OH..BTW, they JUST de-energized the power lines near the Willow Fire this SECOND, I've got the news on in the background 
http://www.azcentral.com
Outage looms today, Friday
Valley's utilities press residents to conserve
Max Jarman
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 8, 2004 12:00 AM
Today and Friday are make-or-break days for the Valley's weakened power grid.
Crunch time
• Power use usually peaks 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Peak days are Thursdays and Fridays.
• Utility officials say they will know by about 2 p.m. if they should prepare for rolling blackouts.
Q&A about the Valley's power supply
QUESTION: What is the outlook for the power supply?
ANSWER: Today and Friday are crucial because the system is still vulnerable, and peak power use traditionally comes late in the workweek. High demand, the wildfire threat and the transformer fire put a tremendous strain on the system. So far, crews have kept fires near Payson and Flagstaff away from power lines. If either line went down during times of peak demand, blackouts likely would occur.
Q: What happened?
A: A July 4 fire at a power substation shut down one of four entry points for electricity coming into the Valley, effectively cutting the power supply by 20 percent.
Q: Could it have been prevented?
A: Utilities call it an extremely rare event that could not have been foreseen.
Q: What is being done?
A: APS is working to restore one of three banks of damaged transformers and has located a transformer in another state that could be moved to the Valley. That would allow a second bank of transformers to power up. Also, engineers are working to reroute electricity in the Valley's power grid to enable more power to be brought in from the three remaining entry points.
Q: What can I do?
A: Consumers and businesses are being asked to conserve energy by turning up thermostats, turning off lights and limiting the use of appliances.
Q: Is it working?
A: Yes. Utilities say the efforts are reducing power demand by hundreds of megawatts.
Q: How much is a megawatt?
A: In the summer, it's enough to power 250 homes.
Q: What about power plants in the Phoenix area?
A: They are all running, except for some old units, and can generate 2,900 megawatts of power. These units are critical because they produce local power that is not imported.
Q: What is the peak summer demand for electricity in the Valley?
A: About 12,000 megawatts.
Q: What is the capacity, given the substation fire?
A: About 9,000 megawatts.
Q: What happens if there is more demand than supply?
A: Utilities would have to initiate rolling blackouts to cut demand and balance the system.
Q: What would happen?
A: Both APS and Salt River Project would cut power to a certain area of the Valley for 20 minutes to an hour. After power was restored to the first area, another neighborhood would be taken off line, and so forth.
Q: When will we know if a blackout will take place?
A: Officials say they will be able to predict by about 2 p.m. on a given day if demand will exceed supply. Peak electrical use is 4 to 6 p.m., so a blackout is most likely to occur around that time. But power companies will not be able to tell you when and if your neighborhood will be affected by the rolling blackouts.
Q: What about hospitals, chip plants and other users to whom electricity is critical?
A: Hospitals, prisons, “911” call centers and other emergency facilities would not be affected by rolling blackouts. Most nursing homes have emergency generators. Manufacturers that require a steady power supply would be notified well in advance of such a shutdown.
Q: I have a health problem that requires me to have electricity available. What should I do?
A: Individuals with life-support machinery should receive advance notice that there might be blackouts and make arrangements should they be affected. Health officials say most people with this kind of machinery have backup generators or batteries. But individuals who use medical machinery for comfort or relief (not life support) will not be notified. If you think you qualify for notification, you can contact the power companies.
Q: Air-conditioning is important to my health. Should I worry? What can I do?
A: The rolling blackouts are expected to last an hour or less. Health officials say that should not pose a problem for most people. Keep windows and doors closed to keep in cool air, drink cool water and relax. Do not call the power companies; you will not be spared the outages. Cities are developing emergency plans in case of longer blackouts.
Q: Does metro Phoenix have the utility capacity it needs, given its rapid growth?
A: Yes. Over the past few years, utilities have constructed power plants and transmission lines to prepare for the growth. But it is important that the construction continues to stay ahead of demand.
More info
• What to expect if blackouts are forced
• Energy conservation tips
• How to prepare for a blackout
Demand for electricity is expected to peak for the week, straining a system that is running on only three of its four pistons.
If demand exceeds supply, utilities will have to institute rolling blackouts to prevent a much larger power failure.
Utility officials are crossing their fingers, hoping the patchwork system will hold, and they credited a huge conservation effort on the part of consumers, businesses and state and local governments for keeping blackouts at bay.
"The response has been phenomenal," said Jan Bennett, APS' vice president of customer service. "We really need people to conserve over the next two days."
A July 4 fire knocked out power at the Westwing substation near Sun City, one of the Valley's four key power substations, and the situation could worsen dramatically if a wildfire damages one of the main electric supply lines feeding metro Phoenix.
The situation likely will remain tense through the summer. Crews hope to have one bank of transformers at the Westwing substation back in service by the weekend, but the other two banks will be out until replacement transformers can be found. It could be next summer until Westwing is at full capacity, leaving the Valley more vulnerable to power outages than usual.
If temperatures hit or exceed 112 degrees during the day, and if nighttime temperatures remain high, power demand could overwhelm the system.
And although firefighters have been able to keep wildfires away from critical power lines, the blazes near Payson and Flagstaff remain volatile.
On Tuesday night and Wednesday night, when power demand was low, the lines were briefly taken out of service to allow firefighters to battle the big blazes with controlled burns. The loss of either line during peak demand periods would result in almost immediate blackouts.
"Most likely we would have to take immediate action," said Alan Bunnell, an APS spokesman.
Gov. Janet Napolitano said it's "impossible to know" for sure whether the blackouts will happen, but she urged Valley residents to be prepared and to continue to conserve energy.
"It's an hour-by-hour situation," said Napolitano, who canceled a trip to Chicago today to monitor the fires and the power situation.
On Wednesday, for the second day in a row, utilities got through the day without cutting power to any customers.
APS, the state's largest electric utility, estimates its customers voluntarily reduced demand by up to 300 megawatts. In the summer, 1 megawatt can power 250 Valley homes.
Salt River Project, the state's second-largest power provider, reported similar savings.
If demand outpaces supply, a plan for systematic outages, or rolling blackouts, would be implemented by both utilities.
During such blackouts, homes and businesses in one section of the Valley would lose power for 30 to 60 minutes. Then their power would be restored and another area would be taken off-line.
"The idea is that nobody would lose their power twice," Bunnell said.
Critical facilities such as hospitals and "911" call centers would not be taken off-line, he added.
Even though the power lines in the most imminent danger belong to APS, SRP spokeswoman Patricia Garcia Likens said SRP also would likely initiate blackouts if the lines went down.
"We would act to support APS and the grid," she said. "Our goal is 20 minutes for each group."
To remain stable, electric power grids require equilibrium between supply and demand. If there is a sudden loss of supply, demand must be reduced to prevent a much larger failure.
The return of one transformer to service at Westwing would allow some electricity to flow into the facility, which would be a first step to rebuilding the power structure.
Loss of the substation reduced the Valley's capacity to import power by 20 percent.
Engineers are working to change the direction of the flow of electricity around the Valley, which would enable more power to be brought in from the remaining three portals. Without changing the flow, there would be too much congestion to import more power.
New transformers at Westwing are the final piece of the puzzle. The Westwing fire, which is under investigation, destroyed three transformers, which put two banks of transformers out of service.
The transformers reduce the voltage of power coming in from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station west of Phoenix and the Navajo Generating Station near Page.
APS, which co-owns the Westwing substation with SRP, found a replacement transformer, which is being evaluated, in the Pacific Northwest. But even if there is a fit, it could take some time to get the 400,000-pound transformer to Phoenix. A third replacement transformer likely will have to be manufactured and is not expected to be in place until next summer.
Dennis
Imagine THAT one...thanks to BUSH and his OUTSOURCING of WORK overseas 
