Technology during an Apocalypse: Power plants

The world has not ended. The Mayan prediction has failed and we continue to live our lives as we had the day before. There was no mega virus, nuclear war, metaphysical calling, alien invasion or zombie apocalypse. However, the pale event leads me to question what would happen with our technology and communications if there was an apocalyptic situation? After all is said and done, would the remaining survivors know how to survive? Would they figure out how to communicate with each other?

We are so dependent on technology, that we may have forgotten how to live without it. For those survivors that would be left, they may flock to areas with sustained power. They may hang on to the last remnants of their previous lifestyles as long as they can. Besides food, clothing and shelter; the survivors will next look for power, telecommunications, and news. They will be looking for other survivors, weather conditions, natural disaster reports and news of their loved ones.

The one thing that will enable you to converse and gather information will be telecommunications equipment. This gear comes in many forms: Smartphones, cell phones, digital and analog phones, computers, routers, antennae, towers,  etc. There is one thing that all of these need before you start to set up a network though...power. Without power stations, you really have nothing. Here is some information you may not have known:

1. Without human intervention, a power plant will not continue production. These power plants are chained together so that if one fails, the rest may fail. Unless you can conceal one to work separately and have continuous fuel, a chain reaction will shut down most of the plants in a grid.

2. There 4 main power plants: Coal, Natural Gas, Nuclear, and Hydroelectric. These are the most common power stations and each one runs differently.

  a. Coal Plant: a continuous feed of coal must be provided. Unattended the plant would automatically shut down within 12-18 hours
  b. Natural Gas: Pressured gas is pumped through pipelines to turbines which in turn generate elecricity (mainly for jump starts and emergency power). The pressure must be maintained; otherwise within 1-3 days it will subside and power will be lost.
  c. Nuclear: These can operate for over a year without needing to be refueled. However, these plants require consistent maintenance and without intervention they will only last a few days to a week.
  d. Hydroelectric: Most plants would last days or weeks unattended. Unless the Dam broke or there was an unusual equipment failure the Hydroelectric plant will maintain itself for a longer period of time than any of the rest.

3. Wind and Solar power panels would be your best option once you have settled into your new lifestyle. They provide energy for your immediate area and have a seemingly endless supply of fuel.

4. Load up with gasoline generators, find a tanker truck of gas and use sparingly. If you have a small community this could last you all for years before you need to find more.

5. If you have no other options you can always revert back to Waterwheels and steam engines.

Most power plants will only last a few days to a few weeks in an apocalyptic situation. Barring plant explosions and nuclear meltdowns, you will sustain enough power to get you out of a situation or communicate on a rendezvous. After a week, you better hope you and your loved ones have arrived at your destination.

Now you must decide on a stable area to build your solar/wind farm. Once completion of your sustained power grid is accomplished, it will be useful to find the nearest communications tower. Cell towers have back-up generators that allow service even in times of blackout. Those generators can only last for so long until they need to be refueled though. Once you have finished that, move to the next and so on. Eventually you will rebuild a service network for advanced communications.

Not everyone is a technician or engineer; so how would you build these solar farms and utilize the energy? My best advice is to study ahead of time. Since we probably will not do that...find your generators and get your tanker truck. Then stop by the library (if it's still there) and read. With any luck, you will figure out how to maintain an energy grid before the gasoline runs dry. If you can't figure it out by then, I hope you know how to build a fire.