Northeast Utilities is apparently conducting some sort of “energy efficiency” campaign, which involves sending letters to customers comparing their energy use with that of their neighbors. One recipient of such a letter was Connecticut resident Linda Dwyer, who responded as follows:
To whom it may concern,
I am in receipt of your letter today announcing that I have managed to come in dead last out of all my 100 neighbors in [using] energy [efficiently]. This communication is probably well-intentioned. I would advise you to remember that the Road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
As I have understood our contract with your firm for the past 36 years that I have lived in this area, my job is to pay my bills on time and in full. If you will check your records for the past 36 years, you will see that I have fully complied with my end of the bargain. I thought your job was to supply my energy. I was not made aware that your job was to ‘instruct’ me in energy saving efficiencies, or to track my progress vis-Ã -vis my neighbors.
I find this to be offensive and intrusive. Beyond that, it is just plain dumb. Guess what! I am the only all-electric home in the neighborhood! Moreover, not that it is any of your business, during the period from 11/10/10-2/12/11, I was baking cookies (2 ovens) nonstop for 500 deployed soldiers (Connecticut Cookie Platoon–Google us), had 8 house guests for 10 days and yes, we are on well water, and then hosted a large party for New Year’s Eve. Moreover, many of my neighbors had gone to Florida, or out of state for the holidays, etc. What I do with my energy use is no one’s business but mine.
and
But here is a question I hope to ask at your next rate increase session. How much energy did you use to produce this hogwash and distribute it? Hmmmmm? Not to mention the poor dead trees upon which to print it all. Please remove me from your studies in the future. I do not wish to judge my behavior by that of my neighbor. And please transmit this letter to the highest person in your organization that will bother to read it.
Read the whole thing at the Weekly Standard (3/28 issue–subscription required for on-line access)
Meanwhile in California, the State Assembly has passed an energy bill that, if it becomes law, will greatly accelerate that state’s economic demise by escalating the war on electricity to a whole new level.
I have to laugh at that California Law. It is hilarious for them to think for a second that the greens in that state will even begin to think to allow the transmission for all of that clean energy – even IF that green energy was bigger than the drop in the bucket that it really is.
More and more I refer, sadly, to the South Park underpants gnomes, whos business plans were as follows:
1. Steal Underpants
2. ?
3. Profit
California energy strategy:
1. Legislate impossible things
2. ?
3. 1/3 of all energy is based on green sources within nine years!
I got a notice that a “smart meter” will be installed on my house soon. This is the trend that began a couple of years ago. There was quite a bit of controversy but that has died down and they are plowing ahead. This will allow the utilities to control my electricity usage with no input from me. Of course, I live in the mountains and don’t have air conditioning so it will be of little benefit to them. This is what California will be like soon. I would have left already but for my children and grandchildren.
I wouldn’t worry about the power company.
I would worry about the DA’s office. They might thing you are growing . . .
The greens are hoping to take credit for something they will have no part of in the future.
My guesstimate is that they are hoping for a solar semiconductor company to make a breakthrough within
the decade. If not, you will simply hear silence from them, just as they did when PGE couldn’t meet
the last mandate. The latest power label shows that they are at 15% renewable energy.
Might I add, solar is less than ONE percent of all generation. And the output per acre is pathetic…
These are the people who did not take algebra, let alone calculus, in college. They are English and Poly Sci majors who have no idea how things work. In a technological society, we have science majors who do not understand economics and politicians who do not understand science and none of them have common sense.
Anon…Even if solar cells became much cheaper & more efficient, the problem of storage still remains. Not too much sunshine at night.
David,
I implied energy storage as well, like some technology beyond lithium, the HOPE of that, anyway! The “progressives” are
big on ignorant “hope.”
Michael,
I ran the raw numbers game across an “environmentalist” who said it didn’t matter, because the “oil industry”
gets subsidies as well, so it wasn’t fair. Now, I did concur that subsidies were bad, but he didn’t,
just as many “progressives” want the “right people,” they also want the “right subsidies,” THEIR subsidies!
In the aggregate, most subsidies can’t have a net benefit since whatever relatively cheap gas I can buy, I paid
that out of some other tax.
Michael Kennedy – Thank you for pointing out yet another good use for Khan Academy, remedial math education for progressives.
The elephant in the greens room is the transmission piece. You can have a bazillion acres of solar collectors in the desert and a storage battery a mile high, but the fact is that the greens will NEVER allow transmission lines to be built to get that power from “there” to “here”.
Just remember, if you’re in the oil industry, and you claim certain sorts of depreciation, someone somewhere will count it as a subsidy.
Phil….indeed, I suspect many people think *any* kind of depreciation deduction is a subsidy.
It sounds as if California is sadomasochistic. Its tax and legislative policies are insane and counterproductive to not only growth but to just maintain itself.
The state is collapsing and its legislature is accelerating its own demise. Then again Sacramento is a reflection of the people. If the legislature and Governor are ignorant, stupid and retarded hen ….11111
How truly sad ….