A lot of long-time Drillimation fans who were there during the Dream Logos and Fiction Wiki days may remember back in December 2017, my area of Erie, PA experienced one of the worst blizzards and weather-related catastrophes in over three decades. Around 150cm (roughly five feet) of snow fell over the course of two days and caused massive traffic jams and power outages. Not only did electricity run dry, but clean water and food also ran dry too. Many people couldn’t get gasoline because the gas stations had no electricity either.
This lasted a couple of days, and when Drillimation is aware of events that could cause rolling blackouts, we usually have to be prepared. When this happens, we usually end up with no heat or air-conditioning since we rely on electricity for that. Erie, PA has become the subject of memes since it lies on the Snowbelt and the average snow per winter is 250cm (roughly 100 inches), and the 2017-18 season was the worst; the area got nearly 500cm (roughly 200 inches). Winters in the Great Lakes region usually begin in early November and last until early April.
I have lived in Erie, PA for the past 17 years. I can’t count the number of power failures we have had over the course of those years. We didn’t have a battery backup until we got one last year after the last major power-related catastrophe. After that incident four and a half years ago, we are considering getting more backups for electricity.
While these outages rarely occur during winter, the majority of them usually happen during the summer, usually caused by severe weather, maintenance, or horrendously hot temperatures that can cause power lines to sag and eventually overwhelm power transformers, causing them to explode in the process. Thankfully, we did not have a blackout on the day the Touhou 5: Mystic Square NES Demake released. The previous two games, yes. I can tell you what actually caused these outages.
| Game | Release date | Outage caused by |
|---|---|---|
| Touhou 3: The Phantasmagoria of Dimensional Dreams NES Demake | September 21, 2022 | Transformer failure due to hot temperatures |
| Touhou 4: Lotus Land Story | February 11, 2022 | Tree damage |
Drillimation is considering getting solar panels, but there are some downsides when it comes to using them. First of all, they are extremely expensive and you have to keep them out in the sun almost all day, and they won’t work if it’s cloudy, in the shade, or if there is any snow on top of them during the winter. They also won’t work as much during a power failure. If they did work during an event like this, then this can give electricians a hard time trying to make repairs and can make outages longer.
Wind farms won’t do the trick either. City ordinance states we are not allowed to build anything tall within residential estate. Not to mention they are also extremely expensive to build as well.
Gas-powered electric generators, which my next-door neighbor owns, are somewhat helpful during outages, but they also have their downsides as well. They have to be serviced regularly, meaning if you put them in storage for two years and bring it out, they will not likely work. Gasoline goes bad faster than any other substance. Besides, I drive an electric vehicle (the car I drive is a 2014 Toyota Prius, which has a hybrid engine and this means I still need to fill it up with gas, which is at its highest price at the moment due to the war in Ukraine).
Drillimation is still going with the solar panels, despite the consequences it has, but the roof at Drillimation needs to be replaced first before the solar panels can be installed. We will not likely expect these to be installed for months.
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