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#150amppowerbox A little after 4:00 PM yesterday, our 150-amp power box came online. We were in hopes of activating the solar power system late in the afternoon. This will not happen until Monday because it was too late in the afternoon for the solar power people to come out.

Am I relieved to see all this come together after 18 months? Of course, I feel relieved. Do I feel joyous that this great project is coming to fruition?

What unfolded from 08:30 in the morning until after 4:00 PM is a cautionary tale about the future. Three huge trucks, numerous support vehicles and a crew of up to 6 men were employed to make this happen. Travel along our street was disrupted. Our power was cut off all day long. Our generator went right to work and kept us with electric power all day long. Some of our neighbors were not so fortunate. Elena and I did not have to pay the bill for this operation. I would not like to know how much it cost Pacific Gas and Electric.

The 150-amp power box is "the wave of the future." Homes and apartments will need additional electric power to support charging of electrical vehicles and new electrical appliances coming online. (Environmentalists are demanding that natural-gas appliances and heating systems be eliminated.) It is sobering to consider the resources that will have to be employed to do this changeover.

We have another big challenge coming as temperatures rise. People will rely more and more on cooling devices like air conditioners. Power grids will be strained beyond their limits. You will have frequent power blackouts and load shedding. Alternate ways of generating power such as solar and wind will have to come online and fast. Nuclear power will come into play. Bill Gates and his foundation have designed a new nuclear reactor that is cost effective and quite safe.