From the Department of Retarded Economics and the Pacific Gas and Electric company comes this unbelievable offer that asks if I want to pay more for electricity to be part of the “in” green sustainability crowd. No, really. I thought this was an early April Fools joke, but instead, it’s an actual solicitation to fools.
Excerpts:
Here’s the cost:
I’m currently paying about 14 cents per kWh, so with this new plan to help me be sustainable and part of the cool kids crowd, I can pay up to 17.1 cents per kilowatt hour, so that I can ease my conscience that the electricity I use is from “clean California sunshine”. Good luck sorting out those clean from dirty electrons as they flow through the grid to my office.
I’m just speechless. There’s a term used in science: “Not even wrong” its not only that, but weapons grade stupidity. No wonder so many businesses are fleeing the state with this sort of madness afoot.
Full disclosure, I already have solar on my home. It’s my third solar project, and not a one of them had anything to do with sustainability, but trying to keep escalating power costs under control.
UPDATE: here is the full letter
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My utility does this too. I just wish they would publish an “honor roll” of all those brave souls who are willing to save the planet…might be kind of embarrassing for the loud mouths who would never pay a cent more but want everyone else to do so.
You’ve hit on a powerful motivator there, Steve. What’s the point of “doing good” if your efforts are not recognized? Folks will even drive a butt-ugly Prius Smugmobile so everyone will KNOW! Maybe a utility issued “halo” sign you could put out in your front yard would do the trick.
This selling point is apparently not lost on PG&E; they offer to provide “window clings and digital collateral to demonstrate your commitment.”
As a business, you can shame your competitors with official 3rd party publicity material.
A few years ago California stiffed me and my fellow British Columbians for $755 million :
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-utility-settles-energy-prices-dispute-with-california-from-2000/article13813512/
I hope we no longer sell electrical power to Californians.
@garymount, and just wait for the new “deal” regarding negotiations on the water that is in the pipeline right now. There are studies being done on many lakes in BC regarding the amount of water that we are supposed to “give” to the US. It is a renewal of the Columbia Water treaty from the 50’s that are ongoing today. There are even studies on how much water evaporates from our lakes to determine on how much water gets “lost” over the seasons, I presume to make sure we actually are giving the right amounts of water to the US, I feel a further bending over by our government. Water is going to be the new oil, I hope Canada realizes this for our future.
Not a big surprise. This has been an ” option” in Oilberta for years:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/renewable+power/929307/story.html
I have chosen to pay an additional fee to increase renewables in the energy mix for my city- I think it is a very worthy cause.
lol, Luke 🙂
SOMEDAY… you are going to tell us whose hand runs sockpuppet “Luke.” Oh, I know, I know, you’ll have to do an obligatory protest, now. lol Someday….
You are someone with a fun sense of humor, that is for sure. :)]
Thanks for the smile.
Careful not to overdo the “worthy” thing there, Luke. Too much of that stuff and you’ll start having to plan your electric powered activities around the weather forecasts.
May I suggest you take that money and donate to a food bank instead. Much better way to help those in your city.
Dear P G & E
Thank you for your kind offer of solar energy, but I would prefer coal energy. Please can you quote me a price for coal energy.
Yours etc.
The secular sale of indulgences.
For some reason this reminds me of one of the most embarrassing moments in political history. That being when Jeb Bush begged the audience “Please cap”. This letter is testimony to the utter stupidity of the California energy police. The pleas confesses “We screwed up and it is costing us a fortune – please help us pay the bills”. Next will be raised rates to offset the losses (which may manifest only as lower profits vs negative income).
“cap” s/b “clap”. Spell check lag.
If you’re on time of use, of peak is about 14 cents per KWhr… Peak is 44 cents per KWhr… Solar farms are the worst way to use Solar power…
Otherwise rates depend on how much you use… They increase the more you use…
Rejoice all you true believers! A Spanish solar energy company just went bankrupt and pulled 10 billion USD down the drain. Let us all go to Spain to buy up the remainings (they can probably be bought off real cheap) and then put up more unprofitable solar energy companies here in California!
Don’t they have IMF brokered solar tax in Spain?
They have solar police too, who make sure you are not stealing sunshine without paying for it
I gotta laugh at how some think some energy companies are evil and some saintly.
The “evil” ones are driving energy costs down at the moment and the “saintly ones” driving costs up.
The loonies never want to talk about the millions of Europeans who’ve been cut off from Energy, like the half million in Green Green Germany.
Yes that sounds sustainable, cut off millions from energy thus lowering the carbon emissions, by returning people to 1880 living standards.
Just in the UK media, an Army died without food in his belly and electricity in his home.
A climate change victim, there were thousands or 10s of thousands in Africa in the 2000s when Biofuel soaked up 30% of corn.
Liberia has diamonds but no one has energy, and a few families can chip in to buy a large dog to eat and the loonies want them to stay that way.
*Arny Vet, Doh
Army even! Shoot me now
When I first visited California, I was told it was Pacific Graft and Extortion.
I live in the Netherlands. There are many companies selling electricity. They all offer two possibilities: green electricity and grey electricity. Prices are a bit different.Green electricity is from solar, wind, biomass and hydro. The rest is grey.
You cannot see if your electricity is green or grey, but that need not be a problem. All companies are obliged to keep track on how much green/grey electricity they produce/buy and how much they sell. ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt), a government institution controlls all electricity selling companies.
If you see an, at first sight, strange offer,I think it is better to wait a short moment and think calm. Then to ask the company how they and you can be sure that the solar electricity they sell , they also buy/produce.
This all relies on the convenient fact that electricity is for all intensive purposes invisible. People often only have a vague idea where it comes from, how it’s made and many have no idea how much they use. If we could see electricity and see where it comes from, the scheme would fall apart. It would be obvious that only a tiny bit comes from renewable, not enough to make any difference and not enough to justify the cost. The business that claims to be “all renewable” would stand out as no more renewable than your house. However, since we can’t make electricity visible, the lies will continue.
Latest offer.
Roll up Roll Up!
We now have a Moon Shine Panel.
Do not be shy have a Moon shine panel and get full power every 28 days.
Or was I drinking the stuff when I had the idea?
I dunno, I could build a moonshine panel, pour the moonshine in one end, burn it, and extract the energy, or of course you could make an alcohol fuel cell using the moonshine as fuel.
HI Anthony,
Our local electrical supplier has a similar proposal – you can feel really green and pay more for your electricity by electing to buy wind power. In southern Alberta we have some of the best wind quality in the world, but it is still feel-good green energy nonsense.
IT’S NOT GREEN ENERGY, IT’S RED ENERGY
A colleague and I were discussing the major defects of current renewable energy schemes, such as grid-connected wind and solar power. Because the wind does not blow and the sun does nor shine 24/7, the renewable power that is produced is intermittent, and intermittent power is often of little or no value to the electrical grid.
In Alberta wind power producers are reportedly paid 20 cents per KWh and are paid that 20 cents 24/7, whether that power is needed or not. In comparison our reliable coal-fired or natural-gas-fired or hydro power costs 2 cents per KWh.
When that wind power is excess to our grid demand, we can either cut back on dispatchable power – typically gas-fired or hydro power, OR we can dump that excess wind power to neighbouring state power systems for a pittance – as little as 0 to 1 cent per KWh.
So we pay 20 cents for wind power that we have to dump for next-to-nothing.
Because of intermittency and other major defects, these so-called green energy schemes are not green and produce little useful energy. My friend remarked, “These green energy scams should stop now – IT’S NOT GREEN ENERGY, IT’S RED ENERGY!”.
Intermittency is a major Renewable Energy Defect, so RED ENERGY it is!
Postscript:
Not all Green Energy is RED Energy – there are some new energy systems that make sense, but current grid-connected wind and solar schemes seldom do. A key test is to remove all forced subsidies and see if the green energy scheme survives. Most (or all) grid-connected wind and solar power generation schemes would soon be bankrupt.
Post Postscript:
Cheap, abundant, reliable energy is the lifeblood of modern society. When misinformed politicians fool with energy systems, real people suffer and die. That is the tragic legacy of false global warming alarmism.
Anthony, the good news is at least they gave you a choice.
Only for now. Here’s how it works. As soon as you get enough people voluntarily paying the extra you start a campaign to “suggest” that everyone should pay “their fair share”. As that sentiment grows it becomes easier to pass “fairness” legislation to make everyone pay. Then you rinse, wash and repeat until you get prices where you want them.
The offer fails to tell people their electricity won’t really be coming from solar. There is a legal word for that (I think it is banned here. Starts with fr and ends with aud).
If Jesse Watters asked people who signed up if they are getting solar electricity, 100% would gleefully say, “Yes!”
According to a documentary broadcasted March 14 by “VPRO Tegenlicht”, the price of solar pv has reached a level where has become compatible with coal and gas (under 6 dollarcents per Kw/h).
Solar PV cheaper than coal, oil and gas: ?????http://www.npo.nl/vpro-tegenlicht/13-03-2016/VPWON_1246101
From the guys who brought you high priced unreliable wind power…
Are New Englanders being overcharged for electricity?
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/03/15/markey-kennedy-push-for-scrutiny-region-electricity-market/CNhjQuv4Dx3GlkBqt7rqeO/story.html
US Senator Edward Markey and US Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III say changes are needed to protect consumers from being overcharged as part of New England’s system for ensuring there is enough electricity during peak demand times.
Known as the forward capacity market, the auction system pays power plant owners for what is essentially an insurance policy to keep the lights on. The latest auction will cost ratepayers $3 billion….
Hey, at least you were asked. Here in Ontario, Canada, the Auditor General has discovered that we’ve paid $37 billion above what we should have for energy over the last 6 years…
On top of that, we have no opposition to this from the Progressive Conservatives (the Official Opposition party). Personally I would support a system where green energy is a choice (I know that it’s all the same electricity once it is on the grid). I am sure that many on the left will be happy to pay more, and I would be happy to not pay more. Kind of like how people who buy lottery tickets are happy to pay voluntary taxes so I can pay less. Taxation of the stupid.
Some of my neighbours have “This home is powered by Bullfrog Power”, which is a “green” company. I believe they pay to buy credits that go to wind and solar, etc. As you say, that’s their right, but obviously not enough of them do this, so we all have to pay.
Much like a few years ago, when it was pointed out that not many of the critics of Mike Harris (the last real conservative politician I can name), actually voluntarily turned down their tax refund.
Me, I got my leather jacket fixed.
Right you are, Timo. My oldest brother taught me, “The lottery is a tax on the mathematically challenged.”
Why don’t they offer you to buy atomic electricity? James Bull is right.
I have said this on many occasions to those promoting green energy that they should only be supplied with electricity from windmills and solar panels and they would very soon start to beg for what the rural poor of India call real electricity.
Why should you pay for something that already exist. Would they dismantle the solar power panels if too few peoble accept the “offer”?
Act now and you’ll also receive a police association sticker for your car. Seriously though, you will see businesses coerced into paying up and for placement of a sign at their front entrance to identify that they have paid for the protection racket.
[noted – thanks very much! -mod]