The Falsehood of 'Utilities Support Doylent Green'

Jim Doyle and his Legislature are about to smash Wisconsin living standards with "green" laws.

...The legislation is expected to expand the use of renewable energy to 25% by 2025 by relying on sources such as wind and biomass from locations in and out of the state.

In 2007, Wisconsin derived 4% of its power from green sources. The share will increase to 10% by 2015.

The legislation would also relax Wisconsin's moratorium on constructing nuclear plants. Investment in energy efficiency would increase. Also, new low-carbon fuels standards would be imposed.

The package was recommended by Doyle's Global Warming Task Force. We already took a long, long look at that pile of...........stuff........here.

Who doesn't like Doylent Green?

The coalition includes Wisconsin Manufactures & Commerce, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Wisconsin Builders Association and Wisconsin Paper Council.

And who DOES like Doylent Green?

In addition to environmental and conservation groups, the state's electric utilities and the state's largest company, Glendale-based Johnson Controls Inc., a maker of automotive batteries and energy efficiency systems, are backing Doyle's initiatives

It should be obvious why JCI kinda likes the plan: they are developing and will sell large-scale storage batteries for automobiles and they make large dollars selling energy-management smarts. They act in their own interests--which may be different from the interests of other businesses.

Anyhoo, to the 'supportive utilities.'

(If you cannot figure out why the utilities "support" Doylent Green, you are a class-A numbskull.)

Reason One: Jim Doyle appoints the Public Service Commission, which controls utility rates (and profitability.)

Reason Two: It makes ZERO difference to the utilities how much YOU pay in higher rates. (See Reason One.) They charge what they are authorized to charge, and when they have to pay extra-large money to go Doylent Green, YOU pay extra-large money to them.

The utilities were BRIBED to support Doylent Green: here's the passage from the document:

Utilities would be required to enter into long term, fixed price contracts to purchase all of the electricity produced by customer-owned renewable generation systems at favorable rates. The policy recommends that these advanced renewable tariffs should be based upon the specific production costs of each particular generation technology, include a return comparable to the utilities’ allowed returns, and be fixed over a period of time that allows for full recovery of capital costs (P.47)

Of course the utilities "support" the plan.

But if you ask someone who works at a utility for their personal opinion? Fuggedabout the stuffed-shirts in the front office; they kinda like their jobs and will parrot the mandated line.

Here's the way to formulate the question: "After Doylent Green passes, will you retire in Wisconsin?"

The response should tell you everything you need to know.