A
AKLes
Guest
I may not survive tomorrow night's meeting concerning plans of the local electric utility.
The utility -- it's a true co-op, owned by the users -- presently buys all its' electricity from a larger utility. Said larger utility says that when the present contract ends (2014) it will not be renewed. They need all the power they can produce for their own customers and won't build any new capacity because of The NIMBY factor. They'll just use their full capacity for their own retail customers.
So the co-op, having prepared for this for years, now wants to build one coal-fired (latest clean technology) plant right on the edge of a coal deposit and a second one for peak loads intended to be natural gas fired so as to be able to come on line quickly when needed.
Forces For Good In The Community is organizing to appear in force to prevent any of this from happening. They want wind farms but not anywhere in the local area. They want hydro power but want no dams built.
I have a proposal which I plan to advance.
It's called "Cold Turkey".
Under my plan the local utility would build no generation capacity at all. The money in the pot for new capacity would be made available as loans to individuals and small businesses to fulfill their own power requirements. How they do it is their business. Maybe just buy some gas or diesel generators to run in their back yards. Maybe put a windmill on the roof. Solar panels for power generation and for water heating. Some, particularly those in rural areas, might consider heating their homes with wood stoves so they don't have to run electric motors for water circulating heat systems or forced hot air systems. Some might elect to illuminate with candles. This will require some change to existing ordinances that forbid a lot of this proven technology but that's just politics and politics right now is all about each of doing our part to end global warming.
My plan is all about choice and allowing people to make their own decisions about how they want to do their share. And do their share they must -- or freeze in the dark.
The "Cold Turkey" part? That actually arrives in 2014 when the larger utility pulls the plug. The local grid goes dead and stays dead. Anybody who wants could cut down the poles and burn 'em for heat. No shareholders to worry about paying off; the owners are the users.
I do have lingering doubts about aggregate pollution when some of the alternatives become operative but, hey, it's incumbent on every individual to determine how much good or how much harm they wish to do the environment.
I know, deep down in my heart (OK, wiseacre, I do have a heart, small, black and withered as it may be), that nearly everybody will do the right thing. We can always gang up on the rest.....
The utility -- it's a true co-op, owned by the users -- presently buys all its' electricity from a larger utility. Said larger utility says that when the present contract ends (2014) it will not be renewed. They need all the power they can produce for their own customers and won't build any new capacity because of The NIMBY factor. They'll just use their full capacity for their own retail customers.
So the co-op, having prepared for this for years, now wants to build one coal-fired (latest clean technology) plant right on the edge of a coal deposit and a second one for peak loads intended to be natural gas fired so as to be able to come on line quickly when needed.
Forces For Good In The Community is organizing to appear in force to prevent any of this from happening. They want wind farms but not anywhere in the local area. They want hydro power but want no dams built.
I have a proposal which I plan to advance.
It's called "Cold Turkey".
Under my plan the local utility would build no generation capacity at all. The money in the pot for new capacity would be made available as loans to individuals and small businesses to fulfill their own power requirements. How they do it is their business. Maybe just buy some gas or diesel generators to run in their back yards. Maybe put a windmill on the roof. Solar panels for power generation and for water heating. Some, particularly those in rural areas, might consider heating their homes with wood stoves so they don't have to run electric motors for water circulating heat systems or forced hot air systems. Some might elect to illuminate with candles. This will require some change to existing ordinances that forbid a lot of this proven technology but that's just politics and politics right now is all about each of doing our part to end global warming.
My plan is all about choice and allowing people to make their own decisions about how they want to do their share. And do their share they must -- or freeze in the dark.
The "Cold Turkey" part? That actually arrives in 2014 when the larger utility pulls the plug. The local grid goes dead and stays dead. Anybody who wants could cut down the poles and burn 'em for heat. No shareholders to worry about paying off; the owners are the users.
I do have lingering doubts about aggregate pollution when some of the alternatives become operative but, hey, it's incumbent on every individual to determine how much good or how much harm they wish to do the environment.
I know, deep down in my heart (OK, wiseacre, I do have a heart, small, black and withered as it may be), that nearly everybody will do the right thing. We can always gang up on the rest.....