DW: German Power Demand Puts Out Light(s) Across Europe

[blackhorse]

German Power Demand Puts Out Light Across Europe

Parts of Europe were hit by electricity cuts late Saturday with a chain-reaction effect blamed on a surge in German demand causing power losses as far south as Spain.

A surge in electricity demand in Germany due to cold weather triggered blackouts across western Europe Saturday night, leaving about 10 percent of French consumers without power, electricity operators said.

<snip>

An insufficient power supply first triggered blackouts in parts of southern and western Germany, particularly in Cologne, and then spread to France as the French electricity company EDF tried to meet surging consumer needs, leading to what what Bornard called a "house of cards" style breakdown. Parts of Italy and Spain also experienced power outages.

<snip>

The loss in power, which occurred around 10 p.m. Central European Time, prompted a ripple effect in Spanish power stations as facilities automatically shut down to protect them from power surges. Also affected was the connection between Spain and Morocco, a spokesperson for Spanish power concern Red Electrica said Sunday.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2225802,00.html

[MilesColtrane]

1. German Power Demand Puts Out Light Across Europe

You mean like it did in 1940?

[Dosaybe]

2. Gee, is it election day anywhere in Europe?

One reason why the Electronic medical record was so difficult is you need charts even if the power is out.

Same with election ballots. they have to be visible in a power outage.

[bananas]

3. "initial findings suggested a routine safety operation in Germany may have been to blame"

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1639552006

Power cuts plunge western Europe into darkness

By Dave Graham

BERLIN (Reuters) - A massive power outage temporarily plunged millions of homes across western Europe into darkness and initial findings suggested a routine safety operation in Germany may have been to blame, authorities said on Sunday.

<snip>

German utility E.ON said reports of the cuts began to emerge not long after it shut down a high voltage line over a river in northwestern Germany to let a ship pass through in safety, and that this may have been linked to the power loss.

"In the past, these operations were often performed without any problems arising," the firm said, adding that the precise cause behind the loss in supply was still being investigated.

<snip>

[Crayson]

4. Remember? Tchernobyl was a safety drill to...

What i don't understand is; there can't be a power "surge" from consumers because of the cold weather.
It's not cold from one second to the other. They would have hours/days to adjust the power output!

Did they all switch on their hairdryers together as in ALF, whose planet exploded?



Nah...
This is the privatization of all the energy firms which hits us here.
They don't really work together anymore, maximize their profits, don't invest any money into the power grid and operate with only tiny reserves.
The result:
-A slight "surge" kicks the grid offline.
-Huge power lines break away in a minor thunderstorm.
-Chain reactions, when one goes off the other can't compensate because they have no reserves either, so this one goes off too.

This is the SECOND time in a year !!
The last power outage I remember was 20 years ago!!

[Eurobabe]

5. Yes, but Europe will FIX the PROBLEMS not ignore like USA

Guaranteed. Europe will fix any infrastructure issues, not let them rot like the US does/has over the years.

I'm not worried about it. We were in Southern France and experienced no blackouts.

[fasttense]

6. Hmmm, sounds like Europe may have its own ENRON playing

games with their power grid. Don't you just love those "free market" energy corporations.

[Solly Mack]

7. It got suddenly cold a couple of nights ago- it really did (Germany)

Weather where I live had been rather warm for the season and then it just plunged a good 20 degrees. It's still cold.

I didn't lose power but I did fire up the heat.(radiator)

[bananas]

8. thanks. nt.

[truthisfreedom]

9. global warming playing with temperatures in unexpected ways?

Gore is going to be paid more and more for his lectures.

[krispos42]

10. I sense the ghost of Ken Lay...

perhaps hired on contract by a European energy-trading conglomorate.

Lay's already figured out how to screw people in the US from the grave, so why not?