Monitor my energy use?? Fine with me...

Think about it...they "encourage"...then they legislate compliance, then they directly monitor, then they levy a tax...it's what big government does...
 
Think about it...they "encourage"...then they legislate compliance, then they directly monitor, then they levy a tax...it's what big government does...

You only left out one vital step in the plan.. And that is CONTROL. All this smart grid development leverages a position where the govt can decide when your air conditioning or hot tub runs. Or what your thermostat is set to.. (Google just bought Nest today. A company that monitors and TRAINS your thermostat)

And then -- the Supreme Court already decided in emminent domain cases that the govt can TAKE from you and GIVE to others if you're not using property efficiently enough for their liking. So --------------- they TAKE your Energy because they don't want to pay more generation. So that those monetary resources can be given to others.
 
Mine are thoughts, and then questions on such matters.

I thought energy companies were in business to make a profit just as any other would be in a free market place or type of system being all the same ? Now how can they make profits if the government is trying to control our usage of the energy products in which we use daily, and in which we do purchase from them willfully and freely? Don't they make profit when we use more of such a product as is needed or wanted by us ?

Hmmmm, did these energy companies cry so much or ask for so much that it all became unbarable for the average consumer to stand ? Did they make excuses so much so, in order to drive the rates up as high as they could for bogus reasons and/or excuses that it has since opened the doors against them ? Did it cause alarm bells to start going off all over the place if this is the case, and so the government got wind of this and became highly involved in every aspect of it now ? So now the government has had to step in to see what was taking place now right, and doesn't the government pay a hefty bill for all the dependency it has created in this nation over time that is connected to these companies products and rates for them as well ? If so, is this what is driving the government as a consumer of energy also, to try and curb certain usages in order to bring the bill down that it pays for all the dependency it has created in this nation over time in which it now pays for ? Is the government responsible mainly for all that we are seeing in these things now, and this being because it was highly irresponsible in it's actions over a few decades or more looking back now ?

Now is it that once they (the government) steps in, then their job is to protect the consumer and themselves from abusive gouging that may have been going on or was just about to start beginning to go on more and more, even against them as a huge consumer of the product just as we are ? Did the governemnt see a window of oppotunity in order to seize control during a crisis situation over such matters, and did the energy company give the government the excuse to step in on their business ? Now if they (the energy companies) did without good reason, then they get what they get or do deserve what they get as a result of it all.

Problem is though, is that we the citizens are caught in a struggle between two giants once again in these things. Then we always end up losing as citizens, just as we do as tax payers, while the government becomes more athoritarian over these things, and corporations just sell out to others after they got their money and run with it.

Alot of companies here lately are changing their names (selling out or merging under a new name), now has anyone else noticed that ?
 
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If you choose to participate in a reduced electric usage program you can. I've never heard of a mandatory requirement.

Smart meters were installed to reduce employee costs. Meter readers aren't needed anymore.
 
If you choose to participate in a reduced electric usage program you can. I've never heard of a mandatory requirement.

Smart meters were installed to reduce employee costs. Meter readers aren't needed anymore.

Remote read meters are only ONE feature of smart grid plans coming your way..

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124050416142448555.html

As a result, the utility will do a pilot program this summer to test customer acceptance of smart meters and variable pricing. Some 3,000 customers have volunteered, and the utility intends to see whether people cut energy use during times that prices rise. Some consumers will have "energy orbs" in their homes that change color, a visible indication of how prices are changing, as a way to stimulate behavior changes.

For instance, Mr. Hawiger favors expanding existing air conditioner-cycling programs, where utilities have the ability to control air conditioners so they take turns coming on and off, reducing the drag on the electric system. He says the air-conditioner controllers can provide much of the benefit at a fraction the cost of installing millions of smart meters. These programs control temperature settings and compressors to reduce overall energy use.

PG&E intends to educate customers about equipment that can be installed to form home networks, too, but won't sell the products or support the devices for at least a year or two. Mr. Hawiger says this means that there will be millions of smart meters bolted to homes but full functionality won't happen anytime soon, reducing the bang for the buck.
 
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Mine are thoughts, and then questions on such matters.

I thought energy companies were in business to make a profit just as any other would be in a free market place or type of system being all the same ? Now how can they make profits if the government is trying to control our usage of the energy products in which we use daily, and in which we do purchase from them willfully and freely? Don't they make profit when we use more of such a product as is needed or wanted by us ?

Hmmmm, did these energy companies cry so much or ask for so much that it all became unbarable for the average consumer to stand ? Did they make excuses so much so, in order to drive the rates up as high as they could for bogus reasons and/or excuses that it has since opened the doors against them ? Did it cause alarm bells to start going off all over the place if this is the case, and so the government got wind of this and became highly involved in every aspect of it now ? So now the government has had to step in to see what was taking place now right, and doesn't the government pay a hefty bill for all the dependency it has created in this nation over time that is connected to these companies products and rates for them as well ? If so, is this what is driving the government as a consumer of energy also, to try and curb certain usages in order to bring the bill down that it pays for all the dependency it has created in this nation over time in which it now pays for ? Is the government responsible mainly for all that we are seeing in these things now, and this being because it was highly irresponsible in it's actions over a few decades or more looking back now ?

Now is it that once they (the government) steps in, then their job is to protect the consumer and themselves from abusive gouging that may have been going on or was just about to start beginning to go on more and more, even against them as a huge consumer of the product just as we are ? Did the governemnt see a window of oppotunity in order to seize control during a crisis situation over such matters, and did the energy company give the government the excuse to step in on their business ? Now if they (the energy companies) did without good reason, then they get what they get or do deserve what they get as a result of it all.

Problem is though, is that we the citizens are caught in a struggle between two giants once again in these things. Then we always end up losing as citizens, just as we do as tax payers, while the government becomes more athoritarian over these things, and corporations just sell out to others after they got their money and run with it.

Alot of companies here lately are changing their names (selling out or merging under a new name), now has anyone else noticed that ?

You've got the scene set all wrong.. It AINT a battle between electron barrons and the people where the government comes in late to the battle.. There's hardly a rate-payer out there in America whose rates are not SET AND MONITORED by a Public Utility Commission.. And the competition is LIMITED mostly BECAUSE of massive regulation and government granted monopolies..
 
Mine are thoughts, and then questions on such matters.

I thought energy companies were in business to make a profit just as any other would be in a free market place or type of system being all the same ? Now how can they make profits if the government is trying to control our usage of the energy products in which we use daily, and in which we do purchase from them willfully and freely? Don't they make profit when we use more of such a product as is needed or wanted by us ?

Hmmmm, did these energy companies cry so much or ask for so much that it all became unbarable for the average consumer to stand ? Did they make excuses so much so, in order to drive the rates up as high as they could for bogus reasons and/or excuses that it has since opened the doors against them ? Did it cause alarm bells to start going off all over the place if this is the case, and so the government got wind of this and became highly involved in every aspect of it now ? So now the government has had to step in to see what was taking place now right, and doesn't the government pay a hefty bill for all the dependency it has created in this nation over time that is connected to these companies products and rates for them as well ? If so, is this what is driving the government as a consumer of energy also, to try and curb certain usages in order to bring the bill down that it pays for all the dependency it has created in this nation over time in which it now pays for ? Is the government responsible mainly for all that we are seeing in these things now, and this being because it was highly irresponsible in it's actions over a few decades or more looking back now ?

Now is it that once they (the government) steps in, then their job is to protect the consumer and themselves from abusive gouging that may have been going on or was just about to start beginning to go on more and more, even against them as a huge consumer of the product just as we are ? Did the governemnt see a window of oppotunity in order to seize control during a crisis situation over such matters, and did the energy company give the government the excuse to step in on their business ? Now if they (the energy companies) did without good reason, then they get what they get or do deserve what they get as a result of it all.

Problem is though, is that we the citizens are caught in a struggle between two giants once again in these things. Then we always end up losing as citizens, just as we do as tax payers, while the government becomes more athoritarian over these things, and corporations just sell out to others after they got their money and run with it.

Alot of companies here lately are changing their names (selling out or merging under a new name), now has anyone else noticed that ?

You've got the scene set all wrong.. It AINT a battle between electron barrons and the people where the government comes in late to the battle.. There's hardly a rate-payer out there in America whose rates are not SET AND MONITORED by a Public Utility Commission.. And the competition is LIMITED mostly BECAUSE of massive regulation and government granted monopolies..
Well then school me farther if care to, because I thought a utility was in business to profit, and the only way they can profit is by me using more of their product right ? Now I do wish for someone to keep an eye on what they are charging me for their product, and to make sure that I ain't getting killed in my pocket from them gouging me for bogus reasons, and for greed purposes in which I don't understand.

Is this why the government is getting more involved today (to protect the consumers), or does it have plans that we don't know about in the whole scheme of things that is going on between the two of them these days ?
 

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