During the hearing in Little Rock last week as I listened to engineers insist that the extra high voltage power line they want to foist through our community is for "reliability" and not "transmission capacity." One described the proposed power line which would offer 4 times the capacity of the lines currently in Northwest Arkansas as providing reliability "head room." That certainly makes sense. A fire hose delivers water more reliably than a garden hose. But it might be kind of hard on your petunias.
Would the addition of a power line having 4 times the current capacity add "reliability head room?" Technically yes. Is 10 or 20 times the necessary headroom needed? No. And it is sad to watch engineers fudging their answers.
AEP/SWEPCO engineers attempt to steer the conversation away from "transmission" because an increase of transmission capacity is the real purpose of the power line. It is intended to connect with other power lines headed north and east of here. In actual fact and according to testimony, only 17 percent of the power from the new line would be billed to folks in Arkansas, leaving 83 percent to be billed out of state. Does that provide any clarity on how this power line will resolve reliability issues? Reliable profits for AEP/SWEPCO, no doubt.
The American Society of Civil Engineers has a code of ethics which includes the following:
3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner. It is truly amazing what people working for large corporation will do for money and hopes of advancement.
When you are working with real tools, real materials, in the crafting of useful beauty, you cannot wander far from the truth. Lies and deceit mount up quickly, and are revealed in work that can be easily assessed. That was understood by early teachers of manual arts. It was known that working with wood would lead students to skill, intelligence and moral fiber. As you can see in the photo above. Rare earth magnets can hold the various parts of a box together. I'm supporting it from the top.Make, fix and create...
I have a similar situation where I live in that I am only 7 miles from a Nuclear Reactor, and the power generated there all goes out of state, to Ohio and New York if I remember correctly (I'm in Pennsylvania). They tell us that our electricity is so very inexpensive because of it, and maybe it is, our bills are generally low, but not drastically lower than other regions using the same power company. My point was to them that if the reactor does have an issue, it will be my home and the homes of everyone in the region that will be rendered unlivable, not those in New York and Ohio. Still, my situation is somewhat different because the reactor has been in place for 20 years and I've been here for 10. Still, I know exactly where you are coming from.
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