. I pay the bills, now could I have some power please? Hugo ka Canham is a writer and professor at Unisa and the author of Riotous Deathscapes . He writes in his personal capacity.
Malay Mail
13 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Blackout, then blaze: What led up to the fatal fire that claimed the life of Hamzah Zainudin's mother-in-law in Ipoh home
IPOH, June 20 — The home of Larut MP Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin's in-laws in Kampung Sungai Rapat Tambahan here reportedly experienced a power outage before it caught fire last night. The blaze claimed the life of Hamzah's mother-in-law, Datin Salmiah Nyak Matt, 84, while her husband, Datuk Abdul Ghani Ngah, 83, suffered from breathing difficulties. Their son, Ahmad Ikhwan, 57, said his youngest sibling, who lives at the house, told him the incident occurred at about 9.15pm. 'My brother went out to check on the neighbours, thinking there was a blackout in the whole area, but there wasn't. 'Then he saw thick smoke coming out of mum's room. He rushed back in and saw the room was already filled with smoke,' he told reporters here today. Ahmad Ikhwan said his father is currently receiving treatment at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB) here. He added that his mother's remains will be buried at the Kampung Rapat Jaya Muslim cemetery after funeral prayers at Masjid Jamek Kampung Melayu Sungai Rapat today. Meanwhile, Hamzah was seen arriving at the HRPB Forensics Department with his wife, Datin Seri Norashikin Abdul Ghani, before accompanying the hearse to the mosque. Earlier, Ipoh police chief ACP Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said the police received an emergency call at 9.19pm and confirmed that the fire involved a two-storey house. The incident involved six individuals, four of whom, aged between 18 and 49, escaped unharmed. — Bernama
