Traffic lights, power out in parts of downtown, midtown

**downtownguy** · July-11-10, 01:22 PM

According to very short, very uninformative stories in both dailies, it appears we have a power shortage in downtown and midtown. I first noticed it Saturday morning. Neither story mentions that traffic lights in many parts of downtown are also affected. Detroit Receiving was relying on generators, but got their power back on yesterday around 2pm. The DIA is apparently also affected and closed as a result according to an email I got from them this morning. The newspaper articles attribute the power loss on the failure of 3 tie cables due to the heat.

What bothers me is this. Isn't this the same kind of failure we had twice in one summer during the Archer administration? In those cases, the power failure was city-wide and affected all municipal facilities including police stations, street lights and traffic lights. So in 10 years or so, 3 administrations have managed to duck the issue? I know funds are tight, but the ultimate cost when it fails must be pretty high, too. I mean, is it good to have your main trauma center running on back-up power?

**daddeeo** · July-12-10, 09:54 AM

Anyone witness the power loss downtown this weekend?
I'm surprised no one mentioned it yet.

**Meddle** · July-12-10, 10:02 AM

They did. Just a few threads down on the same page:

http://detroityes.com/mb/showthread.php?t=6254

**bailey** · July-12-10, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

According to very short, very uninformative stories in both dailies, it appears we have a power shortage in downtown and midtown. I first noticed it Saturday morning. Neither story mentions that traffic lights in many parts of downtown are also affected. Detroit Receiving was relying on generators, but got their power back on yesterday around 2pm. The DIA is apparently also affected and closed as a result according to an email I got from them this morning. The newspaper articles attribute the power loss on the failure of 3 tie cables due to the heat.

What bothers me is this. Isn't this the same kind of failure we had twice in one summer during the Archer administration? In those cases, the power failure was city-wide and affected all municipal facilities including police stations, street lights and traffic lights. So in 10 years or so, 3 administrations have managed to duck the issue? I know funds are tight, but the ultimate cost when it fails must be pretty high, too. I mean, is it good to have your main trauma center running on back-up power?

There has been no ducking of the issue. DPL is a precious Detroit jewel that can not be allowed to fall into the hands of evil suburbanites through a consolidation with DTE.

**Funaho** · July-12-10, 10:52 AM

They really should be consolidated for cost reasons but don't expect it to be a whole lot better. It seems like DTE regularly loses power on my block several times a year now, and that's just counting the ones that last more than a few minutes. I actually get paranoid every time it gets a little rainy or windy now, waiting for my power to die.

**downtownguy** · July-13-10, 03:16 PM

There was a follow-up article in the Detroit News today: http://detnews.com/article/20100713/...-city-lighting.

Apperently Bing is doing something about the power situation:

"Bing is proposing a four-year, $150 million contract with DTE Energy to buy electricity to improve services and augment the city's beleaguered Public Lighting Department.

The contract to purchase power wholesale rather than relying on the antiquated and soon-to-be-shuttered Mistersky Power Plant was to go to the City Council today. But the deal was pulled because of complaints from a vendor, Waterfront Petroleum, that didn't get the contract. The proposal is due back soon."

Unfortunatety, the News reporter drops it there. How about a little more background on why Waterfront Petroleum didn't get the contract. Is it a legit complaint, or are they just going to stonewall and perhaps "influence" a few council members into showing them some luv?

The article also doesn't go on to say if the contract Bing is proposing would stop another blackout from happening. There's still a lot of summer left.

**Gsgeorge** · July-13-10, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

The article also doesn't go on to say if the contract Bing is proposing would stop another blackout from happening. There's still a lot of summer left.

No one can predict blackouts/brownouts. They depend on level of usage. Don't want brownouts? Stop running your AC all day long.

**downtownguy** · July-13-10, 07:57 PM

Thanks for the spot-on insight, gsgeorge. Implied -- not so subtly, I thought -- in my comment was that the reporter didn't get into the chronic problems that caused the recent power failure, or the likelihood that we may see more of this before the summer is out.

For what it's worth, I've turned on my a/c maybe two or three times this summer.