- Europe is testing renewable energy sources and batteries to store excess on large scales – so far ahead of No. America. They have found that right now the batteries are too expensive, but the system works perfectly. Once the price of batteries comes down, or more efficient ones are made, they will be set:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/05/utilities-grids-france-idUSL8N0ZH36320150705
- Timothy Schoechle has been encouraging microgrids in communities to efficiently and locally generate power through renewables, and thereby to cut reliance on major utilities and also to reduce vulnerabilities to attacks and accidents. That is what is being planned in Boulder, Colorado.
https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/UtilityFutureFeature-2.pdf
- More from Europe where overcharging is occurring. I was told by a Hydro insider (I have no proof) that Hydro knows the smart meters are running fast, but only by a few dollars a month. Not enough for anyone to notice. But this is highway robbery. Say that each meter runs fast by $1 a month, There are 1.8 million meters. That is more than $21 million a year being stolen from us for every $1 of overbilling. That’s in addition to the extortion being charged.
“Sky News understands the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will accuse the big six energy groups – British Gas, EDF Energy, Eon, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE – of overcharging customers on average by approximately 5% because they exploit general consumer disengagement with the market”
http://news.sky.com/story/1514417/millions-overpaying-for-energy-watchdog-to-warn
- A similar analysis needs to be done for BCHydro and FortisBC. In the initial business case that I read, the initial costs ($1 billion) were amortized over 20 years, but the life expectancy of the smart meters is far shorter. And who knows what the actual costs will be when all is over and done with. In Arizona it’s not looking good.
http://smartmeterharm.org/2015/07/05/arizona-acc-utility-engineer-cant-do-basic-math/
In the UK analysis continues to show that potential savings might not equal costs – let alone provide savings.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/07/smart_meter_business_case_still_there_insists_gov/
- A US court has admitted that the smart meters can gather very personal information, but rejected the lawsuit’s claim of invasion of privacy. It is up to the individual to PROVE that the data is being used. How can that be done without access to the utilities’ programs? Isn’t that what Snowden was revealing, capture and use of personal data and no one knew?
- A response re. the Berkeley city council’s vote on the “right to know” cell phone radiation, and the cell industry law suit:
Update on Berkeley Cell Phone “Right to Know” Ordinance
July 6, 2015
The City of Berkeley filed its response to the CTIA’s challenge of the City’s cell phone “right to know” consumer disclosure ordinance.
The City makes the following arguments why the Court should not grant the CTIA’s request for an injunction that would block enforcement of the ordinance:
- the City has a substantial interest in providing the consumer disclosure to inform its residents about proper cell phone use;
- the mandated disclosure is accurate, factual and noncontroversial;
- the ordinance does not violate the First Amendment and is not preempted by Federal law;
- the disclosure is not burdensome for cell phone retailers;
- the CTIA’s members will not be harmed if the ordinance is enforced;
- and interfering with the ordinance is not in the public interest.
The response was submitted by Berkeley City Attorney Zach Cowan, Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, Yale Law Professor and Dean Robert Post, and Yale Law Ph.D. candidate Amanda Shanor.
<SNIP>
More information about the ordinance including links to media coverage and the legal briefs can be found at http://bit.ly/berkeleycellordinance.
******************
Letters:
Castanet finally did finish its moderation and comments were allowed on the article.
http://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/143583/Meter-holdouts-wooed
——————–
Newsletter prepared by Sharon
“When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” Thomas Jefferson.