Lights Out: The Electricity Crisis, the Global Economy, and What It Means To You (Hardcover)

by Jason Makansi (Author)
Key Phrases: delivery value chain, intelligent grid, energy supply lines, United States, Wall Street, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Lights Out is a fast paced, no-holds-barred account of what is wrong in our electricity sector and how we might get it back on track, written by someone who has been in the business long enough to know what he is writing about."
—Leonard Hyman, author of America's Electric Utilities: Past, Present, and Future

"Jason Makansi gives us a succinct, insightful view of recent electricity problems. His lively, provocative writing explains the mysteries of the technology, the politics, the regulation, and the market manipulation. Parts of the book may make you mad, but you won't be able to put it down and you will always be learning something."—Lester Lave, PhD, Professor of Economics and Codirector, Electricity Industry Center, Carnegie Mellon University

"This new work is provocative, factual, and will make you think about the situation we face. It is a must-read for anyone even slightly interested in the adequacy of the U.S. power sector and what the future may hold. Industry, regulatory, and political leaders need to read this to see the possible end results of their decisions."—Barry Worthington, Executive Director, United States Energy Association

"Jason Makansi's long history in the electricity business has given him keen insights into the inner workings of the utility industry, and his examples and illustrations, based on his personal attempts at demand side management at home with his family, give a lighter background to what is a profound and sometimes alarming thesis."—Geoffrey R. Egan, PhD, President, APTECH Engineering Services, Inc.

"This book enables even the novice to understand clearly the multifaceted issues facing an electricity-thirsty world. This book lays the foundation for understanding how complex power generation and delivery truly is, and is a clarion call to citizens and consumers worldwide alike to become more informed and more involved."—Timothy McCreary, President, HF Controls

"This thoroughly researched and well-documented discourse explores the litany of issues plaguing the energy industry today. Lights Out will challenge your critical thinking skills and may cause you to question your position on the issues. More importantly, Lights Out proposes realistic solutions that even our elected representatives can comprehend and should seriously consider."—Dr. Robert V. Peltier, PE, Editor in Chief, Power magazine

"Lights Out: The Electricity Crisis, The Global Economy, And What it Means to You points out a troubling reality in today's world--too many people take the electric power infrastructure for granted. Jason Makansi draws on his years of experience to illuminate numerous dimensions of today's US power sector--engineering, political, economic

and financial--to make it all too apparent that taking reliable, affordable and environmentally sound power for granted is a mistake. This book is an important catalyst for a long overdue discussion we all need to have regarding our electric power future."

-- Lawrence Makovich, Managing Director of Cambridge Energy Research Associates Global Power Group

"Jason Makansi’s 25 years experience in the electric power industry, combined with his ability to explain complex technologies in simple terms, makes him the ideal author for this book. It should be required reading for everyone in the trade, the financial community and others providing products and services to the industry, as well as for business schools that teach why technology leadership can be fleeting. And let’s not forget the peeved customer who wants an unbiased explanation."-- Robert G. Schwieger, Editor and Publisher, COMBINED CYCLE Journal

"For anybody who believes that electricity will always be easily available with the flip of a wall switch, Jason Makansi's book Lights Out provides an important education"--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Product Description
A behind-the-scenes exposure why our electricity system is headed for a state of emergency-and what can be done to head it off

Most people don't realize that skyrocketing global energy demand and economic growth severely affect the supply of electricity. Between production (power plants) and delivery is an antiquated, "third-world" transmission grid that is in desperate need of hardening against breakdowns, terrorist attacks, inadequate carrying capacity, and operational obsolescence. And while electricity doesn't hold the headlines or dramatic power of oil, the ability to ensure its uninterrupted supply at a reasonable price is even more essential to global survival and prosperity. Lights Out is today's most detailed, in-depth examination of this largely unreported looming energy crisis. Written by one of the world's top electricity industry experts, this powerful book covers numerous hot button economic and political issues-free markets versus regulation; energy independence versus foreign imports; nuclear power, global warming, and other environmental issues; and much more. Beyond just uncovering and illuminating the problems, however, it proposes a comprehensive road map of technical solutions and regulatory reform from both the production and demand sides of the equation-a framework for rethinking, rebuilding, and enhancing the entire electricity production and delivery infrastructure. Prescriptive and provocative, Lights Out will redefine the simmering debate on how the world can-and must-act now to head off a global catastrophe, one that could eventually wreak even more havoc than the ongoing oil crisis.

Jason Makansi is the President of Pearl Street, Inc., a consulting firm; Principal of PS Liquidity Advisors, an advisory service for energy technology companies raising capital; and Executive Director of the Energy Storage Council, a public-policy advocacy organization. A prolific author, respected industry thought leader, and seasoned communicator, Mr. Makansi has been analyzing the technological, business, and regulatory issues in electricity production and delivery for over twenty-five years. He earned a BS in chemical engineering from Columbia University. His earlier books include An Investor’s Guide to the Electricity Economy, also published by John Wiley & Sons, and Managing Steam: An Engineering Guide to Commercial, Industrial, and Utility Systems.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 306 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (June 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470109181
• ISBN-13: 978-0470109182
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #150,103 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Connects and Ignites, June 11, 2007

By	A Reader "Regina" (Midwest) - See all my reviews

If you wonder how our country may be vulnerable in respect to the next national disaster, either via home-grown or foreign terrorist strike or climactic catastrophe or even simple human error....

If you are frustrated with recent power outages affecting your business or neighborhood and don't know why they are (and will keep) occurring...

If you wonder how we can get from "here" to "there" regarding our current reliance on overseas oil and fossil fuel-generated power to a more reliable, efficient and sustainable form of energy supply and transmission...

If you are someone in the industry who is frustrated with the merger and acquisition aspect of making the business end work and need both optimism and practical ideas for growth in this field.....

If you are, like me, a consumer who just wants to know what is behind the wall...

The answers, the ideas, and the possibilities are in this book.

I read "Lights Out" in two days. Informational without being grossly technical, provocative without demonizing any particular person or group, and at times bitingly funny, Jason Makansi writes in an accessible way about a complex subject, drawn from his deep background in the field and an honest, almost Trumanesque prose style. With no real understanding of how my lights go on, or any more than a consumer's investment in this industry--I was engaged from start to finish. This book sounds the alarm, describes the problems, and ignites a passion for taking the next step before we are facing a greater crisis.

For example, in the chapter titled, "Savvy Consumption, Empowering Ratepayers" he writes, "What if you also quantified the value of energy independence.....Imagine going to a filling station and seeing not only the price per gallon, but the hidden cost per gallon to protect our petroleum supply lines, fight wars in countries with oil and natural gas reserves, and lead global military defense!"

Did I mention he writes provocatively?

Regarding some of the dilemmas facing those in the industry he writes, "Both strategies for growth---'if we build it, Wall Street will come' and 'If we merge, business will surge'--are giving utilities fits. The problem is that delays, the money wasted on lawyers and consultants, and the general malaise that overtakes an organization under siege, drain time and money from real needs, like modernizing the infrastructure."

Did I mention he doesn't waste time demonizing but cuts straight to the problem?

And finally, from the chapter, "A Vision For The Future" he writes, "Imagine going to your local electricity store, just like you go to a car dealership, and picking out the model you want custom-built into your new home. What this industry needs more than anything else are entrepreneurial companies that provide home-and business-based electricity systems with the same quality and attention to detail of a home entertainment system: Maybe I want one that makes me feel better because it offers the lowest carbon dioxide emissions. Maybe I just want to be the 'baddest' dude in the neighborhood and pick out something that rumbles when I crank it up."

Did I mention he is funny?

There is so much more in this book, about the supply, the demand, the global structure of our fossil fuel reliance and the impending energy needs of other countries, to what is, in his view, the greatest concern: transmission. Along with a reasonable advocacy for taking a second look at nuclear power generating plants, (something I was previously opposed to), he also includes exciting ideas for new technologies and research, such as recycling the waste heat generated from all sources not just power plants, to a home meter that clearly and understandably shows the consumer how much energy is being used and when, to the idea of a national commission to unite and oversee power transmission from state to state. As Mr. Makansi puts it, "Why not?"

Can we reliably keep the lights on at our current levels of energy consumption? Are our grids vulnerable to sabotage and attack? Are there intermediate solutions that can be made within the industry and by our government that are practical, safe, climate sensitive and affordable now? Can I personally change the way I consume and view my own energy use? And what steps can be taken to affect the change that is needed?

Lights Out connects all interests on the way toward a more logical, more sustainable, more humane and renewable use of energy in today's world. The only question remaining: When will we take the next step?

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Necessary Information, January 27, 2009

By	H. Tuck - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was written after a power failure.

The author describes the problems in the energy industry. Our grid is outdated, poorly operated and this critical industry is neglected. The book points out that there are about 4 quadrants to the grid and how vulnerable it is. I remember the major blackout in New York City and parts of Canada some time ago. This could easily happen again. I was glad to see that the new administration is including an upgrade in the stimulus package. Reading this book will support the importance of this project.

Journalism is dead and to get information one needs to buy books and peruse the internet. I spend lots of money on Amazon. I bought this book when it first came out and sent a copy to my sister.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Read, September 17, 2007

By	Howard S. Brooks "Brooks" (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had high hopes for this book, but it's a very disappointing book. And I'm amazed at the reviews by others of the book. Makansi knows a lot, but he does a poor job of communicating precisely the problems he perceives with our electricity grid. The book is lively and eccentric, but very poorly edited.

I think it's a waste of time.

I happen to know Jason Makansi (from the long-ago past) and believe him to be a very capable person, but he could write a much better book if forced to show some discipline in the writing process.