Very interesting and enlightening article . Your article is also very apocalyptic. When emergency back systems failed during the Texas freeze a number of years ago it alarmed many Canadians to the fact of their vulnerability in their colder winter climate . One day this “ insane “ push to electrify everything for the sake of avoiding the manufactured Climate Crisis will lead to catastrophic loss of lives when the overwhelmed grids fail. Maybe this is the plan all along - to meet the open eugenic goals of the likes of the UN, the WHO , the WEF and Bill Gates . Another tool in addition to the accidentally released gain of function increasingly lethal viruses that we are being told will come.
There is also a shortage of law enforcement officers, detention officers, and correction officers. I think it's because the gender studies majors don't want to work a real job.
There is not a shortage of linemen out there at all, there isn’t any work going on for there to be a shortage. The books are stacked at every hall around the country.
It's pretty obvious that the US must crack down on those able-bodied men and women who are sucking at the teat of welfare, fake disability payments and universal income. These able-bodied lazy basement-dwellers/gamers/aspiring elites need to get out there and work in these infrastructure/trades type jobs.
Those are NOT the people you want working as linemen. Or in any trade for that matter. Trades require brains and physical ability. The failure to recognize that is what lead to the stigma that has resulted in too few trades workers and too many liberal arts degrees.
The labor shortage is a multi-pronged problem. True, there are the lazy basement dwellers, but there is also less workers available as the boomers continue to retire.
A recent article in the San Antonio Express-News attributed part of ERCOT's recent difficulty in meeting high summer demand to inadequate power transmission capacity between South Texas wind farms and the rest of the state.
One irony is that the jobs of linemen and other hands-on trades will not be replaced with AI unlike the "jobs" of those deluded or deceitful souls that model to demonstrate the path to net zero (the ultimate delusion).
Perhaps the Co-ops could reach out to Mike Rowe (of "Dirty Jobs" fame). He's so very smart and logical. His "Works" foundation scholarships, get kids involved and training in all sorts of trades.
He partners with big companies for apprenticeships while getting the kids trained.
He gives away a million dollars a year or more to applicants.
As to the Co-ops...I live in an area served by one. I can tell you that they have gone "whole hog" in for the "green" agenda. I have bitched and complained to no avail. They need "re-education".
If it would make the co-op people feel better, contractors are outbidding the investor owned utilities and hiring away linemen like mad. A 230/500kV qualified lineman working for a contractor can make $300k per year. It requires travel and overtime but it is possible.
I don’t believe anyone is thinking about the distribution system. The last mile is always the most expensive part. The money to upgrade the transmission system will be tiny compared to the distribution system if the electrify everything madness takes off.
Rooftop solar can feed back to the grid now. That isn’t the issue. Houses that convert from gas to electric heat, water heat, clothes dryer, cars will overload their home wiring and add load to the distribution system that will also be overloaded
In addition to the thousands of miles of transmission lines needed to bring renewables to load centers all of the overloaded grid equipment will need to be upgraded to handle the new load. This means new house wiring, new service wire, larger transformers, larger feeder lines, larger and upgraded substations, and much more generation. The expense to homeowners and to the utilities will dwarf the transmission line upgrades.
Always good food for thought. The format works for me, throw in a couple of quick hits to go along with your longer pieces and congratulations on the wedding.
Fantastic piece, Robert, thank you. I am ever reminded of my high school days in central Pennsylvania, where a third of my class graduated with a diploma and some certification for auto repair, sheet metal work, HVAC systems work, cosmetology, etc. That number has dropped precipitously and is a canary in a coalmine. Young, urbanites seek validity in education and white collar, city based company work. Yet they demonstrate the highest levels of anxiety of any adult group. We still have a dichotomy of pretending to value the trades but pushing kids towards unfulfilling work. This is all very frightening and will become poignant rapidly.
We are going to need auto mechanics as people refuse to buy electric cars and new gasoline cars become unavailable. Could be a nice career for a young person.
Sort of like Cuba. This ‘electrify everything’ push is going to create massive unintended consequences - academics and activists don’t, IMO, seem to understand how the working world works and what makes it go around.
Our private vehicle fleet is now, on average, over 12 years old. If our options in the future are limited to outrageously expensive electric cars that we can’t charge, the only option will be to keep the old car running…like Cuba.
People make these Cuban comments but members of the climate/insane including especially David Suzuki have specifically said we need to revert to the level of a Cuban peasant.
I will be touring 20 state legislators through coal mine and power plant in WY. If you would like to attend sometime let me know. You can reach me at reminger@tepn.org
Very interesting and enlightening article . Your article is also very apocalyptic. When emergency back systems failed during the Texas freeze a number of years ago it alarmed many Canadians to the fact of their vulnerability in their colder winter climate . One day this “ insane “ push to electrify everything for the sake of avoiding the manufactured Climate Crisis will lead to catastrophic loss of lives when the overwhelmed grids fail. Maybe this is the plan all along - to meet the open eugenic goals of the likes of the UN, the WHO , the WEF and Bill Gates . Another tool in addition to the accidentally released gain of function increasingly lethal viruses that we are being told will come.
5-10 years ago George Will wrote a column about how the population has grown 40 million since 1980 but the number working was less
Those numbers are even worse now.
It’s a useless dependent class that the democrats (and our equally useless Canadian Liberals) absolutely depend on to keep them in power.
Pike is a scab outfit with a terrible safety record and lousy training.
There is also a shortage of law enforcement officers, detention officers, and correction officers. I think it's because the gender studies majors don't want to work a real job.
There is not a shortage of linemen out there at all, there isn’t any work going on for there to be a shortage. The books are stacked at every hall around the country.
Great post! Thank you!
New to your substack. Good issues, good comments, sufficient info.
It's pretty obvious that the US must crack down on those able-bodied men and women who are sucking at the teat of welfare, fake disability payments and universal income. These able-bodied lazy basement-dwellers/gamers/aspiring elites need to get out there and work in these infrastructure/trades type jobs.
Those are NOT the people you want working as linemen. Or in any trade for that matter. Trades require brains and physical ability. The failure to recognize that is what lead to the stigma that has resulted in too few trades workers and too many liberal arts degrees.
The labor shortage is a multi-pronged problem. True, there are the lazy basement dwellers, but there is also less workers available as the boomers continue to retire.
A recent article in the San Antonio Express-News attributed part of ERCOT's recent difficulty in meeting high summer demand to inadequate power transmission capacity between South Texas wind farms and the rest of the state.
One irony is that the jobs of linemen and other hands-on trades will not be replaced with AI unlike the "jobs" of those deluded or deceitful souls that model to demonstrate the path to net zero (the ultimate delusion).
Interesting that the college grads are pursuing careers that can be done by AI or outsourced off shore. AI can’t unplug your drain…
Same as useless govt employees that want to continue working at home
Well remote can mean anywhere
They are eliminating their own jobs
Perhaps the Co-ops could reach out to Mike Rowe (of "Dirty Jobs" fame). He's so very smart and logical. His "Works" foundation scholarships, get kids involved and training in all sorts of trades.
He partners with big companies for apprenticeships while getting the kids trained.
He gives away a million dollars a year or more to applicants.
As to the Co-ops...I live in an area served by one. I can tell you that they have gone "whole hog" in for the "green" agenda. I have bitched and complained to no avail. They need "re-education".
If it would make the co-op people feel better, contractors are outbidding the investor owned utilities and hiring away linemen like mad. A 230/500kV qualified lineman working for a contractor can make $300k per year. It requires travel and overtime but it is possible.
I don’t believe anyone is thinking about the distribution system. The last mile is always the most expensive part. The money to upgrade the transmission system will be tiny compared to the distribution system if the electrify everything madness takes off.
I’ll help with that.
They aren’t thinking of any of it
It will just magically occur
What need to be done on the distribution system for the increased renewables? You mean the upgrade so distributed solar can feed power back?
Rooftop solar can feed back to the grid now. That isn’t the issue. Houses that convert from gas to electric heat, water heat, clothes dryer, cars will overload their home wiring and add load to the distribution system that will also be overloaded
In addition to the thousands of miles of transmission lines needed to bring renewables to load centers all of the overloaded grid equipment will need to be upgraded to handle the new load. This means new house wiring, new service wire, larger transformers, larger feeder lines, larger and upgraded substations, and much more generation. The expense to homeowners and to the utilities will dwarf the transmission line upgrades.
Wow, thanks, appreciate this, love to see numbers on this on your substack when you can.
I work in the electrical industry.
Right now transformer deliveries can approach 3 years regardless of how much money you have to spend.
“Electrify everything” nonsense and 1 big hurricane will take that to 6 years.
Build more factories right? Easy?
Ha. There is no copper, there is no core steel.
A decade or more to approve and get a new mine operating.
If you are reading this Substack you should know by now the energy transition is utter nonsense.
And if you can’t see that you shouldn’t be here.
Just stick with cnn and the NT times as you die in the cold.
Distribution is always put on the back burner.
All fun and games until the transformer by your house catches fire.
😳😳😳 That's amazing.
Always good food for thought. The format works for me, throw in a couple of quick hits to go along with your longer pieces and congratulations on the wedding.
Fantastic piece, Robert, thank you. I am ever reminded of my high school days in central Pennsylvania, where a third of my class graduated with a diploma and some certification for auto repair, sheet metal work, HVAC systems work, cosmetology, etc. That number has dropped precipitously and is a canary in a coalmine. Young, urbanites seek validity in education and white collar, city based company work. Yet they demonstrate the highest levels of anxiety of any adult group. We still have a dichotomy of pretending to value the trades but pushing kids towards unfulfilling work. This is all very frightening and will become poignant rapidly.
We are going to need auto mechanics as people refuse to buy electric cars and new gasoline cars become unavailable. Could be a nice career for a young person.
Sort of like Cuba. This ‘electrify everything’ push is going to create massive unintended consequences - academics and activists don’t, IMO, seem to understand how the working world works and what makes it go around.
Our private vehicle fleet is now, on average, over 12 years old. If our options in the future are limited to outrageously expensive electric cars that we can’t charge, the only option will be to keep the old car running…like Cuba.
People make these Cuban comments but members of the climate/insane including especially David Suzuki have specifically said we need to revert to the level of a Cuban peasant.
It’s the plan
It’s not a joke nor is it a conspiracy
It could be a nice career in all the trades. Unless it's for a hard science degree, university education is a waste of money.
I will be touring 20 state legislators through coal mine and power plant in WY. If you would like to attend sometime let me know. You can reach me at reminger@tepn.org