*******Please Click here for 10 Question Survey "MY Electricity, My Bill" *******

February 22, 2010 Update.

I just returned from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) annual meetings in Atlanta Georgia. I participated in four all day training sessions before the conference began with Directors from across the United States. The four full day training classes were:

1. Ethics and Governance: Implementing the New Accountability

2. Applying Governance Concepts to Real Boardroom Challenges

3. New and Emerging Technologies: What Every Director Needs to Know

4. Getting Involved: The Board’s Role in Shaping Policy

The Conference featured NRECA CEO and former congressman Glenn English, analyst David Gergen, former Shell Oil CEO John Hofmeister, and USDA Rural Utilities Administrator Jonathon Adelstein. Additional afternoon meetings I attended included sessions by Motley Fool co-founder David Gardner, a forum on how technology can be used to better communicate with coop members, and a forum on using the internet effectively. I also attended a luncheon acknowledging and celebrating the efforts by NRECA’s Cooperatives (including HILCO) to contribute money and send help to Haiti and Guatemala and to learn of upcoming opportunities and needs that we may be able to support through NRECA’s International Foundation. One such effort in the next year is to bring electricity to a remote Asian village for the first time (which would involve volunteers of linemen as well as at least one electrician for adding wiring in at least one building in the village). Becky did go with me and she attended some conference activities at our expense.

One of the things I realized during the meetings is that the NRECA member cooperatives including HILCO are basically very organized grass roots organizations that could easily be used to communicate the views of mainstream America with our representatives.

Congress probably will need to act on the issue of Global Warming/Global Climate Change/ Carbon Dioxide Level Concerns because, if it does not, the EPA is getting in position to establish regulations to control Carbon Dioxide emissions under the Clean Air Act. Keep in mind that Carbon Dioxide is a naturally occurring gas that plants need to survive. The Clean Air Act was passed to control pollution that is directly harmful to the environment and was not originally intended to control Carbon Dioxide which simply put is nothing more than harmless plant food in the lower atmosphere. It is so safe that most of us drink it every day (carbonated drinks). In fact, Carbon Dioxide is the byproduct when a fuel is completely consumed in the burning process and is very much the desired emissions from gas or coal burning since the product of incomplete combustion is carbon monoxide (a poison that is clearly harmful to every person or animal that breathes).

It is feared that the cost of electricity could climb substantially due to the EPA exercising jurisdiction over carbon dioxide emissions under the clean air act even if congress fails to act. The clean air act was created to control and reduce emissions that are pollutants that affect health and safety and most people can see that carbon dioxide should not be lumped in with harmful emissions. The EPA would first exercise its rule making through the auto industry before it would move on new rules for other industries like electricity generation. However, it is feared that broad reductions in allowed carbon dioxide emissions would have to involve restricting emissions by all types of industry including electric generating plants (which are predominantly fueled by domestically produced natural gas and coal fuel sources today).

Since inaction on the part of Congress does not provide the protection sought for electric consumers, we need to encourage our Representatives and Senators to engage in the issue and work with NRECA's legislative representation in coming up with a reasonable and affordable legislative solution.

Members are still strongly encouraged to visit the Our Energy Our Future Website to get more informed and to use the provided links to send emails to your own elected officials.

When it comes to Electricity, "WHEN Used?" Does Matter!

What do we value the most? Is it our Time? Or is it our Money? While we recognize that there will be a longer wait if we go out to eat during the Friday Dinner rush, if we are visiting with friends, we might not care about the wait. On the other hand, if we are rushed to beat a deadline, we might order out. Some of us pay extra to avoid lines by using the Valet for parking. Others might camp out overnight to be in line to get the big item on sale tomorrow. Our time has to be assigned a value and we really do this all day long as we make decisions like whether to wait in the budget gas line or drive down the street and pay a little more. We make decisions concerning when to go shopping, whether to go to the convenience store and pay more or to the bulk wholesaler to get more and pay less. Sometimes we choose Time over Money and other times we choose Money over Time. But wouldn’t we all love the rare opportunity to save both?

Electricity currently is different that any other item we buy on a regular basis because it is always available without delay, no matter when we want it and regardless as to how much other people on the line are using it. However, we receive a bill each month that tells us what we must pay and, while most people do not realize this, the amount is directly related no only to how much electricity was used but also when it was used.

Let me state the above again. A large component in the cost of a typical residential electric bill is caused by everyone using electricity at the same time. If we could spread out our use over the day, we would all save substantially.

Since electricity is readily available anytime we flip a switch, we mistakenly may think that it costs the same no matter when or how we use it. The truth, however, is that how we use electricity does affect how much we have to pay for it. Most Electric company pricing formulas (called tariffs) are Click here to read the entire article: "WHEN Used?" Does Matter!

Link to March Home Page.

Headline: "U.S. budget to have CO2 revenues by 2012" "This February 24th Article quotes White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs as saying that a Carbon Dioxide Cap and Trade program will be in place in time to raise revenue for the 2012 Federal Budget. What this most likely means is that Electricity costs will be increased so that Electricity Generation companies can pay for this new source of federal revenue. It is important for everyone to realize that this is in fact, a new source of revenue that will come out of the pockets of people that use electricity. This makes it even more important that we all continue to look for ways to reduce usage.

On a more positive note, this link tells about a tax credit up to $1500 that has been included in the recently passed 2009 Stimulus Bill to encourage homeonwers to do energy improvements for their homes. This basically allows taxpayers to earn up to $5000 tax free that can be used for selected energy improvement projects! "