A recent power outage across three nations in Europe created a crisis that left grown men literally crying because they were stranded and couldn’t charge their cell phones. Three elderly people in Galicia, Spain, died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning after using generators to power medical equipment, which highlights the risks of improper generator use.
The avoidable blackout, apparently caused by over-dependence on so called “green” renewable energy, should be a wake up call for people in all developed nations that have become dependent on electricity and digital monetary transactions. London, England, also just suffered a massive power outage. A 2013 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) study, cited in multiple sources, concluded that disabling just nine key interconnection substations could cause a nationwide blackout in the US, lasting up to 18 months. Could you survive a week, or several, if the power went out?
Do you have a backup generator, and enough fuel on hand to power it? Remember that propane or diesel stores a lot better and longer than gasoline, something to consider when making this important purchase. If using gasoline, rotate your fuel frequently by using gas cans to top off your vehicle and put fresh gas in you cans. I say top off because it’s best not to let the vehicle you need to drive fall below half a tank. Buying any type of fuel is impossible when electricity is down.
What about solar generators? The tech has come a long way, but a good system isn’t cheap. Do your homework. How many watts of solar can it input, and what is the output? A decent set up should be able to power your refrigerator, especially if you shut it off at night and cycle it (run it every other hour) during the day. It will definitely keep your cell phone charged and make a pot of coffee, as well as charging compatible lights, flashlights, stove igniters and other handy things such as power packs for rechargeable power tools. It won’t run an air conditioner, but it will run a box fan on the low setting. Just hope you don’t have several cloudy days in a row.
Even if you have food, how will you cook it? Are your kitchen tools electric or do you have some of moms old manual ones? Do you have enough propane for the grill or do you plan on a campfire or “rocket stove”? Solar ovens are handy, and you can improvise one with a pane of glass placed over a black metal cooking container. More on that topic in next month’s issue.
What about cash on hand? That bank ATM or credit card is useless in a grid down situation.
As you go through your day, think about what you can do to be prepared for this situation. Summer monsoons can cause the power to go out, and it often takes a day or two before crews can restore electricity.