My family was up visiting my wife’s uncle in Maine this weekend. He told us some harrowing stories: for the better part of a week, his house in York was without power after the recent ice storm (the lights were on in time for our visit, mercifully). A few hours without power can be a charming, boardgame ‘n’ candles filled trip into the nineteenth century, something like a flying visit to the local historically themed attraction. But more than a day without electricity in Maine in the winter is a serious hardship. Most of us have become quite used to the twenty-first century by now.
It quickly became impossible to buy an electrical generator at any price. But Wendy’s Uncle Pete was lucky enough to have a little generator for his old boat from his sailing days. He was able to wire it into the house and keep minimal services online (fridge, furnace, aluminum smelter). Because I still had Pete’s story in my ears, I was particularly interested in the following item from the NY Times Green Inc. blog: Prius: It’s Not Just a Car, It’s an Emergency Generator. It’s the story of a guy who wired his hybrid car into his house. It’s a portent of the coming decentralized grid. Get ready!
House powers car, that’s not a story. But car powers house, now THAT’S a story.
Rambles Blog at Star Chamber 