BLOG Why Is Wal-Mart Preparing For A Major Earthquake On The New Madrid Fault?

[BREWER]

Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://endoftheamericandream.com/ar...or-a-major-earthquake-on-the-new-madrid-fault

Why Is Wal-Mart Preparing For A Major Earthquake On The New Madrid Fault?
By Michael Snyder, on July 23rd, 2014

Buried in a Wall Street Journal article from about a week ago was a startling piece of information. According to a Wal-Mart executive, Wal-Mart “participated in an exercise to prepare for an earthquake on the New Madrid fault line” earlier this summer. And officials at the U.S. Geological Survey have just released a report which indicates that they believe that the New Madrid fault zone has the “potential for larger and more powerful quakes than previously thought“. So should we be concerned? Do they know something that we don’t? The USGS also says that the frequency of earthquakes in the central and eastern portions of the United States has quintupled over the past 30 years, and that significant earthquakes have started popping up in areas of the country that were once extremely quiet. Along with the new report, the USGS released the following map…

Earthquake Map

If you look toward the middle of the map, you can see a big red oval over the center of the New Madrid fault zone.

Most Americans don’t realize this, but the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history did not happen in California. Rather, they actually occurred along the New Madrid Fault zone in 1811 and 1812. Documents from that time indicate that those earthquakes were so powerful that they were felt more than 1,000 miles away.

If you are not familiar with it, the New Madrid fault zone covers parts of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi. If an earthquake similar to the quakes of 1811 and 1812 were to happen today, it would destroy structures all the way up to the Great Lakes and all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.

That is why it is so alarming that Wal-Mart is actively preparing for a major earthquake along the New Madrid Fault. The following is from the Wall Street Journal article that I mentioned above…

Walmart Stores Inc., with its huge network of stores and facilities, has also taken note. “We are seeing increased earthquake activity in the central U.S. That is an area we are focusing on even more,” said Mark Cooper, senior director of emergency management at Walmart, in an interview. He explained that Walmart takes an “all-hazard” approach to emergency preparedness, but focuses on specific risks in areas of the country where those risks are particularly relevant, such as hurricanes in Louisiana. “A few weeks ago, we participated in an exercise to prepare for an earthquake on the New Madrid fault line,” he said.

And that Wal-Mart executive is absolutely correct – earthquake activity in the central part of the country is increasing. In fact, as I mentioned above, it has quintupled over the past 30 years…

According to the USGS, the frequency of earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S. has quintupled, to an average of 100 a year during the 2011-2013 period, up from only 20 per year during the 30-year period to 2000.

Most of these quakes were minor, but research published by the USGS earlier this year demonstrated that a relatively minor magnitude 5.0 quake caused by wastewater injection after conventional oil drilling triggered a much bigger, 5.7 magnitude quake in Prague, Okla.

“We know the hazard has increased for small and moderate size earthquakes. We don’t know as well how much the hazard has increased for large earthquakes. Our suspicion is it has but we are working on understanding this,” said William Ellsworth, a scientist with the USGS.

The USGS has also specifically identified the New Madrid fault zone as an area to watch…

The midwest region is preparing for earthquakes that are bigger and more powerful than ever believed imaginable.

The U.S. Geological Survey updated their seismic hazards map last week, and in it, Kentucky is listed as one of 16 states at highest risk of earthquakes.

USGS says the New Madrid Fault, which runs through a number of midwestern states, has been identified as an area that has potential for larger and more powerful quakes than previously thought.

Hopefully it won’t happen any time soon, but a massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault has the potential to be extraordinarily destructive. One New Madrid earthquake in 1812 was so powerful that it rang church bells up in Boston and toppled chimneys up in Canada…

Accounts of the 1812 quake vary since there were no measuring instruments at the time, but most geologists say evidence shows it was at least a magnitude 8 earthquake, and possibly a 9 or higher.

The shaking was so intense that church bells started ringing as far away as Boston and New York.

Chimneys toppled from the Deep South to Canada, and President James Madison was awoken by the violent shaking as he slept in the White House.

Eyewitnesses said it even caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for a time.

At that time, the New Madrid region was sparsely populated.

But today, tens of millions of people live there, and most buildings have not been built to withstand massive earthquakes.

According to ABC News, a study by the Mid-America Earthquake Center discovered that even a magnitude 7.7 earthquake would cause incredible amounts of damage. The study concluded that “nearly 750,000 buildings would be damaged, 3,000 bridges would potentially collapse, 400,000 breaks and leaks to local pipelines and $300 billion in direct damage and $600 billion in indirect losses would occur.”

So what would a magnitude 8 or a magnitude 9 earthquake look like?

And most people don’t realize that there are 15 nuclear reactors along the New Madrid fault zone. In the event of a major earthquake, we could have multiple “Fukushimas” all going on at the same time.

Let us hope that it is a very long time before a disaster such as this strikes.

But as I mentioned above, earthquake activity in the central part of the country has increased dramatically in recent years.

And Wal-Mart is so concerned that it actually participated “in an exercise to prepare for an earthquake on the New Madrid fault line” just a few weeks ago.

So let us hope for the best, but let us also not be blind to the warnings signs all around us.

 

[BREWER]

Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://www.wdrb.com/story/26085136/usgs-increases-earthquake-risk-along-new-madrid-fault

USGS increases earthquake risk along New Madrid Fault
Posted: Jul 22, 2014 5:34 PM EST Updated: Jul 22, 2014 5:36 PM EST
By Courtney Godfrey - email

Courtesy: USGS Courtesy: USGS


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The midwest region is preparing for earthquakes that are bigger and more powerful than ever believed imaginable.

The U.S. Geological Survey updated their seismic hazards map last week, and in it, Kentucky is listed as one of 16 states at highest risk of earthquakes.

USGS says the New Madrid Fault, which runs through a number of midwestern states, has been identified as an area that has potential for larger and more powerful quakes than previously thought.

Far Western Kentucky is highlighted on the map as being an area of "high risk." Geoscientists say if a major earthquake hits along the New Madrid Fault, damage and possibly even fatalities could reach as far as Louisville, Ky.

"If you do get a very high magnitude earthquake--and it's very possible at any time without any warning--then we would have deaths in Louisville," said Dr. Gerald Ruth, a geo scientist and professor at Indiana University Southeast.

Ruth adds that if a big quake hits the region, there will be plenty of aftershocks. He said unlike California, which experiences little tremors all the time, tension is built up in the midwest.

"In California, earthquakes are very common and the release of tectonic activity is quick and fast and the time for aftershocks is limited," said Ruth. "If we had a significant earthquake here, aftershocks would linger for months."

High school science teacher Bob Rollings ran the seismometer at Floyd Central High School until retiring last year. He says the region has been due for a big quake for some time.

Some seismologists, he says, believe that a major event--much like the magnitude 7 or 8 quakes that shook New Madrid in 1811--is due to hit every 200 years.

"The further away you get the less damage you would see," but he says the structure of the ground below you also plays a roll. "Where we are located right now, in Floyd Knobs, we are less likely to see damage here than down in New Albany which is the type of geology likely to suffer damage. And that would include the metropolitan area of Louisville."

The updated seismic hazard maps expanded areas and level of risk thanks to new research and more accurate data.

 

[SAPPHIRE]

REALLY BAD BAD BAD POTENTIAL....................UGH

 

[BREWER]

REALLY BAD BAD BAD POTENTIAL....................UGH

...and bad, bad juju, too.

 

[Illini Warrior]

Walmart and Home Depot both have full time employees dedicated to emergency services ... Walmart has an emergency command center that kicks in when an emergency is pending or happened .... they start placing emergency purchase orders to vendors for SHTF type products .... coordinate shipping from the warehouses in unaffected areas .... all kinds of building repair teams to get disaster location stores back into operation ....

 

[anna43]

A lot of businesses have disaster plans in effect. Not necessarily earth quake, but general disaster planning. If you think about it, its just smart business practice to have key employees take a copy of a disaster plan or at minimum have written instructions on how to access information should the business site not be accessible or destroyed. When I developed a written disaster plan for the office, I included a list of employees with their home phone numbers, phone and policy numbers for insurance, e-mail and phone numbers for business associates who would need to be notified in case of an emergency. Name of bank, account numbers, phone number and e-mail of contact persons. There was also some details as to who/what/when/where actions to be taken.

 

[big kumara]

Walmart's distribution setup is perfect for quick response to disasters.

 

[straightstreet]

We live in the NM seismic zone. 2 weeks ago we received a letter from our home owners insurance company saying that if we wanted to keep our EQ coverage portion of the policy, our deductible would be 10% of the replacement policy. For example, our deductible went from $1,000 to $15,000 on a $150,000 policy or we could drop the EQ coverage altogether by signing the enclosed form and mailing it back in the enclosed postage paid envelope. (While the remainder of our policy stays at the $1,000 deductible) The letter also explained that our insurance rates are also increasing because we live in an active seismic zone. (paraphrasing)

 

[RCSAR]

Walmart's distribution setup is perfect for quick response to disasters.

And other things. If what I was told is true, walmart has a DHS office in every distrobution center.

Walmart moves stuff by truck and trains. Both have to go over rivers like the mississippi and other real important rivers. They will shut down bridges until they are inspected.

You may be living off your canned food for a month or two before mil rations even make it to you. Have 3 sources of water and a way to make it pure. Some chemicals, like the kind that can kill you are for the most part tasteless and odorless. Who even knows what was in the large 18 wheeler that smashed to bits as it fell off the bridge 9 miles upstream? All the sticker says is hazmat material/mixed load.

It is always the unexpected things you need most when they are not available. The amount of bandages 2 injured people can go though in a week is amazing. I know you can always make do. But what about lifesaving meds? If they are not stored then fat chance getting any for a while.

Every walmart transaction made goes to central and also the local distro center. They used to send item counts in stores every hour. As they reach X number of strawberry shampoo on the shelf, the distro center is already pulling that item to load on the truck heading to your store. BTW what was sold and if you did not pay cash then your name is attached and bank info is stored too. Other than Fort Knox and Area 51 (and a few others) the walmart data and backup centers are the most guarded places on the planet.

I digress, Walmart and other delivery systems that run on roads or rails come to a stop if the NM area went active. We have limited airlift capacity even if we draft commercial jets and helos. Mil and Gov will come first then the "little people" if at all. Divide your storage if possible into 3 locations. Store enough to feed and arrn a small army because you may need to form one just for protection!

No man is an island.

Even better is to have a local map of the the closest warehouse district and do some recon and find out what they store. You may have to salvage what you can in short order and this info can be a lifesaver. Yeah you may have to actually crawl in range and have a powerful telescope with photo capabilities. No one puts up warehouse signs that say massive food stored here, or med supplies or ammo.

I'm not telling anything an intellegent person does not already know.

Salvage and looting are two very different things under the law. Don't expect Mr.Lawman who has already been shot at today to get his book out and define it. After 72 hours is up so are your chances of salvaging what you need.

I worked for a commercial electrician for a few years. We went on some jobs where the building on the outside looked like it was about to fall over it needed painting and was a dump. We wondered if they had the money to pay for the work they said needed to be done. Once you were past the simple reception area we were excorted back to the work. It was a slick operation! spotless new floors, temp and humidity controlled with many locked cages. They had everything from pharmacy supplies to prescripted medication. They had a computer chip storage area, as in at least 30k new CPUs plus all kinds of high end electronics and even had 3 new MRI machines broken down and ready to load on the truck. We were only allowed access to special areas but some of those needed new breakers so we waited for 3 more guards to show. Four guards for 2 electricians! In short, you can not judge a book by the cover.

 

[Oilpatch Hand]

Wal-Mart no doubt understands that it is a vital link in the retail distribution chain for goods and groceries, one that serves millions of customers daily. If the local Wal-Mart is emptied out in the aftermath of a regional emergency, with the distribution network indefinitely interrupted, and with weeks to go before roads and rails are repaired so deliveries can be resumed, many of their customers may suffer severe hardship. Some of them may literally starve.

It just makes sense for Wal-mart to have a disaster recovery plan in place, especially since the town where they are headquartered is not too far from the New Madrid seismic zone. I don't think they know anything about an approaching seismic event that the USGS doesn't; but they have a duty their their shareholders and customers to have continuity of operation even in a regional or national emergency.

 

[NC Susan]

We live in the NM seismic zone. 2 weeks ago we received a letter from our home owners insurance company saying that if we wanted to keep our EQ coverage portion of the policy, our deductible would be 10% of the replacement policy. For example, our deductible went from $1,000 to $15,000 on a $150,000 policy or we could drop the EQ coverage altogether by signing the enclosed form and mailing it back in the enclosed postage paid envelope. (While the remainder of our policy stays at the $1,000 deductible) The letter also explained that our insurance rates are also increasing because we live in an active seismic zone. (paraphrasing)

. In my opinion
10% is a bargain if you have a catastrophic earthquake

 

[Millwright]

Wal-Mart no doubt understands that it is a vital link in the retail distribution chain for goods and groceries, one that serves millions of customers daily. If the local Wal-Mart is emptied out in the aftermath of a regional emergency, with the distribution network indefinitely interrupted, and with weeks to go before roads and rails are repaired so deliveries can be resumed, many of their customers may suffer severe hardship. Some of them may literally starve.

It just makes sense for Wal-mart to have a disaster recovery plan in place, especially since the town where they are headquartered is not too far from the New Madrid seismic zone. I don't think they know anything about an approaching seismic event that the USGS doesn't; but they have a duty their their shareholders and customers to have continuity of operation even in a regional or national emergency.

If there is a major breakdown, wallly world HQ will be inundated with .guv "advisors" in no time.

They have THE organization in place to keep staples moving and the masses fed. Its more important to politicians than all the planes, trains, automobiles, radio & TV put together.

This whole EQ thing is probably government mandated exercise anywho.

 

[night driver]

It also makes a LOT of sense for them to participate in exercises when they are held.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Every walmart transaction made goes to central and also the local distro center. They used to send item counts in stores every hour. As they reach X number of strawberry shampoo on the shelf, the distro center is already pulling that item to load on the truck heading to your store. BTW what was sold and if you did not pay cash then your name is attached and bank info is stored too. Other than Fort Knox and Area 51 (and a few others) the walmart data and backup centers are the most guarded places on the planet.

Targets is even more advanced than Walmarts to the point in one documentary about their security, corporate espionage tactics, etc., tht even the NSA lamented that they weren't as organized at Target's parent corporation!

I've said it once before and I'll say it again it isn't always the man from the gov't that's out to get you, but the guy from corporate office you need to worry about!

K-

 

[straightstreet]

. In my opinion
10% is a bargain if you have a catastrophic earthquake

We do and we kept the coverage.

 

[mzkitty]

Hmmm............


14m
Walmart announces departure of US CEO Bill Simon - @CNBCnow


Bill Simon is leaving his post as the CEO of Walmart U.S. and transitioning out of the discount retailer, the company announced in a release Thursday.

Greg Foran will take over the reins of Walmart U.S. from Simon. Since March 2012, Foran had served as the president and CEO of Walmart China.

Simon has been at the helm of Wal-Mart's U.S. unit, which has struggled recently to deliver positive comparable sales, since mid-2010.

The retail has seen a wave of recent executive departures, and nine large retailers are still searching for a CEO.


http://www.cnbc.com/id/101846546

 

[Electronrider]

It is a real shame that there are so many people selling fear in the preparedness world now a days. This is a great example. Here we have the guy in charge of disaster recovery for the largest retailer on the planet having drills for a possible regional SHTF scenario. Isn't that what he is supposed to be doing? I immagine that is exactly why Wal-Mart employs this guy! So the fear mongers find out about this, and instead of a community service fluff peice, they turn it into a fear driven article to sell more stuff to be prepared. It really does irk me that this happens. Good on Wal-mart for making sure that they can meet the logistical needs of a region through practical preparedness.

I may not care for some of their policies and practices, but you can dam sure I am going to be grateful that should the SHTF in my area, the lcoal zombies have a place to go to for emergency relief that does not involve knocking on my door.

 

[poppy]

Walmart is good at that stuff. About four years ago, our city water supply failed for the first time in memory. The local stores were out of bottled water within 30 minutes. The local mayor got on the radio 4 hours later telling people not to panic because the town government was was in the process of finding someone to truck in a load of bottled water to sell at a reasonable price. While he was talking on the radio, Walmart was unloading 2 semi loads of bottled water at their store and gave it away.

 

[Red Baron]

In a New Madrid EQ I would be most concerned with the fate of highway and railroad bridges.

A significant regional transportation crisis would ensue.

It would take many months for critical bridges to be repaired and other less critical bridges could take years.

Especially vexing about a New Madrid event is it's history of multiple large EQ's over a two year period of time. The moment repairs are made more EQ's would undo much of the emergency repair work already completed.

Now add in damaged oil, NG and gasoline pipelines and a real crisis would emerge, especially in winter.

 

[mattbert]

We live in Wisconsin and added EQ insurance a couple of years ago. I know, not the most seismically-active area, but, I thought it wouldn't hurt to have it anyway.

Our insurance agent said that he had been getting a lot of requests for EQ insurance. Interestingly enough, it is not as cheap as someone might expect in our area.

Mattbert

 

[2x2]

It is a real shame that there are so many people selling fear in the preparedness world now a days. This is a great example. Here we have the guy in charge of disaster recovery for the largest retailer on the planet having drills for a possible regional SHTF scenario. Isn't that what he is supposed to be doing? I immagine that is exactly why Wal-Mart employs this guy! So the fear mongers find out about this, and instead of a community service fluff peice, they turn it into a fear driven article to sell more stuff to be prepared. It really does irk me that this happens. Good on Wal-mart for making sure that they can meet the logistical needs of a region through practical preparedness.

I may not care for some of their policies and practices, but you can dam sure I am going to be grateful that should the SHTF in my area, the lcoal zombies have a place to go to for emergency relief that does not involve knocking on my door.

Best post of the day!!!!

 

[mzkitty]

I'm sure this includes Wallyworld too, but there's a lot involved:


8m
International Monetary Fund cuts 2014 global forecast after slowdowns from China to US - @BloombergNews

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...ecast-after-slowdowns-from-china-to-u-s-.html

 

[2x2]

I'm sure this includes Wallyworld too, but there's a lot involved:


8m
International Monetary Fund cuts 2014 global forecast after slowdowns from China to US - @BloombergNews

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...ecast-after-slowdowns-from-china-to-u-s-.html

Getting a little thread drift, sorry, but,,,,,,, discretionary spending money is getting scarce, watch for deflation to start.
The IMF isn't really saying it out loud but.

 

[mzkitty]

Getting a little thread drift, sorry, but,,,,,,, discretionary spending money is getting scarce, watch for deflation to start.

Well, for me the point is: if you need ANYTHING from Wallyworld, better get it now.

 

[2x2]

No,No not your post, my post. Walmart is starting to see the effects. Sorry, did not blame you.

 

[mzkitty]

No,No not your post, my post. Walmart is starting to see the effects. Sorry, did not blame you.

I know.

 

[Weps]

In a New Madrid EQ I would be most concerned with the fate of highway and railroad bridges.

A significant regional transportation crisis would ensue.

It would take many months for critical bridges to be repaired and other less critical bridges could take years.
/QUOTE])

This was one of our tasked missions when I was with CAP, Our unit was located at FTK (Godman Airfield, Fort Knox) was tasked to reconnoiter from the bottome half of SDF (Loiusville) Metro-area to PAH (Paduach), covering 31W, 65, 24, 69, ect... visually inspecting roadway, overpassess and bridges, first by air, then by ground team. This information was then passed on to KYNG and 100th Division (Reserve) who would mobilize to pre-set locations to provide assistence and aid. The take up a support mission, aiding the NG and Reserve however we could.


I've only ever participated in two NLE, back in 2009 and 2010.

 

[RCSAR]

I'm glad it may spook some people in the general population to look into issue that the the NM eruption will happen again, just a matter of when. I do not think even the most blue sky, happy day, things will be ok person will find any story or gov report that will not wake them up some.

As per emergency executive orders already in place you will see the Citizens are not job #1.
That is to say walmart will have to service the Continuity of Government plan Local events like Katrina or a storm taking out much of Florida is not that much of a problem when you have 49 other states to send people and logistics.

When a really bad large event that impacts the nation happens, forget about federal help for a long time. Your best bet for assistance will come from your local City, County then eventually the State. The fedgov will help the fedgov first.

When the fedgov does show up do you think they will be there to help?

Take a look at who they are planning on helping.

http://www.disastercenter.com/laworder/laworder.htm

 

[Flippper]

Keep a daily check on US earthquake activity, they are happening in places I've never seen them occur before. I think a 'big one' is possible just about anywhere in the US, at any time.

 

[Ben Sunday]

It also makes a LOT of sense for them to participate in exercises when they are held.

I support this idea totally.

Preparedness, both personal and local community, is key to a plan like this actually functioning as designed. Love them or hate them, WalMart has the logistical structure to deal with supply, transportation and local distribution. In a major catastrophe, those skills, and the goods responsibly warehoused and available, will make a major difference.

The big regional exercises are done for important reasons including fine tuning response. Scenario based table top and computer simulations are important for covering all the angles in a given community ranging from public utilities and communication infrastructures to which avenues of transportation may be available to population centers at highest local risk. I see no problem with that either.

 

[Caplock50]

I ain't seen it mentioned but do add in that many walmart stores are converting to 'self contained electrical grids'...get the drift?

 

[Medical Maven]

Matthew Bracken saw this coming in his trilogy.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1642570_.html&page=1

(Spoiler Alert for those who still have not read his trilogy).

 

[2x2]

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2013/...others-unplugging-from-unreliable-power-grid/

Walmart, Safeway, Others Unplugging From Unreliable Power Grid

Written by: Daniel Jennings Grid Threats November 7, 2013 26 Comments Print This Article Print This Article



Walmart solar panelsMore large corporations have decided that the electric power grid is unreliable and are planning to unplug from it and generate their own electricity.

The Wall Street Journal has confirmed a story that Off the Grid News previously reported – and the newspaper found the practice is even more widespread than previously thought.

Off The Grid News had reported that several large corporations, including Walmart, Safeway, Google, Bank of America and Coca-Cola, are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on systems to generate their own electricity. A Journal article indicates that many other large companies, too, are taking steps to generate their own electricity.

Electric companies are worried

The generation of electricity by private corporations has grown to such a level that it’s beginning to cause utility executives to worry, Journal reporters Rebecca Smith and Cassandra Sweet noted. They wrote: “The growing number of companies that are at least partially energy self-sufficient is sending a shudder through the utility industry, threatening its revenues and growth prospects.”

Harness the power of the sun when the power goes out…

The two made the conclusion based on a report put out by the Edison Electric Institute. The Institute is a think tank for the electricity utility industry.

One of the main reasons large companies are looking into generating their own power is the fear that power outages will become more common. The aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, when large areas of the East Coast went dark, convinced many companies that the grid is unreliable, Rick Fioravanti, an executive at DNV Kema — a consulting company — told The Journal.

Journal Predicts grim future for the grid and home electric customers

Sweet and Smith made some troubling revelations about the power grid and its future in their article. These discoveries include:
•The widespread generation of electricity by private companies could drive up electric rates for homeowners and small business. They wrote: “State and federal regulators say they are worried that utilities could end up with fewer customers to pay for costly transmission lines and power plants.” That means your electric bill could go up when Google and Walmart unplug from the grid.
•The number of commercial and industrial facilities that have the capability to generate at least some of their own electricity has quadrupled since 2006. Federal statistics indicated that 10,000 such facilities could generate their own electricity in 2006. In 2013, 40,000 facilities had such a capability.
•The Kroger Corp. — owner of supermarket chains such as Ralph’s, Food4Less, Kroger and King Soopers — has invested in technology to convert food waste into biogas to power one of its distribution centers, saving it 20 percent on electricity a year. The gas will be made from food Kroger cannot resale and it even will power forklifts. It’ll be used to make electricity. The company plans to employ the technology at many of its facilities. At another location, Kroger is using wind turbines.
•Walmart currently produces 4 percent of the electricity its stores use. The retail giant which also owns Sam’s Club plans to produce 20 percent of its own electricity by 2020. Most of the electricity will be generated by rooftop solar panels.
•Other corporations installing solar electric units include: Costco, Kohl’s, Macy’s, McGraw-Hill, Johnson & Johnson, Staples, Campbell Soups, BMW and the Walgreen drug stores.
•Apple now generates 16 percent of the electricity it consumes using a combination of solar panels and biogas fuel cells. Apple has a data center in Maiden, North Carolina, that is completely independent of the grid. The center produces all of the electricity that it uses.
•Verizon is planning to install $100 million worth of fuel cells from companies like ClearEdge and Bloom Energy at facilities in 19 states.

The moral of the story is clear: Large corporations no longer think that the grid is dependable. A company like Verizon wouldn’t be spending $100 million on fuel cell technology if it didn’t think it was necessary.

Big rate increases could be coming soon

Yet there’s another reason why corporate executives are rushing to generate their own electricity. It’s because the cost of self-generating technology such as solar panels and fuel cells is falling.

The cost of solar electricity and grid electricity for Walmart will be about the same in three years, David Ozment, the retailer’s director of energy management, told The Journal. If that’s true, it’s safe to assume it might be cheaper for Walmart to generate all of its own electricity and simply disconnect from the grid at some point in the future.

If big companies like Walmart leave the grid, utility companies will have to raise rates on households and small businesses to pay for the system.

Perhaps it is time for families and small businesses to start learning from big business. Big business has realized the importance of maintaining a dependable and affordable source of electricity. Families and small businesses need to start doing the same thing.

 

[RCSAR]

What BS!!

They are producing electricity BECAUSE they know rates are going to go through the roof.

NOT because them bailing from the grid will raise the rates.

 

[BREWER]

What BS!!

They are producing electricity BECAUSE they know rates are going to go through the roof.

NOT because them bailing from the grid will raise the rates.

Greetings, RCSAR: Probably for both reasons. Take care. BREWER

 

[Red Baron]

One of the main reasons large companies are looking into generating their own power is the fear that power outages will become more common. The aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, when large areas of the East Coast went dark, convinced many companies that the grid is unreliable, Rick Fioravanti, an executive at DNV Kema — a consulting company — told The Journal.

I used to work for a Fortune 500 company in a 200,000 sq./ft. manufacturing facility that made up to 32 million products per year.

An energy outage was not an option. We had a massive propane storage tank as a backup. I have no idea as to gallons/capacity but that thing was 12 feet in diameter and fifty feet in length. I can't recall it ever being used other than for testing but it was always available for brownouts/ blackouts or disruptions to the NG heating supply. This allowed the company to take advantage of electric grid supply discounts when subscibing to a "interuptable" electric power plan.

When you are talking about "heavy" industry, failure is not an option. Every hour of production is valuable and many processes are of a continuous nature and cannot be stopped and started on a whim. Any power interuption will result in tens of thousands of dollars of ruined product and long delays in getting the process stared again.

A "Black Swan" event is often described as an event which is outside the realm of current predictive capabilities. The only defense is redundancy and hardening of the infrastrucure on all levels of enterprise.

Sadly, the energy providers have not invested in capacity, transmission or maintenence. Short term gains are more important for the energy companies than national energy security. Thus large corporate manufacturing/distribution interests are beginning to strive to be self sufficient in providing their own energy resources.

 

[Heretic]

Posted for fair use and discussion.
http://endoftheamericandream.com/ar...or-a-major-earthquake-on-the-new-madrid-fault

Why Is Wal-Mart Preparing For A Major Earthquake On The New Madrid Fault?
By Michael Snyder, on July 23rd, 2014

.

Maybe because unlike 99.999% of the sheeple in the area devastated by the last big shake of that fault they understand it will happen.
It might be in 30 seconds or 300 years.

A good friend is a civil engineer who works for the KY-DOT. He was lured away by a higher salary to St. Louis. They wanted his expertise on bridges and similar pieces of 'infrastructure'. He looked at more then a 100 bridges, elevated things, and the only structures that appeared to be properly designed were the rail road constructions.
Which makes a lot of sense. Railroads want to (yea it is evil) make money.

He left after 2 years of banging his head against the appropriation process.
"Yea, we know it will be a problem, but we can't afford it this year...."

He came back to KY for another increase in money and says that when it happens he hopes he has been dead for 30 years.

Terry

 

[Millwright]

What BS!!

They are producing electricity BECAUSE they know rates are going to go through the roof.

NOT because them bailing from the grid will raise the rates.

Or because they know that reliability is going to be real iffy in the near future.

I have wondered why they don't have enough generator to cover the coolers/freezers at least.

 

[Red Baron]

What BS!!

They are producing electricity BECAUSE they know rates are going to go through the roof.

NOT because them bailing from the grid will raise the rates.

It also gives the individual corporations an advantage when negotiating electric rates with the power companies.

Joe and Jane Average do not have that advantage and we wind up subsidizing corporate energy expenses.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Or because they know that reliability is going to be real iffy in the near future.

I have wondered why they don't have enough generator to cover the coolers/freezers at least.

They do, the Super WM here has a gen set out behind the store that's envious to say the least, it came in on one of those wide load trucks.

K-