At the rate that I have been divulging personal information, you guys will be able to build my next resume. Yes, I have also worked at a small-scale utility that put power into the grid. We burned waste rice hulls from a sister mill to fire a boiler to generate steam for a turbine-generator set. I know it’s hard to believe, but Bobby B. (a.k.a. The Resident Skeptic) worked in alternative energy before alternative energy was cool (about 12 years ago). Jeff even stopped in for a visit while I was employed there. Maybe I am can claim responsibility for turning him green. Nah! I doubt that's the case.
Anyway, we sold “excess” power to the public utility for AVOIDED COSTS, and even though our management wanted RETAIL PRICES, the AVOIDED COST scenario was and is the proper arrangement. There was even talk of energy deregulation ala Ma Bell to stimulate small market growth, but it never panned out, which I also consider a good thing.
So, why continue the AVOIDED COSTS arrangement? It’s simple. The upstarts do not have ANY transmission capabilities. They have to piggy back their energy onto the grid, which is owned by the utilities. We call them public utilities because they serve the public at large, not because they are owned by the public (i.e. the government). As such, when there is a problem with distribution, the responsibility to make repairs falls on the owner; not the guy that puts a little juice in the line. The difference between AVOIDED and RETAIL is used by the utilities to maintain the grid; and turn a small profit. It would be criminal to pay a small producer RETAIL prices when he has no responsibilities for maintaining the flow of power. In my opinion, unless the small producers share in the expenses of maintaining the grid, they do not deserve any reimbursement beyond the AVOIDED COST.
Of course you could let the government take ownership of the grid and levy even more taxes on us peons, but that’s a subject which requires way more space than we have here.
I was involed with orgainizing the effort to write the Easy Connection Act. The reason for doing this is to prevent Missourians from being deprived of the right to build new business in a 30% growth market industry, solar and wind business have been popping up all over the country but not here in Missouri!
After being in the business here from about 6 years I decided that if this industry was to grow and real good paying jobs were to be created that something had to change with the way that Missouri thought about renewable energy.
As I looked into this more, I found that it's not so much that the type of poeple aren't here to grow the industry but that the message of RE was not getting out to the general public.
The Ozark Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Expo held on our 106 year old farm last year in July was an attempt to get the word out. We had great success and are planning this years now.
So we have begun to get the word out right! And we have written new legislation that will not only bring Missouri in line with what the rest of the world is doing but will create jobs and allow Missourians to take advanttage of the tax credits offered in the Energy Policy 2005 signed into law by our President.
If Missourian do not want to take part in the furture well then vote againist the bill or at least remain silent,but if you want Missouri to grow with the rest of the country and work for energy independance the get behind the bill introduced in the both House and the Senate.
Your future and your grandchildrens future is all that is at stake. Hey we have made this far right! Why change now!
You are going to here alot about this legislation, for and more againist I'm sure. That's because we don't have as much money as the coal companies, Oh you thought I was going to say the utilities!
Wake up folks they are controled by the coal lobby as well. $13.2 Billion of your dollars leave Missouri every year to line the pockets of the king coal. While we breathe the air produced by the coal fired plants.
I think the utilities for the most part have done a good job here in Mo. but it time for them as well as us to move into the 21st century with the rest of the country and become energy independant. I encourage you to contact your Representative and Senators and tell them that you would like to take advantage of the 30% tax credit offered by the Federal Government. Tell them that you would like to participate in the TVA's program to purchase all of your energy produced by the RE system for $.15 per kilowatt hour. Tell them that true net metering does not raise rates and even if it did our future is too important and at a critical time. Now is the time to act not next years.
Don't allow yourselfs to be short changed any longer. I say support the bills and let our number one industry in the state take advantage of the ability the interconnect with the grid and reduce farming cost to keep your food cost down. If you ate today, your involv
I can't comment on Missouri, but thought I'd pass along a story about net metering legislation being debated here in RI. This needs to happen if we're to have a date with our renewable energy destiny. Our governor has been taking solid steps towards bolstering development of RI's renewable energy infrastructure. The target is 15% of our state's energy needs coming from renewable sources by 2012. It's an exciting time here in the Ocean State.
From reading this blog it was the first time I had heard of "net metering" and found the idea rather interesting. So looked furthar into the topic and researched alittle bit into Ontario's policy for net metering. Under the minstry of Ontario site there was basic information provided as to what net metering was and what some possible options and solutions were. When I researched some specific energy providing companies there was slight alternations and variations among them with respect to what the credit service was for net metering and different rates on each. I was wondering if anyone out there could provide me with some more US prespective information regarding the legislation of this topic.
Cheers,
hi, just went thru ur blog a real nice work to save the world...hey man keep up ur goood work and hope ur word is pread and more and more countries resort to the use of alternate energy...keep up the good work...
Thank you very much for your blog and information on net metering. I did not know about it until I heard it this morning on NPR. I will be sure to write to my representative in Jefferson county and make sure this get passed.
Hope the bill gets passed and I can continue to do more to save the environment.
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