utility obfuscation and obstruction [RE-wrenches]

[William Miller]

Venerable Colleagues:

I have always had mixed emotions about disconnect switches:

Just today a bunch of us attended a meeting with PG&E.  I asked the
question:  "Why don't any of the line crews I've queried have any data
about where these switches are located?"  The answer was, "We are redrawing
the maps and they will be on there within the year."

My thoughts:  If this is so important for safety, why the delay, and,
conversely, all new things take time, and if we did not install the
switches now, they couldn't ever be on a secondary map in the future.

I also had to replace a couple of disconnect switches because they lacked
external handles.  I was told that line crews need to be able to inspect
the handles from their vehicles.  I responded: What if the meter is in the
back yard? and, Are they going to padlock them from their trucks?  No reply
was given to these somewhat facetious questions. 

Another complaint about safety switches:  Children can open them and access
live parts.  Lock them shut and you can't inspect the blades.  Oy vay!

All in all, if implemented reasonably, the switches do kind of make sense.
Backfeeds have killed line workers.  Technology does fail, even with
redundant safety systems.  This is one of my arguments against nuclear
power and I guess it applies here.

Regarding Jeff's situation, I'd consider the time it takes to fight them
versus the time it takes to replace a switch.  Jeff could insist on a list
of approved switches and if they ever try to disallow previously allowed
switches, fight them based on the written evidence.

Sorry I did not have a clearer answer to this thorny question.

William



At 07:19 PM 5/7/02 EDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 05/07/2002 9:43:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
>jberdner at sma-america.com writes:
>
>
>> Makes perfect sense to me.
>> They want it to be more expensive to install so less people will do it.
>> 
>
>We all know that it is not about actually using the switch for safety. You 
>all are right, don't expect any servicemen to be out looking for disconnects 
>on that dark and rainy night when the system is down--they will be very busy 
>doing other things.
>
>The switch is about control. I had a customer locked out once. During the 
>meter install the service man determined erroneously that the system had not 
>been permitted. At that point he took the inititive to lock the PV out. A 
>call the next day to his supervisor got it fixed. I can say this is the only 
>time I saw a utility person use the switch. It's about control.
>
>Don
>
>--
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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William Miller
Miller Power and Communications
PO Box 50, Santa Margarita, CA 93453
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