On January 14, ARC staff experienced a catastrophe when ice brought down about one third of the trees in our valley and we had no electrical power for seven days. Depending on the grid for heat and light is great when everything works. However, when the lights go out, a warm house becomes really important. Light is easy to make with photovoltaics, etc. Living for a week in the cold was a great reminder of the importance of a clean burning non-electric biomass heating stove. 

I lived without electricity on a ranch in Mexico for eight years where it was warm pretty much all of the time. Even so, on chilly nights we lit an open fire and sat around it, talking. The old folks pulled blankets around themselves, too.

I do not remember missing refrigeration or lights. It was not a big deal. At the ranch, people had lived for over a hundred years without them and much more energy went into trying to find juice for the little radio.

Going for a week without electricity reminded me that a warm house is important. In response, ARC is building health/climate non- electric pellet heating stoves as winter turns into spring.  If the creek don’t rise, we want to have these stoves in all buildings before next winter.

PS: I am fine reading a book by candlelight as long as my feet are warm.