The Last Mile

Where do we stop?

As a representative of the US Federal Government, I find it to be a significant question.

In my agency, we answer the question - in some form - every day.  The feds have nothing to do with paving your street.  The feds don't get into the business of trimming the trees on the railway lines, or throwing away garbage.  They don't make sure that your boat's slip is deep enough for your boat, or that your carport's roof doesn't leak.  For our day-to-day decisions, we have a concept of what comprises Federal Interest - what makes an investment to be one of national importance.  If it does not rise to that level, it might be nice to do, but it is not in the purview of the Federal Gummint.  (Unless Congress tells us that it is, which happens from time to time: see New Orleans' SELA project for an example.)

In times of disaster, however, those lines get blurred a lot.  We tend to do things in the wake of a disaster that we don't normally do, just to make it so people can get their lives re-started.  Things like blue roofs.  And debris cleanup.

And like my work - power restoration.  (Not usually a Corps mission)

But how far do we go to complete the mission?  Do we deliver electricity to the substation?  To the last transformer in the neighborhood?  To the power pole next to your house?  To your house?  Inside your house?



And how do we make sure that all of it is safe?

If we go to the substation, we are pretty good on the safety issue.  Then the local energy folks have the responsibility of connecting the lines to the houses and getting with the landowners and make sure houses don't burn down (If you leave ONE iron on when the power goes out, and when you come back, your electricity is back on.... but your house has burned down!  Yay.  Thanks, USACE!)

But in this scenario we - the Corps of Engineers - end up electrifying the grid, and nothing more.  Which is not what we came to do.  Our mission is to restore power to the people of Puerto Rico.  And dangit, we WANT to do bring the power to the people.  Leaving without finishing that task* puts an asterisk to our record.  Who wants that?

In addition to the mission, there is a consideration of efficiency.  If we have a crew in place, and they are working in your neighborhood anyway, why not take that last step?  Why not, while they are there, light up houses?  Why wait for another crew to come in, at a later date, to do the work we could have done while we were there?

Why not?  Because it costs money and time that we don't have.

One of the things that is difficult about this mission is that there is an expiration date.  After March 19th, our milk goes sour, and the mission goes from 100% Federal cost to a cost-shared project.  We are allowed to work on the problem until then; after that, we will have a new mission, possibly with a cost share provision, meaning that Puerto Rico has to pay their part.

Problem:  The Government of Puerto Rico is flat broke.  They cannot pay.  Without money, they cannot enter into an agreement that asks them to pony up money - they simply don't have any.  Anything that follows March 19 will not be an easy task.  We need to do as much of this as we can while the focus is on the emergency.  Once it moves to rebuilding, bets are off.

So we need to do as much as we can as soon as we can.  Posts cost money, and adding the additional posts will be tough. And will take time that we don't have to get them in, get permission to replace them, and get everything in place.

Check out where the power pole is - inside the fence. 
With the dog.

And very often, access is not possible.  A pole will be in the backyard.  Sometimes in the intersection of four lots.  And often with no driveway to access it with a bucket truck.  Or with some configuration like this (figure).

In that scenario, how do you get in?  If this were a matter of a local company with 10,000 customers, sure - that trust is easier.  But this is a country of 4 million people.  And we are bringing thousands of contractors from all over.  Assuming that it is approved for all of these people to work wherever, and that everyone will respond to their mandate the same - well, I would not bet on it being an simple, quick process.

Every day that we work to get permission and access and coordination from all parties is a day that we do not do the work we are charged to do.  Which, in turn, leads to another day without electricity for people who are still without power (now approaching 90 days).  Maybe the best solution is to focus on the whole picture, and let the local folk with the Power Agency take the glory and the credit by lighting people up.  Maybe we should stay longer.  Maybe, maybe, maybe.

None of the solutions are easy.  Or quick.  And while we try to figure it out, people are still in the dark.

As much as I hate to say it: Estamos aqui*.