Zguy28 Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Utilities wage campaign against rooftop solar http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/utilities-sensing-threat-put-squeeze-on-booming-solar-roof-industry/2015/03/07/2d916f88-c1c9-11e4-ad5c-3b8ce89f1b89_story.html Three years ago, the nation’s top utility executives gathered at a Colorado resort to hear warnings about a grave new threat to operators of America’s electric grid: not superstorms or cyberattacks, but rooftop solar panels. If demand for residential solar continued to soar, traditional utilities could soon face serious problems, from “declining retail sales” and a “loss of customers” to “potential obsolescence,” according to a presentation prepared for the group. “Industry must prepare an action plan to address the challenges,” it said. The warning, delivered to a private meeting of the utility industry’s main trade association, became a call to arms for electricity providers in nearly every corner of the nation. Three years later, the industry and its fossil-fuel supporters are waging a determined campaign to stop a home-solar insurgency that is rattling the boardrooms of the country’s government-regulated electric monopolies. Rest at link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 So this is basically corruption, conducted right out in the open where we can all see and and pretend it's not corruption? What else would you call a company, threatened by competition, turning to friends in government to raise fees of a competing product entirely to protect their own business interests? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I think that residential solar panels are a great idea. Especially as the technology advances it enables the ability to live more "off the grid". Combined with high capacity batteries and other technologies, one can have a home that relies less and less on utilities. Great score for technological advancements. Of course utility companies will do anything to stop it. Legislation is what this will come to. Right wing will support the current utilities and left wing will support the "green" technologies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 So this is basically corruption, conducted right out in the open where we can all see and and pretend it's not corruption? What else would you call a company, threatened by competition, turning to friends in government to raise fees of a competing product entirely to protect their own business interests? Sounds like business. It would only be corruption for the government officials. Of course utility companies will do anything to stop it. Legislation is what this will come to. Right wing will support the current utilities and left wing will support the "green" technologies. Kind of a toss up. This technology will put unions employees out of work. Left likes unions. So there could be some on the left who favor the legislation, with some right wing politicians for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Good point Slateman. I view it like the net neutrality battle. I see utilities like I see Verizon, Comcast, ATT, etc and I see "green" companies like I see Google, Netflix, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Good point Slateman. I view it like the net neutrality battle. I see utilities like I see Verizon, Comcast, ATT, etc and I see "green" companies like I see Google, Netflix, etc. I view it a lot like cab companies and Uber. One has a series of laws and regulation that they are required to follow, the other does not. The result is an unfair market place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Awesome I needed another thing to whine about on the internet Why those no good greedy jerks I will kill them all!!!!!!!! (Eats Doritos. Clicks on SI Swimsuit link) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Zoony. Thread killer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 Awesome I needed another thing to whine about on the internet Why those no good greedy jerks I will kill them all!!!!!!!! (Eats Doritos. Clicks on SI Swimsuit link) I'm surprised no one has made a thread about the doritos flavored mountain dew, or the size 14 swimsuit model in the SI issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 I'm surprised no one has made a thread about the doritos flavored mountain dew, or the size 14 swimsuit model in the SI issue. The tailgate is slacking. I need to come up with some more threads that aren't sports or politics. You know, ones that don't end in perfectly cool Redskins fans hating each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 The tailgate is slacking. I need to come up with some more threads that aren't sports or politics. You know, ones that don't end in perfectly cool Redskins fans hating each other. You must be new here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 You must be new here Oh, I forgot. Every stadium thread ends that way. I nearly forgot about the stadium. Wonder how it's going in there now. Can't wait for the draft to reignite the hatred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade7 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I understand the fear of cutting back to the point of Power Companies being unrecognizable due to a severe reduction in consumer dependency. But really, how much money do they plan to make if some of their power plants are underwater? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 The power utilities have some legit complaints.Many of the laws regarding home power generation are grossly unfair to the utilities.Now, me, I don't have a problem with laws that, in effect, provide gigantic subsidies to the home generator. It's a new industry, and I think it's in the national interest to encourage it. But it's nowhere nearly as one-sided a debate as the OP, and some of the posts in this thread, make it seem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 I recently looked into it and it's about $1100 a panel (turn key installation) before I applied any negotiation to it. After a federal tax credit it comes down to about $750 per panel. It would knock my electric bill down to $15/ month if my estimates were correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 now that foreign enemies are attacking "the grid" doesn't it behoove us to move each home onto as much self-sustainable energy that is independent of the grid. It's a matter of national security, dammit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 they make then snow and ice free? now that foreign enemies are attacking "the grid" doesn't it behoove us to move each home onto as much self-sustainable energy that is independent of the grid. It's a matter of national security, dammit. ya know unless ya disconnect (which most don't do) they can fry ya system? smart grid lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 that's why the article was talking about completely cutting the cord is not so improbable anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slateman Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 now that foreign enemies are attacking "the grid" doesn't it behoove us to move each home onto as much self-sustainable energy that is independent of the grid. It's a matter of national security, dammit. Threats to power are not severe threats because they would take power away from individual homes. It's a threat to much bigger things. Like water processing plants, grocery stores, hospitals, etc. So while your house would have power, you would have no food, medicine, or potable water. So having electricity in your home would be a moot point. And, frankly, there would have to be some way to register/manage the system in your home. That could be hacked as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 that's why the article was talking about completely cutting the cord is not so improbable anymore for rich people taking govt and ratepayer subsidies.....not that theres anything wrong with that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Sounds like business. It would only be corruption for the government officials. So long as it's only government, it's perfectly ok then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 attacking the grid isn't a surgical strike, they'll take the hospital and all the surrounding homes and businesses. Plus, short term, hospitals have extensive generator backups anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sisko Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 So this is basically corruption, conducted right out in the open where we can all see and and pretend it's not corruption? What else would you call a company, threatened by competition, turning to friends in government to raise fees of a competing product entirely to protect their own business interests? No. This is free market capitalism....well, what passes for it in this country anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 No. This is free market capitalism....well, what passes for it in this country anyway. otherwise known as the alt energy business hey let's get them to pass laws requiring they by both our products and the energy generated at a higher rate, if we throw in tighter pollution controls we can also generate even more money to invest/steal. if the suckers object to the scam we will claim they are corrupt and greedy corps....and anti-science free market rotflmao add a peek at the real issue http://www.cnbc.com/id/101319945#. The debate centers on net metering, which requires utility companies to credit customers for solar energy that they generate in excess of their own usage. The credits were part of financial incentives to invest in solar energy. (Read more: Solar power craze on Wall St. propels start-up) Policies for net metering, which is used in 43 states, vary from state to state, but most credits are set at the local retail price for electricity. That bothers utilities, which contend that the retail price is set too high, resulting in excessive credits to solar users. Utilities want credits set by wholesale prices, which are much lower than retail. "We don't care where or who we buy the power from, but it should be purchased at the wholesale price," Edison International's Craver told CNBC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar78 Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 “Conservatives support solar — they support it even more than progressives do,” said Bryan Miller, co-chairman of the Alliance for Solar Choice and a vice president of public policy for Sunrun, a California solar provider. “It’s about competition in its most basic form. The idea that you should be forced to buy power from a state-sponsored monopoly and not have an option is about the least conservative thing you can imagine.” funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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