The thermometers bounced over the 100 degree mark yesterday for the second day in a row, and Con Edison had it’s hands full trying to prevent the total collapse of its grid.
According to an article in today’s The New York Times, most residents in the region had electricity in their homes throughout the spell to power lights, and more importantly, air conditioners, despite fears of an impending melt-down at the power company.
I suppose had the worst had happened and darkness had fallen over the five boroughs, the jovial TV weatherman would have made an appropriate fall guy, ooops, I mean, fall person and born the brunt of jokes. Not the power company.
But one has to wonder why.
Why in the age of global warming, would one of the largest and richest power companies in the world not be ready to handle a little heat wave? When management at Con Ed huddle around tables to draw up plans for dealing with probable, real-world crisis scenarios, isn’t preventing the collapse of the grid in a little hot, ok, very hot, weather be on the agenda?
It’s summer. And, backs of necks get dirty and gritty. Is it too much to expect to see temperatures rising in the triple digits for a day or so? Shouldn’t Con Ed have this one nailed and be on to solving the next hypothetical crisis?
Why should Con Ed be let off the hook if something did go wrong and people started dropping like flies for lack of a cool bedroom to sleep in?
I’d like to hear a really talented trial attorney argue a case against Con Edison for a client who lost power in a heat wave and ended very sick and in the hospital with heat stroke.
Would the weatherman be called in to testify for the defense?