Monday, February 14, 2011

OUR POWER SYSTEM SHOULD NOT BE A RETIREMENT SOCIAL PROGRAM

Hydro One pulls plug on farmer
http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2011/02/13/17260626.html

STRATHROY — Henry Aukema saw his retirement plans crumble in the words of an e-mail from Hydro One.

The 57-year-old Strathroy farmer had been one of 25,000 Ontarians to apply to erect solar panels whose electricity could be sold to the grid at a guaranteed premium for 20 years.

The return was attractive: Aukema calculated by the time he paid off a loan to build the solar array he’d be 65 — and then could produce income of as much as $15,000 a year.

The risk seemed non-existent: He had been given a conditional offer by the Ontario Power Authority under a plan proposed and backed by the Ontario government.

So Aukema borrowed $85,000, rather than cashing in part of his modest RRSP, and paid for the project and the electrical work needed to hook it to the grid.

Then he waited.

In November and January, he phoned Hydro One and was told his project should prove easy to connect.

Still, nothing happened.

Last week, he worked a frigid day outside, then went to the basement of his home to check his e-mail.

The form letter from Hydro One began with a pat on the back for the provincial government:
“The tremendous success of the (program) signals that Ontarians clearly want to play an important role in feeding clean and renewable sources of power into the electricity grid.”

Then came the kick to the gut:

“Some applicants are facing system constraints and will not be able to connect until system upgrades are made. Based on our analysis, we have determined that your project is impacted by system constraints. We regret to inform you that we are unable to provide you with an offer to connect your (project) at this time.”

Aukema was stunned.

“I felt sick. Then I had to explain it to my wife. She asked if that meant we couldn’t go on vacations anymore,” Aukema said.

It’s not clear how many identical e-mails have or will be sent by Hydro One and other utilities — estimates start in the hundreds but potentially go much higher.

Thirty kilometres from Aukema, Steve Baert opened one of the e-mails in a home between London and St. Marys.

A self-employed electronics technologist who services computers and printers, the frugal Baert spent $45,000 out-of-pocket for parts. Then he designed and built a solar array mostly on his own, working as many as 15 hours a day since September — thousands of hours in total — until he opened the e-mail from Hydro One.

“I was numb for the rest of the day. We are extremely thrifty. We don’t spend $45,000 on retirement lightly and have it all smack into a brick wall,” he said.

Both Baert and Aukema levy the same charge against the Ontario government: When the Ontario Power Authority handed out conditional offers last August no one mentioned even a remote possibility that they or anyone else might not be able to get hooked up to the grid.
“We’ve been led down the garden path,” Aukema said.

Told of the plight of the two men, Ontario Energy Minister Brad Duguid said, “We’re doing our very, very best. I commented very strongly to Hydro One to stretch our transmission capacity to the maximum.”

Asked if they’d be connected within two years, Duguid said he didn’t know.

Asked why Ontario Power Authority issued conditional offers and Hydro One instructions without warning that not all solar arrays would be connected, Duguid said people shouldn’t be so quick to second guess.

“It’s easy to be a Monday morning quarterback. (The process) is all new. At a certain point of time information came forward that there would be a challenge,” he said.

Aukema said he contacted Hydro One but they refused to answer questions unless they’re put in writing. He said he also left a message with his MPP, Marie Van Bommel (L — Lambton-Kent-Middlesex), but didn’t hear back from her. The Free Press phoned Van Bommel’s constituency office last Friday and asked for the MPP but she didn not return the call.

Both Aukema and Baert said they aren’t aren’t sure what their next step might be because Hydro One hasn’t said how long they might have to wait to be connected to the grid.

The so-called microFIT program has attracted about 25,000 applications with another 50 to 80 applications arriving each workday, according to the Ontario Power Authority.

So far, 3,700 projects have been connected to the grid, another 2,500 are next in the queue and 13,800 have been offered a conditional deal but now must see if there is capacity to hook up.
How many will be turned away and how long they may have to wait remains murky — Duguid said last week the “vast majority” would proceed unimpeded, then later said just a majority.

Duguid also said he expects utilities to pay for upgrades that enable connections by raising electricity rates.

London Hydro has already committed $2.5 million and expects to have to pay significantly more

26 comments:

  1. >Duguid also said he expects utilities to pay >for upgrades that enable connections by >raising electricity rates

    There in lies the real kick in the guts, we all get to pay for this BS.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If I am correct the microFIT application process states that an applicant should not purchase ANY equipment until they obtain confirmation from Hydro One or any other LDC, because this can happen.

    Its important to know that distributed generation is not a simple "do it anywhere" process. If you put DG in areas that are not suited then you get power quality issues, which is why you should always wait until you receive WRITTEN confirmation before you invest.

    Ask yourself this, do you want to fork out $150k as a ratepayer for Hydro One/LDC to upgrade a rural line so that he can make $80c/kwh through the microFIT program? Probably not.

    While I do feel for this guy, its not Hydro One's fault, or even the OPA, its just bad planning.

    ReplyDelete
  3. While the FIT/microFIT contract is with the OPA, it's ultimately the LDC (in this case Hydro One) that can determine if they can connect the generation to the system. There is a finite amount of load that the distribution system can hold, not to mention safeguards to protect the stability of the distribution system. For example, as a generator you can only be so far away from a feeder before you risk the stability of the distribution system. Further, without a centralized ability to turn generation on or off, you could overload a feeder and, again, put the stability of the distribution system at risk.

    At the end of the day, it sounds like there needs to be better communication between the OPA, the LDC, and the customer to ensure that this situation doesn't arise in the future.

    I do feel bad for these people who have risked a great sum of money (their own or the bank's) to do something that they saw as either financially lucrative or environmentally sound, but as a previous commenter stated the applicant should not purchase equipment until they have confirmation from their LDC

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete
  5. Mr. Jack Ass Dalton McFibbery and his obsequious ass kissing puppets have declared Economic War on and against all of the people of Ontario.


    This corrupt gluttonous government and their policies, reminds me a whole lot of the German Nazi Party of 1930's...


    Harsh extremely exacting to the point language and MORE, is exactly what is required in these very harsh economic times thrust upon us all by the McGuinty Dictatorial 'Nazi style' Regime, whom are nothing more than corrupt FINANCIAL GLUTTONS feeding from the troughs of all the people of Ontario...

    If we do not all stand together as one to oust these corrupt criminals, then we will all become extinct, one by one, while these bandits only become wealthier and fatter at our expense and lives...


    You, I and all the people of Ontario really do have the power to make the changes required, that the hard working people of this once GREAT province used to have and do deserve...


    If the cost of living is unaffordable now, just think what it will be like when you and I are retired, unlike these DISGUSTING and ABHORRENT accountable to no one, FINANCIAL GLUTTONS of the Ontario Nazi Fibberal's Regime...


    Unfortunately, we are not all collecting the hefty wages like Ontario Hydro workers and or Ontario politicians...


    (notice that I didn't use the word "earning")



    Respectfully, ML.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hydro Horror Story

    Friday, February 11, 2011

    Re Here’s Another Hydro Horror Story, letter, Jan. 31:

    Here is my ripoff story (or is it a legal scam?) from the hydro bill for my summer cottage:

    Oct. 4 - Oct. 31, 2010 — 18 kw/h $1.17
    Nov. 1 - Jan. 11, 2011— 43 kw/h $2.76
    Total: $3.93
    Delivery and regulatory charges $70.11
    Debt retirement charge $0.40
    HST $9.68
    Total: $84.12
    Less Clean Energy Credit $0.40
    Total bill for 61 kw/h of electricity $83.72

    I only use my cottage during the summer months, and to pay these delivery and other rates and HST every month is ludicrous.

    Frank Brewer
    WW II Vet. - 86 yrs.
    Thunder Bay

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. No Hydro delivered: = $75 Due!!!

    Wednesday, February 16, 2011

    Hydro Horror Story, letter, Feb. 11:

    We, too, received a bill from Hydro One charging $75 for delivery of hydro when NONE was used at our Loon Lake camp near Thunder Bay.

    Some delivery!

    To add insult, when calling the number on the bill you are interrupted by the operator and told to use the toll-free number as we are long distance.

    When you use the toll-free number the operator interrupts to tell you that number cannot be used out of province.

    So you can’t even call to complain... Some service!

    Ken Robinson
    Edmonton

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hydro One is cdontating everyone:-
    their web site is supposed to show the electricity you use but it does not !
    Instead they include the line loss factor 9.1% on my bill; so you can not see how much you use ! What next they will probable add a new line loss factor in the future to double it.
    Also they do not show the 3 delivery charges -
    the basic charge
    the delivery volume meter
    the delivery volume adjusted
    and THEY MISCALCULATE THESE KNOWING YOU WONT KNOW THEY ARE OVERCHARGING.
    I SAY THAT IS CRIMINAL. STEALING A MILLION DOLLARS FROM CUSTOMERS EACH YEAR FOR ALL THE YEARS PAST AND PRESENT.
    I send countless hours doing a computer program to expose their theaft.
    In addition they don't show the calcultion for the days whene the rates change ie Jan 1-3 on my bill; and will do the same May 1-5. miscalculate the charges.
    I can only assume they think everyone is too stupid or ignorant !
    Well I ONLY PAY THEM WHAT MY COMPUTER SHOWS IS THE CORRECT AMOUNT and have done so for the six years I HAVE BEEN HERE.
    YES I AM TOTALLY FED UP WITH THESE STUPID ASHOLE FUC!ING PRICKS. THE POWER AUTHORITY THE LYING ENERGY MINISTER THE STUPID ONTARIO PREMIER AND ALL THE OTHER IGNORANT SHITS.
    IT IS A NUCLEAR 50%ELECTRIC DISTRIBUTION,NOT HYDRO-LESS THAN 20% AND 30% COAL! THE WHOLE THING IS A LIE AND HAS BEEN FOR TOO MANY YEARS.
    THEY TELL LIES EVERY TIME THEY SEND YOU A PIECE OF PAPER. MORE POLUTION NOT WORTH READING.
    SEND THEM ALL TO HELL.

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Please feel free to leave a comment, especially if you wish to share your own horror story. If you wish to get involved in the class action suit please contact me directly at jrwakefield@mcswiz.com put Class Action Suit in the subject please.