Louisiana and 14 Other States May Be Hit With Summer Blackouts

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As I am sure you are already aware, the sweltering and sticky Louisiana summer is almost here.  Officially, the hottest season of the year arrives on June 21st - but if you think that Mother Nature will wait until then to crank up the heat, you must be new here.  Thank goodness for Willis Carrier's 1907 invention and really the only thing that keeps us sane in this part of the world - air conditioning!  What would we do without it?  Unfortunately, we may find out this summer.

According to a report from KFOR, more than 15 states are running the danger of electrical blackouts this summer.  A new report from the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) shows a frightening number of electrical systems that may not be able to handle the load this summer.  When that happens, you might be faced with trying to keep your food and yourself cool during the hottest part of the year.

The entire western half of the United States is running a moderate risk of these blackouts due to aging and retiring power generation plants.  This introduces a level of unreliability to the equation that means having to go for extended periods with out electricity is much more likely.  In California, an extreme drought had made it very difficult to generate power from hydroelectric dams because of low water levels.  Reportedly, this leaves more than a million households at risk of blackouts.

In Louisiana and the surrounding states, officials are worried that our electrical grid will be severely damaged once again due to extreme storms.  That, of course, is a very reasonable thing to be concerned about due to our states status as a "Hurricane Magnet."

On top of all that, meteorologists are predicting a hotter than usual summer for us.  This is definitely the time to look at investing in a generator.