Kokua Line: Why are clocks running 6 minutes fast?
Answer : Fluctuations in Hawaiian Electric's power frequency caused the problem, which readers asked about and which a Hawaiian Electric spokesperson says now has been fixed ; reset your clocks and they should run normally. The problem affected clocks that rely on the power grid to keep time.
'Typical plug-in clocks, including clocks on ovens, alarms, and microwaves, use the electrical system frequency to track time. Even a slight deviation in this frequency can affect the time on plug-in clocks, causing it to speed up or slow down. These fluctuations don't affect reliability but they can occasionally cause enough of a deviation to be noticeable on plug-in clocks, as has been the case recently on Oahu. We have replaced the equipment used to compensate for these fluctuations, so any affected clocks should operate normally. The clocks in many devices, such as mobile phones, computers and tablets, use quartz crystals or time synchronizing systems such as satellites as a time reference and should not have been affected. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank customers for their patience, ' Darren Pai, spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric, said in an email Tuesday.
Electric clocks use the alternating current of the power grid like a metronome, which means the clocks run slower or faster than they should depending on the frequency fluctuation. Changes in demand for electricity may cause the fluctuation, which electrical utilities must control.
Hawaii's Public Utilities Commission requires in General Order 7 that 'the standard frequency for alternating current distribution systems shall be 60 cycles per second. The frequency shall be maintained within limits which will permit the satisfactory operation of customers' clocks connected to the system.'
You are one of several readers who noticed their oven, microwave or bedside clocks running fast ; some also said their DVRs were affected. The discrepancy increased over time (by about 20 seconds a day, according to one reader ) to the point that affected clocks were running about six minutes fast when we emailed Pai on Monday.
Don 't miss out on what 's happening !
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE !
Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.
He responded the next day, explaining the source of the problem and assuring that it was fixed—plug-in clocks should not continue to drift faster after being reset.
Q : Does the city even have toll roads ? I got a text that I know is a scam but it seems like an especially dumb one ; still, people should know about it.
A : 'The text message is fraudulent as the City and County of Honolulu has no toll roads and the DMV does not collect toll fees, ' Honolulu's Division of Motor Vehicles said in a news release last week, alerting the public to this scam.
The fraudulent text says the recipient has an unpaid toll bill and must pay it to avoid a fine and keep their license. Anyone who receives this text should block the sender immediately and delete the text without responding to it, the city says ; don't click on any links in the text.
Mahalo Like many other people, I haven't had a lot of good things to say about the federal government lately but I want to thank the U.S. Department of State. My passport was due to expire this month and I took advantage of the online renewal option. My wife took an iPhone photo of me and I filled out the form. I received my passport book and card in 12 days and they sent emails to me at every step in the process. I wish all of our interactions with our government could be that prompt and satisfying.—Jim Petersen, Mililani------------Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813 ; call 808-529-4773 ; or email.------------
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Some Chatham-Kent encampment residents expected to move to tiny cabins, manager says
The homeless encampment on Chatham-Kent's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) lands could shrink in the coming days as some campers move into the municipality's new tiny transitional cabins. Thirty-eight former residents of the Victoria Park Place shelter just finished moving into the cabins on Wednesday, said Jennifer Crowell, a manager with housing services for the municipality of Chatham-Kent. That leaves 12 cabins open, and the city has teams reaching out to encampment residents about the new housing option. "There is interest," Crowell said. "I know we've talked [to] between 10 and 12 that are extremely interested and highly motivated." Asked if it was safe to assume, therefore, that the 12 remaining cabins at Pathways on Park would end up housing encampment residents, Crowell replied that was a "safe assumption." Complaints from encampment neighbours Between 40 and 50 people are currently camping on the PUC lands after being evicted from an encampment on the side of the Thames River due to upcoming slope stabilization work. Their arrival in the neighborhood has led to an outcry from residents complaining of noise, public defecation, declining property values and feelings of being unsafe. Chatham-Kent municipal council passed a motion at a July 28 special meeting about the encampment asking staff to move as many homeless people as possible into the tiny cabins to reduce the size of encampments. However, not all will qualify. Cabin residents have to commit to accepting support services and ongoing case management and must have permanent housing as a long term goal, Crowell said. They do not, however, have to be sober. Not all encampment residents have expressed an interest in the cabins, she said — some simply will not engage with services at all right now. The fate of the remaining encampment residents remains up in the air after Monday night's council meeting. Council passed a motion to amend the municipality's encampment protocol to restrict encampments within 100 metres of residential properties. Council defers encampment decision again But it then deferred a vote to make it enforceable through a bylaw. As the clock ticked toward 11 p.m., some councillors questioned whether campers would have anywhere left to camp if they passed the bylaw and whether it was fair to simply move the encampment from one neighbourhood to another. Earlier in the meeting, councillors once again got an earful from angry residents near the PUC property. "The people of this neighbourhood will continue to flood the police department with calls and the councillors with calls until we feel safe," Mike McPherson said. "Relocate this encampment tonight." One mother of a daughter facing addiction accused councillors of enabling addicts by allowing the encampment. Meanwhile, the executive director of R.O.C.K., the organization serving the encampment residents, urged councillors to consider leaving the encampment where it is, saying her organization has been making progress in working with campers to address neighbourhood concerns about mess and troublesome behaviour. Renee Geniole also condemned people who shot video footage of campers overdosing and experiencing psychosis. "People overdose in our city every day," she said. "So to exploit these realities through shock videos to attempt to sway political decisions is morally reprehensible. "I hope no one here allows such content to replace thoughtful compassionate decision-making."
Buzz Feed
07-08-2025
- Buzz Feed
28 Home Decor Items That'll Impress Your Guests
A set of new cabinet pulls, because why drop serious cash on new cabinetry when swapping hardware alone will give your kitchen the facelift it truly deserves? Trust me, it'll look like an HGTV reveal. A set of amber soap dispensers here to turn basic bargain-brand soap into a luxe aesthetic flex, proving sophistication doesn't have to break your budget. A wine stain-removing spray that'll turn any red wine disaster into a distant memory, letting you pour that third glass with absolutely zero regrets. An outlet light so subtle, your guests will think you installed custom lighting. Plus, your midnight snack runs just got infinitely safer (no more bruised shins!). A gold watering can and mister that'll double as chic decor, so even when your plants inevitably don't make it, you'll still have something pretty to look at. A set of peel-and-stick floor tiles because you deserve a flooring glow-up without demolition, drama, or dipping into your savings account. A clever faux-book storage box that hides your unsightly router and cords, giving your shelves more of an "I read Jane Austen" vibe and less "I pay too much for Comcast." A create-your-own countertop kit here to give your kitchen bougie vibes on a budget — Chip and Joanna, who? An under-cabinet wineglass rack that'll elevate your kitchen from average to Michelin-star, making even boxed wine feel classy. A dual under-the-cabinet trash system you can use to hide your garbage and recycling, instantly upgrading your kitchen and making it feel more luxe. A sleek digital clock with a mirrored face that'll serve stylish decor by day and let you know how many hours of precious sleep you have left at night. A complete gallery wall set to transform your space from "unfinished dorm room" to "Pinterest-worthy oasis" in a single afternoon. A fabric defuzzer that'll rescue your favorite chair from your pet's "art project" and give your furniture a second life without expensive reupholstering. A TV cord cover you can use to banish unsightly TV cables, making your living room look streamlined, intentional, and frankly, expensive. Some Shoe Slotz so your closet stops looking like a chaotic shoe mountain and finally feels like a boutique display. A set of blackout curtains here to save your weekend sleep-ins from early sunrises. Plus, they instantly level up the cozy factor in any room. Adhesive backsplash tiles that'll have your friends convinced you splurged on a renovation, when, in reality, it cost you less than brunch. A stainless steel cleaner here to erase fingerprints, smudges, and questionable cooking mishaps — leaving your appliances looking straight-out-of-the-box new. A three-tier bamboo rack that'll organize all your odds and ends, bringing a dose of calm and clarity to your previously cluttered corners. A flat outlet plug to neatly conceal all the cord mayhem behind your furniture, giving your room the sleek, polished vibe you've always dreamed of. A set of minimalist hooks so chic, you'll actually want to hang up your jacket and bag instead of tossing them onto the nearest chair (or the floor). A marble self-adhesive film that instantly upgrades any surface, turning boring countertops or tables into something straight out of a West Elm catalog. Light-dimming stickers to finally eliminate those pesky, sleep-disrupting LED lights, so your bedroom can achieve true pitch-black bliss. A hexagonal toilet paper holder that'll add unexpected style to your bathroom and guarantee your guests never face the awkward "where's the TP?" scenario. Some velvet slipcovers guaranteed to rescue your sad, worn-out sofa, giving it new life and making your living room feel like a chic boutique hotel lounge. A set of NoNo Brackets that'll let you hang curtains without sacrificing your security deposit, as it cleverly allows you to hang a rod *without* drilling into the wall (!!). A cord organizer here to turn your messy cable situation into an Instagram-worthy "after" photo you'll want to brag about. Garage magnets that fake the look of an expensive carriage door, instantly boosting your home's curb appeal with zero effort.
Los Angeles Times
01-08-2025
- Los Angeles Times
‘This fire could have been prevented': How utilities fought removal of old power lines
The abandoned power line suspected of igniting the Eaton fire could have been removed years ago under a rule proposed by state Public Utilities Commission staffers, but the regulation was weakened amid opposition from Southern California Edison and other utilities, according to records and interviews. State regulators have long known that old transmission lines could set off wildfires, and in 2001 they proposed a safety rule that would have forced Edison and other electric companies to remove abandoned lines unless they could prove they would use them in the future. Amid opposition from the utility companies, the Public Utilities Commission studied the proposal for several years, ultimately watering it down to allow the old lines to remain up until executives decided they were 'permanently abandoned,' records show. One of those old transmission lines, Edison's Mesa-Sylmar line that last saw service during the Vietnam War, is at the center of dozens of lawsuits claiming it ignited the devastating Eaton fire on Jan. 7. The inferno roared through Altadena, killing 19 people and destroying 9,400 homes and other structures. Edison has said a leading theory of the fire's cause is that the century-old line somehow briefly re-energized, creating an arc that sparked the wildfire. The investigation is continuing. Raffy Stepanian, an electrical engineer who was part of the commission's safety team that proposed the 2001 rule to take down abandoned lines, said commission members dialed back the regulation under fierce lobbying by the state's utilities. 'There was a lot of pressure on us to agree with utilities on everything,' Stepanian said, adding that the utilities 'pretty much wrote those rules.' Now retired from the commission, Stepanian lives in Altadena. His house survived the Eaton fire, but homes adjoining his property were destroyed. 'This fire could have been prevented,' he said. Edison, responding to questions from The Times, said the company kept the Mesa-Sylmar transmission line in place because it thought it might need the line in the future. It last transported electricity in 1971. 'We have these inactive lines still available because there is a reasonable chance we're going to use them in the future,' said Shinjini Menon, Edison's senior vice president of system planning and engineering. Menon said the company inspects and maintains the dormant lines to ensure their safety. Loretta Lynch, the commission's president in 2001 when the changes were proposed, said she remembers the safety staff coming to her and explaining why the rules needed to be strengthened. But the effort met with resistance from utility executives, she said. Ultimately, the commission allowed the utilities to debate the rules at dozens of workshops over two years. The weakened proposal was approved in 2005, less than two weeks after Lynch's term had expired. Lynch's departure left just three people on the five-member commission, which was chaired by Michael Peevey, the former president of Edison International, Southern California Edison's parent company. 'The folks who were trying to improve safety got pulled into a back room with a bunch of industry participants and what happened was a final decision that rolled back safety regulations,' Lynch said. In an interview this week, Peevey acknowledged that in the hindsight of 20 years, a time when utilities have repeatedly sparked some of the biggest wildfires in the state, the commission might have acted differently. 'If we knew then what we know now, perhaps we would have come to a different conclusion,' he said. The other commissioners who approved the rule were Susan Kennedy, who was chief of staff for former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Geoffrey Brown, an attorney and cousin of former Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown said he couldn't recall the details of the vote. Kennedy had no immediate comment. In the years since the commission's 2005 decision, abandoned power lines have continued to pose a threat, with hundreds of miles of the unused transmission lines running like spider webs through California. In 2019, investigators traced the Kincade fire in Sonoma County, which destroyed 374 homes and other structures, to an abandoned line owned by Pacific Gas & Electric. After the Eaton fire, PUC executive director Rachel Peterson was called before the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee to address how the agency monitors abandoned power lines. 'If we wanted to know where all of the inactive lines are, is there a place where we can get that information?' asked Assemblywoman Rhodesia Ransom (D-Tracy). 'Not as of today, Assemblymember,' Peterson replied. 'And I would, I guess, I'd say in part because the service territories are so large and the pieces of equipment are so numerous that a registry of a specific element may or may not exist. However, we'll take that back and look at it.' 'Is there a timeline requirement for them to remove abandoned lines?' asked Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita). 'There's no timeline,' Peterson responded. Terrie Prosper, a commission spokeswoman, wrote in an email that the commission expects the companies to inspect and safely maintain the dormant lines just as it does for those that are energized. 'Requiring utilities to remove power lines prematurely … would be shortsighted and could significantly raise bills for utility customers,' Prosper wrote. She declined to make officials available for interviews. Edison said earlier this year that the unused transmission line in Eaton Canyon may have become energized through induction, a process where magnetic fields created by nearby live lines cause the dormant line to electrify. The company built two transmission lines that run parallel to the dormant Mesa-Sylmar line. They were energized when videos captured the Eaton fire igniting under one of the Mesa-Sylmar transmission towers. After the 2019 Kincade fire, PG&E said it had agreed with the commission to remove 262 miles of lines that had no future use. The company said it would prioritize the removal of those where the risk of induction was high. 'At the right conditions, failing idle facilities can pose significant wildfire and safety risks,' PG&E wrote in its plan to remove the lines. Edison says it has 465 miles of idle transmission lines in its territory. Kathleen Dunleavy, an Edison spokeswoman, said the company could not release the locations of those lines because it was 'considered confidential.' How to define 'abandoned' State utility rules have long stated that 'permanently abandoned' lines must be removed so they 'shall not become a public nuisance or a hazard to life or property.' But utilities and commission safety staff sometimes disagreed on what lines had been abandoned. In 2001, when the commission and its staff proposed strengthening the rule, Edison was challenging the agency's finding that it had violated it by failing to remove an electric line at a Lancaster home that had been demolished. A man who Edison said was attempting to steal equipment had climbed the pole and been electrocuted, according to commission documents. Edison told the safety staff that it had a pending order for service to be re-installed to the property, arguing it was not abandoned. Staff later discovered there was no such work order, according to the commission's investigation into the death. To strengthen the rule, the commission said in a January 2001 order that it would define permanently abandoned lines as any line out of service 'unless the owner can demonstrate with appropriate documentation' how it would be used in the future. Edison and other utilities objected to that proposal and a dozen other rule changes the commission had proposed, asking for the plan to be debated at a workshop, documents show. Ultimately, an administrative law judge at the commission allowed 50 days of workshops over the course of two years. The judge also allowed Edison and other utilities to pay $180,000 to choose and hire a consultant to facilitate the workshops, according to commission documents. The goal of the workshops, according to a commission document, was 'to gather parties' views and attempt to narrow disagreement.' At the workshops, one or two of the commission's safety staff defended the proposal while listening to comments from dozens of employees from the electric utilities and the telecommunications companies, according to an utility industry website that kept executives apprised of the developments. The companies did not just want to debate the commission's proposed rule changes. Documents show the companies suggested 50 other changes to the safety rules, including some that would significantly weaken them. Lynch, the former commission president, called the workshops 'the worst way to go about fact-finding on what is needed to ensure safety' and said the utility-paid facilitator had 'unheard of' powers in drafting the workshop notes, which were incorporated into the commission's final decision. In the final wording, gone from the proposal was any requirement for utilities to document how they planned to use dormant lines in the future. Instead the language revised the rule to define permanently abandoned lines as those 'that are determined by their owner to have no foreseeable future use.' With that definition, utilities could keep their old unused lines up indefinitely if executives believed they might be used in the future. The commission's vote 'perverted the entire intent' of the proposal meant to strengthen the rules, Lynch said. Instead the commission's final decision reduced safety requirements. 'It's very Orwellian,' she said. 'Up is down.' In an interview in July, Connor Flanigan, Edison's managing director of state regulatory operations, pointed out that commission staff had been given the power to block a company proposal at the workshops, which were open to the public. 'When the commission holds these proceedings, they try to be very transparent,' he said. The document outlining the commission's final decision includes quotes from Edison executives praising the workshop process. 'Like most parties, SCE achieved some, but not all, of the rule changes it sought,' the executives said.
