“Unplugged
black cord” (1/7/2021), by Kelly
Sikkema, on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash
License.
Introduction
“Northeast Tennessee can have a
little 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 (Friday, 12/23/2022). December had been
mild, with lows in the 20s to 40s Fahrenheit (F) and highs in the 40s
and 50sF. Yesterday, in our neck of the woods, the low was 5F (-15
Celsius) and the high was 10F (-12 Celsius). This morning, the low
was 3F (-16 Celsius). It looks
like the high will be in the low 20sF (-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 30F (-1 Celsius). They claim that
the warming trend will continue, until lows reach the 30s to 50sF and
the highs reach the 40s to 60sF. Our winter weekend may stretch
into five days – but not a full week.
Our “Brave”
Excursions into the “Frigid” Weather
Yesterday, about 1 PM, I walked to the
mailbox, to flag up our annual homeowners insurance payment. The
temperature was 6F (-14 Celsius). The sun was shining brightly. A
cold breeze was blowing. I had on blue jeans, a T-shirt, and a
sweatshirt, with socks and shoes. I stayed out in the front yard a
while, enjoying the crisp air and sunshine. If I'd been out longer, I
would have needed a coat. About 5 PM, I walked to the mailbox, to get
Mrs. Appalachian Irishman's Kohl's bill (for a Christmas gift). The
temperature was still 6F (-14 Celsius), but the sun had gone behind
the ridge to our north, and the wind was stronger. Molly, bravely,
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, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman had driven, bravely, to visit
her folks. She also had gone last minute Christmas shopping, bravely,
with her youngest sister, who had come in on Thursday.
Today, about noon, I walked to the
mailbox, to get the junk mail. The temperature was about 10F (-12
Celsius). The sun shined 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. Mrs. Appalachian
Irishman was backing out the garage to go visit her folks. Please,
dear, don't come back to tell me that you also shopped for that
final, last second Christmas present that you didn't buy yesterday!
How does this involve TVA rolling
blackouts? I'll explain and comment. I will conclude by transitioning
to the 12/23/2022 family gathering and to final thoughts on 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 had taken the station off air for 15 minutes.
Later, at 12:01 PM, we had 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 had no
more blackouts.
Today, we have had two rolling
blackouts so far – 8:10-30 AM (five minutes longer than the
dictated 15 minutes) and 11:00-15 AM. My youngest brother called,
after our second blackout, to say that they had endured three already
today. We had no notice, 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 internet searching. I'll cite a couple of
sources.
“TVA
resumes rolling blackouts across East Tennessee,” on WATE-TV, by
Hope McAlee, posted 12/23/2022, 11:55 AM EST; updated 12/24/2022,
9:53 AM EST and 12:21 PM EST. Notice that I included the two
updates today. What I'd seen, just after our 11:00-15 AM blackout,
when I started this draft article, was:
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 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.
So far, so good, at the time of this
typing! 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,” on
TVA.com, 12/24/2022 states, 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 the 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 had wondered: “what
is the reason for these new, never before done, rolling blackouts,
with no notice, by TVA dictate?”
“Our
Power System,” on TVA.com states, in part (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 the title? TVA
is a 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” means “we the people,”
not “TVA.”
I tried various searches, but I
could not find 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
advanced under President Obama. President Biden continues to advance
the dictates. I'm sure that many Democrats and several Republicans
have been and are in favor of these 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. (This
section is included as my seventh entry, in “Worldviews in
Conflict” topic.)
A conservationist has the 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 paint with
a broad brush, but my definition aligns with other reputable website
sources that I have viewed.
An environmentalist, however, has a
pantheistic worldview. The creation is worshiped above the Creator.
The needs of humans 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 it. Again, I
paint with a broad brush, but ask any “tree hugger” if my concept
is not correct.
Christmas Eve
Commentary
That's about enough on that mundane
topic! I'm done. Let's move on, shall we? After all, this is
Christmas Eve!
Can Christmas Eve fall on the 22nd,
not the 24th? Yes, it can, and it did 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 the 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 had done in our teenage years. We shared some family
memories. Molly was also happy to see everyone. Thanks, Mrs.
Appalachian Irishman, for preparing a fine meal, on the unexpected
date!
Conclusion
My paternal grandparents didn't connect
to electricity (for lights only) until Dad was already several years
old. They used coal oil lamps and candles for light. In winter,
firewood heated the home well enough, if family wore enough layers of
clothes and had enough blankets on the beds. A rolling blackout may
have occurred – if the fire went out, before more wood could be
brought in to stoke the coals.
If mankind must serve the creation,
instead of the Creator, then those environmentalists should give up
all modern electrical conveniences. That would be consistent. They
should all return to living like Dad was raised – until Granny and
Papaw connected to electric lights.
If mankind serves the Creator, then
those 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 – yet.
Merry Christmas, to all my readers –
especially to you, dear reader. The eternal Word was born of a
virgin, lived as a man, ministered and showed us God in the flesh,
was crucified for our sins (yours and mine), was resurrected, and
ascended back to heaven. Christmas is the traditional commemoration
of Jesus' birth.
I don't care at all for the
commercialization of Christmas. I do not need any Christmas presents.
I have the gift of God. That is enough.
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