Last updated: April 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how Grid Down Gazette ("we," "us," or "our"), operated by BDEnergy, collects, uses, and shares information when you visit griddowngazette.com (the "Site"). By using the Site, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
1. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly: If you subscribe to our newsletter or use our contact form, we collect your email address and any other information you choose to provide (such as your name or message content). We do not require account creation to read our content.
Information collected automatically: When you visit the Site, certain information is collected automatically by us and by third-party services we use. This includes your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, time spent on pages, and the date and time of your visit. This data is collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies.
2. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies — small text files stored on your device — and similar technologies to operate the Site and support advertising. Specifically:
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the Site, including which pages are most visited and how users navigate between them. We use this information to improve our content and user experience.
Advertising cookies are placed by our advertising partner, Google AdSense — to serve relevant advertisements based on your browsing history and interests. These partners may collect data across multiple websites to build interest profiles used for ad targeting.
Essential cookies are necessary for the basic functioning of the Site and cannot be disabled.
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies, delete existing cookies, or be notified when cookies are set. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the Site and the relevance of advertisements you see.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Operate and improve the Site and its content
- Send newsletters and updates to subscribers who have opted in
- Respond to messages submitted via the contact form
- Analyze traffic and usage patterns to understand our audience
- Serve and optimize advertising through third-party ad networks
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your information for purposes beyond those described in this policy without your consent.
4. Third-Party Advertising
The Site participates in third-party advertising programs, currently including Google AdSenses. These services use cookies and similar technologies to display advertisements based on your prior visits to this and other websites.
Google AdSense: Google may use the DoubleClick cookie to serve ads based on your visit to this Site and other sites on the internet. You may opt out of the use of this cookie by visiting the Google Ads Settings page. Alternatively, you can opt out of third-party vendor use of cookies by visiting networkadvertising.org.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.
5. Affiliate Links
Some links on this Site are affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links are clearly indicated where required by disclosure guidelines. We only recommend products and services we believe are relevant and useful to our readers. Our editorial content is not influenced by affiliate relationships.
6. Email Newsletter
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address for the purpose of sending you updates, new guides, and relevant preparedness information. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send. We do not share subscriber email addresses with third parties for marketing purposes.
7. Data Retention
We retain contact form submissions and newsletter subscriber information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Automatically collected analytics data is retained according to the retention settings of the third-party analytics services we use. You may request deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us using the details below.
8. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including:
- Access: the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Correction: the right to request correction of inaccurate personal data
- Deletion: the right to request deletion of your personal data
- Objection: the right to object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing
- Portability: the right to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
- Withdrawal of consent: where processing is based on consent, the right to withdraw it at any time
Residents of California (CCPA), the European Union/EEA (GDPR), Canada (PIPEDA), and British Columbia (PIPA) have specific rights under their applicable laws. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 11.
9. Children's Privacy
This Site is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will take steps to delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.
10. Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the information we collect from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the Site after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or have a concern about how we handle your information, please use the contact form on this Site or reach us via the contact button on any page.
This policy applies to griddowngazette.com only and does not apply to any third-party websites linked from this Site.
