Introduction
“Northeast Tennessee can have a bit of winter. Sometimes, it falls on a weekend.” I have said that during a cool snap ever since Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I returned from Russia (10/1/1994-9/30/1999).
Welcome to a northeast Tennessee winter weekend! It started yesterday. December had been mild, with lows in the 20s to 40s Fahrenheit and highs in the 40s and 50s. Yesterday, in our neck of the woods, the low was 5 degrees (-15 Celsius) and the high was 10 degrees (-12 Celsius). This morning, the low was 3 degrees (-16 Celsius). It looks like the high will be in the low 20s (-5 or -6 Celsius).
Tomorrow, Christmas Day, the weather prognosticators predict the low to be in the mid-teens (about -9 Celsius) and the high to be about 30 degrees (-1 Celsius). They claim that the warming trend will continue until lows reach the 30s to 50s and the highs reach the 40s to 60s. Our winter weekend may stretch into five days, but not a full week.
Our “Brave” Excursions into the “Frigid” Weather
Yesterday, at about 1 PM, I walked to the mailbox to flag up our annual homeowners insurance payment. The temperature was 6 degrees (-14 Celsius). The sun was shining brightly. A cold breeze was blowing. I had on blue jeans, a tee-shirt, and a sweatshirt with socks and shoes. I stayed out in the front yard for a while, enjoying the crisp air and sunshine. If I had stayed out longer, I would have needed a coat. Around 5 PM, I walked to the mailbox to get Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's Kohl's bill (for a Christmas gift). The temperature was still 6 degrees (-14 Celsius), but the sun had set behind the ridge to our north, and the wind was stronger. Bravely, Molly (our “old puppy”) ventured out with me. We didn't waste any time getting back indoors! The lack of sun and the stronger wind were the differences. In the afternoon, my wife drove over to visit her folks. She also did some last-minute Christmas shopping with her youngest sister, who had come in on Thursday.
Today, around noon, I walked to the mailbox to get the junk mail. The temperature was about 10 degrees (-12 Celsius). The sun was shining brightly. There was no wind. I had on the same type of clothes as yesterday. It felt great! Molly, however, chose not to enjoy the balmy temperature with me. My wife was backing the car out of the garage to go visit her folks. Please, dear, don't come back home to tell me that you also shopped for that final, last-second Christmas present that you didn't buy yesterday!
How does all this involve TVA's rolling blackouts? I'll explain and comment. The conclusion transitions to yesterday's family gathering and to final thoughts about Christmas Eve.
Rolling Blackouts, 12/23-24/2022
Yesterday morning, while cleaning up, I heard the WQUT-FM (Tri-Cities classic rock) disc jockey mention that the rolling blackouts took the station off the air for 15 minutes. Later, at 12:01 PM, we experienced a rolling blackout that lasted 15 minutes. No notice was given. We had to take our “collectively equal share” of the “collective suffering.” Thankfully, we faced no more blackouts yesterday.
Today, we have had two rolling blackouts so far at 8:10-30 AM (five minutes longer than the dictated 15 minutes) and at 11:00-15 AM. My youngest brother called after the second blackout to say that they had already endured three today. We had no notifications before the blackouts. My computer has had three KUB reboots so far (one yesterday and two today).
Yesterday and today, around the blackouts, I did some online research. The following are two sources:
“TVA resumes rolling blackouts across East Tennessee.” WATE-TV, by Hope McAlee, 12/23/2022, updated 12/24/2022. Notice that I included the update today. What I saw just after our 11:00-15 AM blackout when I started this draft article was the following:
Saturday
9:50 a.m. Update – The Knoxville Utility Board tweeted that it was informed by TVA that their system is stabilizing and they expect the mandatory electric outages to no longer be necessary after 10 a.m. Saturday.
I'd thought, “Liars! We had a blackout at 11 AM, which is after 10 AM!” In the early afternoon, while writing this article, I saw the following 12:21 PM update:
Saturday
12:15 p.m. Update – TVA said rolling blackouts have ended and thanked everyone for doing their part to help conserve energy and maintain the power grid for 10 million people in the seven states that TVA services.
Noon Update – The Knoxville Utility Board announced that TVA has ended the mandatory outages for KUB’s service area. The City of Oak Ridge also said that rolling blackouts for their area had been terminated.
11:30 a.m. Update – The Knoxville Utility Board issued a statement that TVA has extended the requirement for them to reduce their power load, meaning that rolling blackouts will continue.
All is so far, so good as I type this sentence! I hope that the folks at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) do not change their minds again!
“TVA, Local Power Companies Manage Record-Setting Power Demand.” TVA.com, 12/24/2022, states the following in part:
On Saturday morning, December 24, TVA directed local power companies to implement planned, short duration, intermittent power interruptions to maintain system reliably. This action is similar to steps that TVA and local power companies took on Friday, December 23, to help ensure power system reliability. This measure is expected to be temporary until the highest peak power demands have been met.
During the 24-hours of December 23, TVA supplied more energy than at any other time in its history – 740 gigawatt-hours, or 740 million kilowatt-hours. The cold also produced a winter record for peak power demand of 33,425 megawatts at 7 p.m. CT when the regionwide average temperature was 9 degrees.
We have had stretches of either very cold or very hot weather before when electricity demand was high. Storms, snow, and ice have damaged power lines, which caused power outages. Yesterday and today, however, are the first times that TVA has mandated rolling blackouts. My commentary on this follows.
Commentary on Rolling Blackouts
I wondered, “What is the reason for these new and never-done-before rolling blackouts, without notice, that TVA has dictated?”
“Our Power System,” TVA.com, states in part the following (with my emboldening added for emphasis):
TVA’s power portfolio is dynamic and adaptable in the face of changing demands and regulations. Our emphasis has moved away from traditional coal-based production and toward cleaner forms of power generation, and today the power we deliver is nearly 60 percent carbon-free.
Meanwhile, we’re decommissioning some of our oldest coal-fired units to make way for these new, more efficient forms of power production. It’s a natural evolution—one that fits with our historic mission of providing reliable, low-cost energy that makes life better for the people we serve.
Who is the “our” in TVA's web page title above? TVA is a socialist government entity. We the people manage the government, or we are supposed to do so. The government works for us, or it's supposed to do so. I hope that “our” in TVA's web page title means “we the people,” not “TVA.”
I tried multiple search options but could not find records of annual TVA electric output totals by year. If anyone reading this article can find valid sources, please comment!
I speculate, however, that TVA's electric output has declined, since they have mothballed coal-fired steam plants, such as the John Sevier steam plant in Hawkins County, Tennessee. (The plant was demolished from April 2015 to May 2017.)
TVA, of course, has been under various federal (socialistic) government dictates to produce more “clean energy” and to reduce its “carbon footprint.” These dictates were initially advanced under former President Obama. President Biden continues to advance the mandates. I assume that a majority of Democrats and even some Republicans have been and are in favor of these socialist dictates.
Don't read into my remarks what I'm not saying! I am a conservationist, not an environmentalist. The difference is in the worldviews. I will define my terms and explain. (As an aside, this section serves as the seventh entry in the Worldviews in Conflict topic section.)
A conservationist has a biblical worldview, which values environmental stewardship. As good stewards, conservationists take care of what God has entrusted to us in nature. The ethical use of natural resources to better mankind cares for and manages the environment for future generations. Humans use, manage, and improve the ecosystem. We are not intruders. I am painting with a broad brush, but my definition aligns with other reputable sources that I have viewed online.
An environmentalist, in contrast, has a pantheistic worldview. The creation is worshiped above the Creator. Human needs are lower than the needs of the environment (climate, air, land, water, animals, and plants). Humans are separate from the creation and act “immorally” by disrupting nature. Again, I paint with a broad brush, but ask any “tree hugger” if my understanding is not correct.
Christmas Eve Commentary
That is about enough on the previous and mundane topic! I'm done. Let's move on, shall we? After all, this is Christmas Eve!
Can Christmas Eve be celebrated on the 22nd, not the 24th? Yes, it can, and it was for the Fearghail clan! On Thursday, December 22, 2022, my youngest brother and his family came down to visit, have Christmas dinner (or lunch, as Yankees call it) with us, and open gifts! The decision to visit early this year was motivated by the current bit of winter that started yesterday and by Christmas falling on Sunday this year.
We enjoyed about four hours of great family time! Our nieces regaled us with stories about their current basketball season. My brother and I talked about mischievous things that we did in our teenage years. Further, we reminisced about family memories. Molly was also excited to see everyone. Thanks, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, for preparing a fine meal for the early celebration of Christmas Eve!
Conclusion
My paternal grandparents did not connect to electricity (for lights only) until my father was several years old. Before doing so, they used coal oil lamps and candles for light. In winter, firewood in the fireplace and wood or coal in stoves heated the home, if family members wore enough layers of clothing and had enough blankets on the beds. A rolling blackout occurred if the fire went out before more wood or coal could be brought in to stoke the embers.
If mankind must serve the creation instead of the Creator, environmentalists should give up all their modern electrical conveniences. That would be consistent. They should return to living like my father was raised before his parents connected to electric lights.
If mankind serves the Creator, conservationists should use the environment to improve mankind, replenish the environment, and leave it better for the next generation.
Hey! What do you know? KUB has not done a third rolling blackout today yet.
Merry Christmas to all readers, especially to you, dear reader. The eternal Word was born of a virgin, lived as a man, and ministered, showing us God incarnate. He was crucified for our sins (yours and mine). He rose from the dead and ascended back to heaven. Christmas is the traditional commemoration of Christ's birth.
I do not care for the crass commercialization of Christmas. I do not want Christmas presents. I have the free gift from God. That is enough.
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