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6A Daily News – Tuesday, February 21, 2012 Opinion Gasoline, green energy and gratuitous grousing D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer's home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Some of you think a lousy economy would lead to lower energy prices but I have to tell you cheap oil, gasoline, and elec- tricity are a thing of the past. In fact, even if the world economy con- tracted by 1% in 2012, oil prices will average around $90 a barrel. That's just $19 below where they are now. A more likely scenario is that emerging markets will have strong economies next year, world growth will come in around 4% and North Sea Brent crude oil prices will average around $115, which is even higher than the $109 per bar- rel today. Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point Consequently it's more impor- tant than ever to use these com- modities efficiently and pursue renewable sources that alone free us from the inevitable energy price increases as our planet's finite fos- sil fuels are consumed. Grousing about our politicians, environmen- talists, and those concerned about climate change and global warm- ing does nothing but distract and retard efforts that respond to the new realities of an internationally fueled energy and environmental crisis. With regard to gasoline, which is darn near $4 per gallon in the north state of late, the price we pay is a com- plex function of world oil supplies, refinery capacities, ever escalat- ing demand, and tax and incentive policies. All of these factors are trending to increase gasoline prices particularly in the United States where prices are lower than other industrialized countries and don't properly account for the externalities of gasoline use, such as air pollution, carbon emissions, and related health and cli- mate impacts. The Center for Inves- tigative Reporting estimates the real price of gasoline in America which includes these external costs to be $15 per gallon, based on a $4- per-gallon pump price. This is due to the impacts of gasoline combus- tion on health care bills and lost productivity with pollution caused illnesses, diminished crop yields, environmental clean-up costs, and carbon emissions. In Los Angeles, for example, they estimate that air pollution causes illnesses that add $1,250 annually to the cost of the average person's health care. They don't include the cost of maintain- ing an American defense capacity strong enough to protect the coun- tries and transportation routes that provide us with oil. If those trillions of taxpayer dollars were figured in, the true cost of a gallon of gas would be much higher than $15. Helping to meet California's environmental goals, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) added more than 220 megawatts of clean wind and solar power to its generation mix in 2011 and has signed contracts for future delivery of 463 megawatts of new renew- able power, enough to serve tens of thousands of customers. "Our long-term commitment to renew- able energy continued to pay off last year as more projects came online, providing our customers with some of the cleanest genera- tion found in the United States," said Fong Wan, senior vice presi- dent for energy procurement at PG&E. "We continue to encourage project developers to help us meet California's aggressive clean-ener- gy goals as cost-effectively as pos- sible for our customers." Last year PG&E began receiv- ing power from five solar photo- voltaic projects built by indepen- dent developers, bringing 135 MW of new capacity online. It also began producing power at three sites developed by the utility itself in the Central Valley, for another 50 MW of capacity. In addition, PG&E signed contracts for 200 MW of new solar power in coming years. PG&E also brought 37 MW of new wind capacity online last year and signed two new contracts totaling 263 MW. PG&E estimates that about 19 percent of its electricity sales in 2011 came from eligible renewable sources (not counting large hydro) and anticipates reaching 20 percent this year. Like other utilities in the state, it plans to boost that figure to 33 percent by 2020 in order to meet the goals established by the Cali- fornia Energy Commission and endorsed by the Governor. Meet- ing this ambitious goal will help free us from the ever escalating costs of fossil fuels while creating jobs right here in California, pre- serve our environment, and mar- shal in an era of clean, sustainable, and peace engendering renewable resources. It is time to face the facts of Richard Mazzucchi is a retired research engineer specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. He has travelled extensively and now makes his home in Los Molinos, where he is striving to manifest a sustainable and spiritual lifestyle. He can be reached at living-green@att.net. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Getting money for the big, green rat hole Commentary The phrase, "big, green rat hole," is about the best way I have to convey the waste of massive amounts of taxpayer/ratepayer money, whether via taxes, utility rates or, as Washington prefers, simply borrowing from China. The federal scam of green energy sub- sidies involves literally tens of bil- lions of dollars. Even when annual deficits top the trillion-dollar level, that's some real dough. I hope to show readers the reality of epic failure resulting from the wasted money, as well as the futility of relying on such energy sources as solar or wind, whether in Califor- nia, America or Europe. Green jobs? What green jobs? And how much has to be spent per job, I ask? Let's first start with your elec- tric meter, Smart or otherwise, about which we were endlessly lectured to last year, with promises and advice about lowering our electricity usage and saving money. I suspected a plot most foul to jack up our rates concurrent with an apparent scheme to offer tech- nological trinkets, like being able to monitor usage patterns and make adjustments. I suspected that the hike in rates would be drastic, and the real effects of analysis and monitoring would be relatively miniscule. Don't mean to toot my own horn, but I was right. I decided to have a so-called Smart Meter installed when the nice young man showed up from the firm contracted to do the deed. I figured that I couldn't really write or speak knowledgeably unless I could back it up with my own experience. As a two-person household, with two lots to keep green, two refrigerators full, lights mostly converted to the newer low- energy types, computers, TV and central heater/cooler, it's a relative- ly modest energy lifestyle in a 1400 square foot home. Since I have, for years, jotted down the meter reading on a daily basis, done the math and noted the daily kilowatt-hours (kwh) used, I was keen to see if the new meter would register a different, or high- er, number for the same usage. All major energy uses being equal – same watering and air conditioning settings – I noticed no difference. The Smart Meter was off the hook; that conspiracy theory disproved. I rather liked being able to simply read the number rather than look- ing at five dials spinning in differ- ent directions and guess-timating the daily number. Then the first post-Smart Meter bill arrived; it was a financial shock. I knew something was either wrong or changed in the cal- culations but it would take a visit to PG&E to figure it out. I don't know how many of you ever look at the way your final dollar figure is arrived at but it might make your head spin, and your calculator overheat. If you pull out PG&E electric bills from last summer, focus on bills before and after June 20. That's the date that new, lower daily "Baseline Quantities" went into effect; the chart from their office lists summer and winter daily allowances, based on your area and other factors. Our daily baseline dropped, as of June 20, from 23.2 kwh to 20.9 kwh, meaning that over a 30 day month, we lost 2.3 kwh per day, or 69 kwh per month – a drop of about 10 percent. Saying we "lost" those kwh is a misnomer; it just means that those 69 hours no longer merited the lowest rate and that more electric usage was pushed up into higher rates. Instead of 12.2 cents, it is charged at 13.9 cents, and then other kwh will be charged over 30 cents, and eventually over 34 cents. Please follow along if you want Don Polson The way I see it to know how you are being gouged (remember, it's PG&E, or Plunder, Gouge and Extort). Here are some bottom lines: Not only are your charges jacked up by losing base- line usage, but the tiered rates have increased over the last 5 years; the two lowest rates have risen a com- bined 7 percent; the next highest rate has gone up 36 percent; the highest rate (on my bills the rate applying to kwh over 300 percent of my baseline) went up 33 per- cent, from 30 to 40 cents, until dropping back to 34 cents last sum- mer. PG&E probably figured that if they were arbitrarily reducing our baseline hours subject to the lowest rate, the least they could do is to kindly lower the top rate. So nice of them! Here's the real shock: I went over my post-June 20 bills and applied the baseline and rates from prior summers and found that I paid over 12 per- cent more in 2011 than 2010, 21 percent more in 2011 than in 2009, and 30 percent more in 2011 than in 2008. Folks, that's an average of about 10 percent per year – nobody's salaries or wages have gone up at that rate, neither have any consumer prices gone up 10 percent per year, and neither has PG&E's costs gone up for maintenance or new power generation. California's population has not increased, and the economy has flat lined so there's no need for more power. Except, that is, for the high-priced green energy projects like wind and solar. You can thank that big, green rat hole for your higher bill. Oh, and that lowest rate just went up another 5 percent on January 1! Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com. world energy consumption and fossil fuel supplies and discount the short-sighted and politically charged grousing of those that plant their heads in the sand, harp about incidental missteps, and leave future generations to clean up our messes.