Blog Posts

Jefferson County Commission to Ask WV Public Service Commission to Open Investigation of Potomac Edison Billing Practices

5/13/2013

Another entity has joined the litany of complaints against FirstEnergy subsidiary Potomac Edison. The Jefferson County Commission unanimously and enthusiastically voted last Thursday to send a letter to the West Virginia Public Service Commission asking the regulator to open an investigation of the company's billing and meter reading practices.

The Commission heard from WV Delegate Stephen Skinner during the meeting, as well as public comments from three different citizens, regarding the outrageous, unjust, and unreasonable Potomac Edison business practices customers had been subject to over the past year or so.

Delegate Skinner has been a vocal advocate for his constituents, many of whom have been hit hard by bills up to 1000% more than usual that are the product of the company's failure to read meters every other month as required by law, as well as both human and computer error on the part of the company. As a regulated monopoly, Potomac Edison has obligations to its customers, and Delegate Skinner intends to do all he can to ensure Potomac Edison meets those obligations.

Since he began questioning Potomac Edison's practices, Skinner has been contacted by the company's government affairs person, who made all sorts of excuses, and promises that have failed to materialize. The complaints continue.

Commissioner Widmyer expressed her disappointment with the company's "robo-call" method of attempting to connect with and mollify angry "real people" customers.

Meanwhile, the WV Attorney General pretends he is looking out for consumers by making a "hotline" number available for angry customers to call the company. There's already a customer service number on your bill, little consumer. The Attorney General recommends you call it. Personally, I'd rather call Delegate Skinner or the Jefferson County Commission for some real help.

The parade of perturbed Potomac Edison patrons persists.

2 Comments

Are you using the expensive Allegheny Energy electrons or the cheaper Mon Power ones?

5/10/2013

0 Comments

The numbers for the transaction defy common sense, apart from what generally accepted ratemaking principles or the Uniform System of Accounts require. The value of the 20% of the Harrison plant already owned by Mon Power on its books is $319/kW, while the proposed purchase price for the remaining 80% is $767/kW. This price disparity is inexplicable, given that there is nothing physically different in the four-fifths of the plant not owned by Mon Power versus the one fifth of the plant that Mon Power already owns. Are the electrons coming from the Allegheny Energy Supply side of the plant really worth 2½ times the value of the electrons from the Mon Power side of the plant? Try explaining that to the average FirstEnergy ratepayer in West Virginia.

Explaining the ludicrous folly of FirstEnergy's proposed Harrison plant sale to the average West Virginia ratepayer is something James Van Nostrand, Director of WVU's College of Law Center for Energy and Sustainable Development does very well in this recent article in the Energy Forward Blog.

Have you submitted your comment to the PSC opposing the transaction yet? What are you waiting for? Click here to submit your comment on case number 12-1571 now. It only takes a minute!

0 Comments

Harrison is no longer critical

5/7/2013

2 Comments

Great news today at FirstEnergy's quarterly earnings call! Eternal optimist Tony Alexander (who is still waiting in vain for the economy to improve and power prices to increase) has stated that FirstEnergy's proposed West Virginia Harrison coal plant transfer is no longer critical!

"Our success with the actions we have already taken, particularly the bond deal at FirstEnergy Corp. means the Harrison transaction while still important to both West Virginia and FirstEnergy Solutions is no longer critical to the successful completion of our financial plan."

FirstEnergy management has finally admitted what I've been saying from the very beginning: The proposed plant transfer is all about raising cash to pay down debt at FES to improve FirstEnergy's balance sheet and maintain its credit position. It was never really "...expected to help insure reliable power for our West Virginia utility customers for many years to come," or to be "...very positive for the West Virginia economy and our customers of our utilities in West Virginia."

Obviously, FirstEnergy now realizes that the West Virginia PSC is not going to approve this transaction, so it has taken other measures necessary to patch up its balance sheet, such as selling bonds and its hydro assets (which are much more marketable than an antique coal plant). FirstEnergy has decisively removed all its precious balance sheet eggs from the precarious Harrison plant transfer basket. If the company had any faith left at all in the WV PSC approving the transaction, don't doubt that it would still be considered "critical." Instead, the transfer idea has simply been tossed onto the ever-growing waste heap of FirstEnergy's bad ideas.

FirstEnergy also stated that transfer at a price lower than its jacked-up merger plant cost (which magically doubled the value of the plant overnight), as suggested by several intervenors in the case, was "a non-starter." FirstEnergy would apparently rather give up entirely than sell the plant at a reduced rate. I think we're all in agreement here then, and Tony can keep his "great asset" because it really isn't "more important to West Virginia and Mon Power than is it to FirstEnergy."

I think FirstEnergy's answer to this question pretty much clears things up all around:

Dan Eggers - Credit Suisse: Just following up on Tony's comments and Leila's comments about Harrison. Can you just maybe help us understand how important it is you think at this point in time to move that asset over from a balance sheet perspective relative to a customer benefit perspective? And then given kind of the wide or the low bid made in the intervenor testimony, how important it is to take a lower price or accept a lower price to get this done relative to keep in at FES if the pricing doesn't makes sense?
James F. Pearson - SVP and CFO: I'll start off with that, Dan. Well, let me start off. I think the low price of the $565 million or whatever that's just a nonstarter. So, I'll leave that at that. From a balance sheet perspective, we think we are in pretty good shape by getting the FirstEnergy Corp. bond deal done where we upsize to $1.5 billion. We also feel that we're in very good position with the hydro asset sales. So, we feel real comfortable about that. And as you know, we plan to infuse equity from FirstEnergy down into Mon Power associated with this asset transfer. If the asset transfer doesn't go forward, we would likely infuse that equity that we have planned for Mon Power down into FES. So, I think we end up at a good position for the balance sheet there at FES.
Anthony J. Alexander - President and CEO: Dan, this is Tony. As I'm looking at this, I think, this is far more important to West Virginia and Mon Power in terms of providing them with a stable and long-term resource that they can rely on than it is at this point from a balance sheet standpoint at FES or at FirstEnergy.
Dan Eggers - Credit Suisse: But if it didn't transfer, you'd feel comfortable keeping that extra capacity at FES?
Anthony J. Alexander - President and CEO: Absolutely. It's a great asset. So that's not a consideration.

It sounds like the bloom has come off FirstEnergy's plant transfer rose. How refreshing for FirstEnergy to finally admit that they expect to LOSE on the Harrison proposal. So, why not withdraw your application and quit wasting everyone's time and money, FirstEnergy?
It's still not too late to save the State of West Virginia and all the intervenors in the case a whole lot of time and money going forward with a hearing on a case you no longer care about. FirstEnergy should withdraw now and let everyone cut their losses (well except for those shysters at Jackson Kelly, who are most likely counting on all the billable hours continuing this case provides -- because composing nonsensical and ridiculous discovery questions doesn't come cheap, does it?).

We're not going to quit until FirstEnergy throws in the towel completely.

Keep those petition signatures, letters and postcards opposing the plant sale to the PSC coming!

Other news and entertainment to be had during today's call:

1.    AMP has pulled out of a MOU with FirstEnergy to build a peaker plant at its Eastlake site. This now puts a whole bunch of new transmission back on the table. But that's okay, transmission is an "investment opportunity" cash cow for FirstEnergy.

2.    FirstEnergy has succeeded in persuading the Ohio State Senate to introduce a bill to gut the state's energy efficiency standard. "FirstEnergy is actively involved in this process and is advocating changes that we believe make more sense for our customers and help foster solid economic growth in Ohio, including the development of shale gas." Oh, nonsense! Again, it's not about FirstEnergy's customers or economic growth, it's all about FirstEnergy's bottom line. Utterly revolting.

3.    FirstEnergy "took a look at" long term trends in residential sales, which have remained flat since 2007. The FirstEnergy sleuths are getting closer and closer to the truth with every earnings call. Maybe sometime in this decade they'll realize that residential growth is dead and cannot be revived because its all about energy efficiency. However, if you look closely at #2 above, you'll see that it's simply a matter of willful denial at this point.

4.    Michael Lapides of Goldman Sachs got Donny Schneider off into a discussion of purchased power, where our hero stated, "We're very comfortable with being able to procure power to serve load. For years, prior to our merger with Allegheny, we served all of the Penelec and Met-Ed load, and I think that in total was about 30 terawatt hours a year, and we did almost of all of that with purchased power." But now, all of a sudden, FirstEnergy is telling the WV PSC that relying on purchased power to serve Mon Power/Potomac Edison load is too risky and too expensive and that purchasing Harrison is a better idea. Giggle break! :-) Was Lapides REALLY asking about "exposure?"

5.    FirstEnergy was also grilled about their balance sheet hocus-pocus where the company is simply taking on short term debt at the holdco level to pay down debt at its FirstEnergy Solutions subsidiary, as well as another question about the source of funds for FE's "equity infusion" to either Mon Power or FES. The company avoided both questions. I'm not convinced that the analysts were fooled. In fact, I don't think FirstEnergy is fooling anyone but themselves anymore.

2 Comments

What to Wear to a Cartel Cotillion

5/7/2013

16 Comments

Once every year, the PJM transmission cartel holds an annual meeting, portions of which are open to the public who are supposedly transparently served by PJM.

The PJM Annual Meeting of Members is held each year in May and is composed of numerous meetings (Transmission Owners, General Session, PIEOUG, etc.) and events. The primary purpose of the Annual Meeting is for selecting a person to fill the seat of a Board Member whose term is expiring. This election takes place at the Members Committee (MC) Meeting. The MC meeting is open to the public, however, all other Annual Meeting events are for PJM members only.

The snobbery probably isn't necessary. Not only are the majority of the consumers whose electric bills PJM controls through limiting competition and price fixing not interested in attending this glitterati gala, they don't even know PJM exists! So, who is PJM trying to keep out of their private club? Ooops, I meant to say "transparent" private club.

In keeping with the elitist theme, this year's event will be held at The Greenbrier, the closest thing West Virginia has to a high-society hangout. The Greenbrier clings ferociously to another age when ladies didn't wear their jammies out grocery shopping, and no one had ever heard of Buckwild. In keeping with protocol at all surviving hob-nob snob clubs, if The Greenbrier doesn't acknowledge it, it doesn't exist or never happened. It's just that simple for the beau monde to keep their lives pleasant!

At PJM's "annual meeting," generous "sponsors" have made it possible for club members to enjoy "recreational activities." Of course, there will be no subornation occurring on the golf course, at the falconry mews, or while shooting sporting clays. Perish the thought! It means NOTHING that certain corporations will be paying up to $20,000 for the privilege of "sponsoring" this private party. Look away, little consumer, look away....

But don't think it's all fun and games for our creme de la creme though! Our superiors are faced with an enormous dilemma. The Greenbrier has a strict dress code by which they must abide. "Tee shirts, tank tops, cut-offs, short shorts, sweatpants, men’s hats and baseball caps are not permitted at any of the venues"...EVER! But what about spandex and informal leather attire? Is that allowed? Oh, the social agony of wardrobe selection at PJM's annual meeting!

Appropriate attire for the specific recreational activity is required. Jeans are considered appropriate only for horse-back riding, carriage rides, hiking, fishing, mountain biking, hunting preserve, Falconry Academy, gun club, The Greenbrier Off-Road Driving School and at designated theme parties.
Robes and swimwear may not be worn outside of guest rooms with the exception of the swimming pools and spa. The Greenbrier Dress Code must be strictly enforced to ensure the greater enjoyment of all guests.

"Off-Road Driving School?" What is that exactly? Is it four-wheelin' or mud boggin'? Whichever, be sure your tennis whites are bleached and pressed before you arrive for your lesson in having a good time, redneck style!

At least the private meetings are more of a sure bet, where "Resort Casual" attire will ensure a more relaxed, "fun" camaraderie prevails.

Resort casual attire: Collared sports shirts, golf and/or tennis sweaters, shirts or blouses, slacks, walking shorts, Bermuda shorts, golf and/or tennis shorts and shoes.

Does this sound like fun to you plebeians? If so, run, don't walk to reserve your room now at the special PJM price of only $315 per night! What? You can't afford that? Of course you can! You're already paying for PJM's princes and princesses to stay at The Greenbrier in your electric bill.

I wonder what would happen if the great unwashed, who are footing the bill for this absurd nonsense, showed up with torches and pitchforks and made a ruckus? How "transparent" would that be?

16 Comments

"FirstEnergy finds goldfish in Perry nuclear plant, NRC investigating"

5/3/2013

1 Comment

Headline win for The Plain Dealer!

FirstEnergy demands answers after a lemonade pitcher containing two goldfish swimming in radioactive water was found in a steam tunnel at its Perry nuclear plant. Just two short months ago, the Union of Concerned Scientists issued a report highlighting security vulnerabilities of the tunnels at FirstEnergy's Perry plant. At that time, both FirstEnergy and the NRC poo-poo'd the possibility of a security breech. Now Perry has been infiltrated by radioactive goldfish! Coincidence?

FirstEnergy vows to punish whoever is responsible, but I think the perpetrator should be given an award and a key to the city instead for exposing FirstEnergy's continued safety risks caused by cutting financial corners. How many times does "fire" have to be yelled in a crowded theater before the audience evacuates?

Comparisons between FirstEnergy and The Simpsons have long amused the masses. Therefore, in honor of FirstEnergy's Simpson-ness, let's play a little game! Can you determine which of the below situations occurred during an episode of The Simpsons, and which actually occurred at one of FirstEnergy's nuclear plants?

Submit

FirstEnergy, where life imitates art every day.

1 Comment

Potomac Edison, Mon Power and West Penn Power High Bills Support FirstEnergy CEO's $23M Salary and Personal Use of Corporate Jet

5/2/2013

14 Comments

Have you been plagued with high electric bills? Has your electric company failed to read your electric meter as required by law? Has your electric bill been estimated more often than not? Has your billing date changed, causing you to get an outrageous bill? Do you feel you are being lied to by your electric company's customer service?

Welcome to the club, Potomac Edison, Mon Power and West Penn Power customers! There are thousands, perhaps millions, of us! But, don't despair... your electric bills are going toward a good cause.

Potomac Edison, Mon Power and West Penn Power parent company FirstEnergy will be holding it's annual stockholders' meeting later this month and asking its investors to approve (although approval is merely a formality that can be overruled) an executive compensation package that will provide CEO Tony Alexander with $23.3 MILLION in annual compensation and performance awards, including perks such as:

Company-paid financial planning and tax preparation services.
Limited personal use of the corporate aircraft. Pursuant to the direction of the Board, Mr. Alexander is required to use our corporate aircraft for all personal and business travel for security purposes (because those hoi polloi cooties can be deadly). With CEO approval, other executives including the (henchmen) NEOs, may from time to time, use our corporate aircraft for personal travel. We have a written policy that sets forth guidelines regarding the personal use of the corporate aircraft by executive officers and other employees. The Committee believes these perquisites are reasonable, competitive, and consistent with our overall compensation philosophy.
Severance Plan which provides three weeks’ base pay for each full year of service with a minimum benefit of 52 weeks of base salary and maximum benefit of 104 weeks of base salary (and a golden parachute). Additionally, executives who elect continuation of health care for the severance period will be provided this benefit at active employee rates and must also pay taxes on any amount in excess of what employees with the same level of service would receive under the FirstEnergy Employee Severance Benefits Plan.
In addition, certain executives are eligible to receive limited perquisites. In 2012, the NEOs were provided: (1) financial planning and tax preparation services for Alexander and Vespoli of $11,370 and $9,265, respectively; (2) charitable matching contributions for Vespoli and Jones; (3) premiums for the group personal excess liability and life insurance for all NEOs; and (4) personal use of the corporate aircraft for Alexander, Vespoli, Jones, and Lash. Executive officers’ spouses and immediate family members may accompany executives on Company aircraft using unoccupied space on flights that were already scheduled, and we incur no aggregate incremental cost in connection with such use. (bring the whole fam damily for a ratepayer financed vacation!)
Accumulated pension benefits of $33M.
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan in addition to pension.

Additionally, FirstEnergy's Board shares:

Also in 2012, we entered into an employment agreement (later referred to as the Alexander Agreement) with our President and CEO, Mr. Anthony J. Alexander. Your Board believes Mr. Alexander is uniquely qualified to guide your Company through the current unsettled environment based on his lengthy experience in the industry, familiarity with the regulatory process, and visionary leadership. The Alexander Agreement, by its terms, is expected to incent (psst - "incent" isn't a word!) Mr. Alexander’s service, expertise, and direction through at least the next several years as we execute our strategy, address the challenges of a weak economy and increasing regulations, deploy our succession plans, and position your Company for long-term success.

Finally, your Board is confident the Alexander Agreement, which encourages Mr. Alexander’s continued employment, will benefit shareholders and your Company favorably.

However, given Mr. Alexander’s age, eligibility for retirement, personal circumstances, and the fact that he was evaluating the timing of his retirement from the Company, your Board believed it was important to shareholders and our Company to look beyond the annual compensation programs in order to solidify Mr. Alexander’s continued employment through at least the next several years. Your Board believes Mr. Alexander is uniquely qualified to continue to direct the achievement of our strategy based on his vision for the future and strong commitment to that vision, deep understanding of the strategic direction of our Company, ability to identify opportunities to navigate market complexities, and foresight to understand the impact of potential opportunities on our Company. In support of our strategic business objectives, Mr. Alexander guided the Company through the transition to competitive generation markets in Ohio and Pennsylvania, developed our long-term retail strategy to compete in deregulated markets and led the execution of the strategy to pursue opportunities for growth that would not otherwise be available in regulated markets. He was also instrumental in pursuing our merger with Allegheny Energy, Inc. in 2010 which was consummated in February 2011. The merger created opportunities to enhance shareholder value, including repositioning our business mix to include a substantially larger regulated utility base that supports our dividend. Also, your Board believes Mr. Alexander’s 40 years of experience with the Company, including 23 years as a senior officer; his knowledge of regulatory and governmental affairs; and the relationship he has built with regulators, policy makers, investors, and employees is critically important to our success, especially during the current continuing depressed economic conditions.

The primary objectives of your Company’s executive compensation program are to attract, motivate, retain, and reward the talented executives who we believe can provide the performance and leadership we need to achieve success in the highly complex and competitive energy services industry. Our executive compensation program is centered on a pay for performance philosophy and is aligned with the long-term interests of our shareholders.

Our vision is to be a leading regional energy provider, recognized for operational excellence, customer service and our commitment to safety; the choice for long-term growth, investment value and financial strength; and a Company driven by the leadership, skills, diversity, and character of our employees.

Puh-leeze! I'm betting if Tony and his henchmen were the sudden and unfortunate victims of a targeted alien abduction that our lights wouldn't even blink. Simply put -- nobody would miss them -- and we'd be paying millions less for our electric service! Where's a good alien invasion when you need it? Of course, I expect the aliens would promptly return the NEOs when they realize how completely useless they are. Hope dashed once again.

Now, compare the plight of Tony and his henchmen to Philippe, who writes,
"Potomic Edison is in the business of gouging it's customers. I received a bill due april 12 2013 for 831.35. I found out about it through my online checking account which I was floored. Apparently they missed a reading and due to UNDER estimating this bill covered costs that went back 6 damn months. No phone call no anything other then sorry sir but the money has allready cleared and there is nothing we can do about it. I am fed up with all the back handed undermining and borderline extortion that we as a citizen have to endure all because of greed and that all mighty dollar. I will be taking up the cause of bringing a class action lawsuit against this company as I have already spoken to many of my neighbors in regards to this Companies less then lawful and misleading ways. I am a disabled vet on a very fixed income and in the 20 plus years of living here I have never had a bill exceed the hi 300 dollar range EVER. As for Potomic Edison who is already having to explain themselves in court in the State of MD. may now ad another state to the mix, WV. and very very pissed off about this!"

Or perhaps the plight of Cathy, who told others gathered to discuss Potomac Edison's billing issues that she hadn't yet moved into her trailer when she received an electric bill for $600. The Harpers Ferry resident, who has been living next door to the home for six months, said she set the thermostat below 50 degrees all winter and only kept a small light burning as a deterrent. "Their explanation to me was they estimated it for two months, and then we had a hurricane and they couldn't come. And then we had bad weather and they couldn't come," Jackson said of her conversations with the company. "I said, 'Then why didn't you come when the weather was good?' They didn't have an answer."

Or "SWOFLO" who writes:
"some of us live on a limited income and cant afford to pay 2 bills in 1 month. mine was estimated 4 months and by the time it got read they overcharged me 900 dollars, of course i will get a few months of bill less elect but i wont get the car i had repossed back because i couldnt make the payment for 2 months."

Tony, the peasants have no bread! I fear that telling them to eat cake instead would be equivalent to fomenting insurrection. Let Marie be a lesson to you!

14 Comments

National High-Voltage Transmission Opposition Comes Together

5/1/2013

4 Comments

Ut-oh, transmission project owners!

While attending the Wisconsin Energy Action Fair in Mauston over the weekend, experienced transmission opponents from across the country gathered to compare notes, share experiences and tactics, and discuss strategy and national energy policy. Online friendships and alliances were cemented together in person.

Know what happens when you put a bunch of transmission opponents in a room together? It's the all-transmission-all-the-time gab fest, where we're all allowed to indulge in thought-provoking and laughter-inducing conversations about our favorite subject that bores most of the other people we know: transmission!

I suppose this could be considered the first of many national transmission opposition conventions, however, I'm not going to put my "The Importance of Strategic Planning in Grassroots Opposition" PowerPoint, or any summaries of any other speaker presentations, online. That's what transmission owners do. We're smarter! If you weren't there, you missed out!

Many thanks to Rob, Jane, and all the friendly folks at SOUL for being such gracious hosts and making the weekend worth the trip! Looking forward to the next event!

4 Comments

FirstEnergy Coal Plant Sale Testimony Filed - Let the analysis begin!

4/30/2013

0 Comments

Intervenor testimony was filed late last week in FirstEnergy's West Virginia Public Service Commission request to transfer the company's Harrison power station from competitive affiliate Allegheny Energy Generation to regulated affiliates Mon Power & Potomac Edison.

Pam Kasey at State Journal has a good summary of the testimony here.

"The transaction represents an effort to bail out the companies' unregulated affiliates," said PSC Consumer Advocate Byron Harris flatly in his testimony.

Ya think?

Bill Howley has been busy tearing into the testimony and summarizing the highlights here.

Be sure to file your own comments on case number 12-1571 with the WV Public Service Commission here. Do it now.

0 Comments

Keryn's Adventure in Potomac Edison Land

4/30/2013

2 Comments

Alice isn't the only one to find herself tumbling into a rabbit hole where up is down and down is up and nothing is as it seems.

While trying to do a radio program about FirstEnergy's Potomac Edison/Mon Power plant transfer this morning, I found it interesting that every person who called in mentioned Potomac Edison's recent unjust and unreasonable billing practices. And then I sat down to pay a pile o' bills when I got home and guess what? There was my Potomac Edison bill. The company has been urging customers with questions about their bills to call the customer service center, so I did.

Forty minutes later, I still didn't have logical answers to my questions. I can only imagine how customers who have received astronomical bills they cannot pay must feel after an hour in Potomac Edison's "valued customer" funhouse.

First, I had to verify that I actually was a customer because my name supposedly isn't on the bill. Now, we know that's just not true, don't we? I guess that must be a common mistake, right, Randy?

After the first customer service rep. and I determined that the cause of my budget plan billings being inconsistent was Potomac Edison's lack of meter reading over the past year, it was suggested that I begin reading my own meter on those months that Potomac Edison can't make it to my house. I was assured that Potomac Edison attempts to read meters EVERY MONTH, however they are only required to read them twice a year.

After being informed that was complete and utter crap, she further insisted that Potomac Edison's WV tariff required only two readings per year and began to argue with me. When I suggested she check her information with her supervisor, I got dumped onto hold for 29 minutes without explanation. TWENTY-NINE minutes! I guess I was supposed to hang up and go away, but I simply turned on the speaker and set the phone on my desk while I tackled the 472 emails that had piled up while I was away. Oh... and I was highly entertained by Potomac Edison's hold muzak play list, which I have noted to share with you.... song by hysterical song:

You've got a friend

Still the same

Tight rope

Sister golden hair

Carefree highway

Good day sunshine

And here's where it got really hysterical...

How long (has this been going on)

Rocket man (and I think it's gonna be a long, long time)

Operator (could you help me place this call)

And just when I was starting to wonder what was coming next, "the supervisor" picked up the line and was not surprised in the least to find that I had been waiting 29 minutes and no one had bothered to tell her why I was calling.

At least she verified that Potomac Edison is required to read meters every other month according to their WV tariff and that the first customer service rep. was wrong. I wasn't convinced that the supervisor actually would correct this misconception, however. I guess it really doesn't matter how much Potomac Edison lies to you when you call for assistance.

However, while also verifying that my inconsistent bills were the product of Potomac Edison failing to read my meter, even she couldn't tell me why my new (APP) Summary only included 4 months while my neighbor's included 12. Or why last month's bill was much higher for less kwh. Apparently all my problems will be over if I only read my own meter from now on. Right.

2 Comments

Your Green Addiction is not Sustainable!

4/25/2013

0 Comments

Super-rich billionaire Michael Zilkha believes he's helping the environment by financing "Clean" transmission lines. But, of course, none of this infrastructure is in his backyard.

The push is on for increased production of Midwest wind and construction of billions of dollars worth of new transmission to ship it to the environmentally superior coastal enclaves of the rich and famous. These sadly clueless friends of the environment need to wake up and become just as conscious of their "green footprint."

While advocating for increased production and use of renewable power may make you well-heeled "environmentalists" feel good, your green addiction may not be sustainable.

In order for you to trick yourself into believing the lie that you are helping the environment when you flip on your centrally generated and imported "wind power" light switch, you may be denying the true effect of your actions.

Sustainability is defined as:

"Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations.

Sustainability is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have, the water, materials, and resources to protect human health and our environment."

Centrally generated electricity that is shipped hundreds or thousands of miles to end users is not sustainable. New land based wind turbines take thousands of acres of farmland out of production every year. What are you going to eat when wind is the Midwest's only crop? But, at least farming wind is voluntary and those who choose to do so are financially rewarded for their efforts.

New transmission lines proposed to ship this "clean" wind power to market in eastern states also take thousands of acres out of production. However, farmers forced to sacrifice acreage to transmission lines must settle for one-time pittances under the threat of eminent domain. Eminent domain is a compulsory sale of property for the common welfare. The "common welfare" here is improving the green footprint of environmentally conscious easterners who don't want the troublesome burden of wind turbines or transmission lines mucking up their own backyards. Farmers are forced to bear a huge burden by hosting transmission line after transmission line after transmission line. How much is one person supposed to bear for another's comfort in the name of societal good?

It's not that easterners can't produce their own renewables. It's just that they don't want to. Therefore, they conveniently refuse to see the true impact of importing renewables.

Here's the true impact. Read it. Think about it. Why should these farmers have to sacrifice for your environmental conscience? Why can't you help yourself?

As a society, we have recognized the concept of social and environmental justice. The dirty, the troublesome, the inconvenient and ugly infrastructure necessary to maintain our standard of living has been inequitably foisted off onto those less fortunate and powerful. Just because it's "green" power and not a coal-fired generator, or a chemical factory, does not make it any more acceptable from a social or environmental justice standpoint. The more fortunate classes are once again expecting others to bear the brunt of sustaining their lifestyle instead of providing for their own needs by hosting their own power producing infrastructure.

An environmental conscience that does not consider sustainability is just a comfortable lie the well-to-do tell themselves. It's time to take responsibility for your own needs. We must find better solutions.

0 Comments

<<Previous

Forward>>

Jefferson County Commission to Ask WV Public Service Commission to Open Investigation of Potomac Edison Billing Practices

Are you using the expensive Allegheny Energy electrons or the cheaper Mon Power ones?

Harrison is no longer critical

What to Wear to a Cartel Cotillion

"FirstEnergy finds goldfish in Perry nuclear plant, NRC investigating"

FirstEnergy or The Simpsons?

Potomac Edison, Mon Power and West Penn Power High Bills Support FirstEnergy CEO's $23M Salary and Personal Use of Corporate Jet

National High-Voltage Transmission Opposition Comes Together

FirstEnergy Coal Plant Sale Testimony Filed - Let the analysis begin!

Keryn's Adventure in Potomac Edison Land

Your Green Addiction is not Sustainable!

About the Author

About
StopPATH Blog

Need help opposing unneeded transmission?
Email me

Archives

Categories

FirstEnergy or The Simpsons?

About the Author

AboutStopPATH Blog

Archives

Categories

About
StopPATH Blog