The shocking reality is that if there is anything consistent about electrical service in Garden Ridge, it's failure. Just in our household, we've burned up around two thousand dollars worth of appliances over the last fourteen years. Nothing like the power turning on and off a half dozen times in thirty seconds to burn up an electronic board in a refrigerator. In my experience, it's not just the power surges but the rapid fire on-off-on-off-on-off.... on sequences that bring forth the appliance repairman. I guess we could solve that problem if I put power back-ups on every electrical device in the house. That doesn't seem likely. The November 2009 Grapevine from the city brings us another "update" in the ongoing litany of promises from CPS. In that letter, we get an detailed summary of problems CPS deals with, such as, there is a 12 month shipping delay on transformers. Well, it's sure good to know our power won't be off for a full year. That would create a problem cooking meals as the city already has a burn ban, and thus, roasting deer meat on an outdoor fire would be prohibited. (Note to CPS: If it takes 12 months to get a transformer, you might want to keep a few on hand or find a new supplier.) I think the best way to transform our power reliability issue is to continue to speak with our elected officials. Our mayor is the official spokesman and conduit for this problem. But also, I don't think it would hurt to speak to our State Representative, Doug Miller or officials at ERCOT. And let's not forget that our area adjoins service territories of competing electric providers. In an era of retail electric competition, could we give our electric franchise to another provider? It's time we shed light on the fact that CPS is focusing its resources on other parts of its service territory. Let's make sure CPS knows we're not a bunch of dim bulbs out here.
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Links of Interest: Bracken
Cave |
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electric reliability problems |
