General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy the power is still on at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
https://desertbeacon.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/power-for-the-loons-a-small-electric-co-op-considers-what-to-do-with-the-loons-at-the-malheur-wildlife-refuge/The Co-op [Harney Electric Cooperative] has about 4,000 power meters, 350 miles of transmission line, and more than 2,400 miles of distribution line across the six counties shown on the map. And there are numerous voices asking why the power hasnt been cut off at the Malheur Refuge
A major consideration is Safety. Harney Electric, for all its territorial expanse, isnt a very large company. In fact, the members read their own meters. The company audits meter readings once a year, but for all 12 months of the year the meters are read by the customer/members and not by designated meter readers. The main office is in Hines, OR (population 1,510) with a branch office in Orovada, NV (population 155) and another small satellite office in Fields, OR (population 120). It isnt too far off the mark to say that the administration and management of the co-op is a case of everyone knowing everyone else employees included. No one is particularly excited about sending in a lineman to shut off the power at the Refuge since the Loons have an unfortunate track record of actually shooting and killing people. Case in point: the two miscreants who joined the Bundy Militia for a time in Their Great Delusional Standoff in southern Nevada, and then saw fit to assassinate two police officers in Las Vegas. [MSNBC] Theres frankly little way for the power company to win
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Gee, offer some naysayers why cant the co-op cut the power off well outside the range of the Loons? That assumes that the co-op has isolation capacity, and the equipment already installed to shut down portions of the distribution line. Since its founding in 1961, the co-ops primary concern has been to get power to isolated areas, NOT how to shut off power to isolated portions of its service area. The co-op has shut off power to the Frenchglen, OR BLM fire station [OregonLive] as of January 7, 2016, another target of the Loons, but not occupied by them. The integrity of the BLM fire station at Frenchglen is an important component in the safety of Harney Electric Cooperatives transmission and distribution lines in southeastern Oregon and northern Nevada.
And then theres the matter of the bill. The Bundy Loons are using metered power to prepare their grilled cheese sandwiches the current rate for power at minimum is $28.75 per month for the first 150 kilowatt hours. No ones heard how the Bundys intend to pay for the power theyre using any more than anyones figured out how they intend to pay for the $1 million in back grazing fees and penalties they already owe. However, this time the Bundys arent ripping off the federal government theyre ripping off the customers of a small electric cooperative.
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So in summary, Harney Electric Cooperative was set up to serve loons, not Loons of the Cowliphate.
Response to Kennah (Original post)
LiberalArkie This message was self-deleted by its author.
Kennah
(14,304 posts)Vincardog
(20,234 posts)an overhead line. Let the dead end fall to the ground.
Response to Vincardog (Reply #3)
LiberalArkie This message was self-deleted by its author.
Vincardog
(20,234 posts)Response to Vincardog (Reply #5)
LiberalArkie This message was self-deleted by its author.
Takket
(21,616 posts)a drone with a pair of pinking shears should be able to handle this lol
Binkie The Clown
(7,911 posts)When you own a gun, every problem looks like something that needs to be shot.
Turbineguy
(37,364 posts)Actually this cooperative sounds exactly like the sort of organization they would like. Small, local control, honor system.... oh wait, scratch that last part.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)csziggy
(34,137 posts)Back in the late 1980s we had a hurricane come through. Because my neighbor's line to his weekend house came off my transformer and his line was knocked down at several points I couldn't get my power restored until I forced the co-op to disconnect his line from my transformer - after six days with no power and no running water.
Sounds simple but it took the co-op a bucket truck, several men and a good part of an hour to do - not something I would ask a power crew to do while being within range of a bunch of lunatics with guns.
hunter
(38,325 posts).
Fla Dem
(23,733 posts)Don't let anyone in and if anyone leaves, arrest them. No fuel deliveries, they probably use propane. Cut off telephone, wireless and internet service. The refuge is isolated enough that law enforcement could close down all access. They definitely shouldn't be letting any new terrorist in.