Ready for blackouts in the NW? Because they’re coming.

By Lars Larson,
NW and national radio host

Ready for blackouts here in the Pacific Northwest? Because they’re coming.

Forecasts by the Northwest Regional Power Planning agency put the likelihood of blackouts at one chance in three by 2023…better odds than you find at Spirit Mountain or Aliana.

An alert today reminded me of this. California’s power “system operator” has put out a “flex alert”. No, that doesn’t mean your morning stretches.

It says from 4pm to 9pm, today…all electric customers should set the air conditioning at, quote “78 or higher”, avoid using all major appliances and even turn off all the lights you don’t need. Sweating in the dark. Should make dinner time interesting.

The alert goes on to warn if you don’t cut enough use, then, “boom, boom, boom…out go the lights”. Actually, bureaucrats use this kind of language in their threats “Reducing energy use…prevents further emergency measures, like rotating power outages”.

Oregon, Washington and Idaho have already forced the closure of two major coal-fired power plants in the last two years…with no replacement. Ten more plants around the west face closure in the next few years.

Yesterday, Oregon Governor candidate Stan Pulliam told me he would change this course…and keep those plants going…till we find something to replace them.

Do you think Kate Brown and Jay Inslee give a damn about this? Not a chance. They invented the coming power outages…and I’m sure their lights won’t go out.