Because of the BullFrog BS, I will post this again.
DO NOT SIGN UP WITH RETAILERS!!!
You will pay a LOT more for power. There is NO SAVINGS to be had with fixed rates. These retailers MUST include the Global Adjustment (See IESO for price) which can DOUBLE your rates. Today the GA is 4.46 ¢/kWh while the hourly price is 3.56 ¢/kWh. This is because we have a glut of power on line, and when that happens the hourly price drops, and the GA increases.
So when retailer reps come to the door to try and sign you up, tell them to piss off.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
BULLFROG POWER FINED $25,000
Seems Bullfrog's contracts were illegal. So was their claim
“In Ontario, Bullfrog Power greneration injects EcoLogoM certified wind power and low impact hydro power into the Ontario electricity grid to match the amount of power your home uses”
See ruling here: http://www.ontarioenergyboard.ca/OEB/_Documents/Compliance/Bullfrog_Assurance%20Voluntary%20Compliance_20110909.pdf
Specifically note about moving out of the home/cancelling H1 contract.
See also http://windconcernsontario.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/bull-energy-found-guilty-of-lying-and-manipulation/
“In Ontario, Bullfrog Power greneration injects EcoLogoM certified wind power and low impact hydro power into the Ontario electricity grid to match the amount of power your home uses”
See ruling here: http://www.ontarioenergyboard.ca/OEB/_Documents/Compliance/Bullfrog_Assurance%20Voluntary%20Compliance_20110909.pdf
Specifically note about moving out of the home/cancelling H1 contract.
See also http://windconcernsontario.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/bull-energy-found-guilty-of-lying-and-manipulation/
Sunday, September 11, 2011
More affects of green energy in the UK
"Ulyx that a further avalanche of “green” measures will alone raise Britain’s already soaring energy bills in the same nine years by a further 58 per cent. "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/8754531/Wind-farms-the-monuments-to-lunacy-that-will-be-left-to-blot-the-landscape.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/8754531/Wind-farms-the-monuments-to-lunacy-that-will-be-left-to-blot-the-landscape.html
Friday, September 2, 2011
Think hydro rates are outrageous now?
Get ready to pay billions for hydro pensions
Think hydro rates are outrageous now?
By Catherine Swift and Bill Tufts
Wonder why Ontario hydro rates are so high? There are many reasons for soaring electricity rates, but one that hasn’t received anywhere near enough attention is the very lavish pay and benefits of the hydro utilities’ staff.
Recently, there has been quite a ruckus over a number of pensions in the extended public sector. In British Columbia, it was revealed that a senior executive at BC Ferries was eligible to receive a lifetime pension valued at $315,000 after only nine years of employment there. In Quebec, Hydro-Québec claimed that its pension costs last year were only $21-million, but its financial reports showed that taxpayers had pumped $646-million into the pension plan. Stay tuned — we will hear many more such horror stories as a result of decades of pension underfunding, early retirements and rich pensions of public sector workers and those in the extended public sector.
As a result of some of these outrageous recent examples, we decided to investigate the Ontario electricity situation. A recent executive compensation report from Ontario Power Generation (OPG) shows it is on track to pay its CEO a lifetime pension of $720,000 annually or $60,000 per month or $2,000 per day starting at age 65. Assuming an average lifespan, the CEO will collect total pension payments valued at about $17.6-million. Various other executives at OPG are shown to be eligible to receive pensions of $490,000, $330,000 and $310,000 per year according to the OPG report.
This seems to be part of a government trend in Ontario. Last year, the Sunshine List showed more than 11,000 workers making more than $100,000 a year at Hydro One and OPG. When fully eligible, they will receive a pension of at least $70,000 (as public-sector workers typically receive a pension valued at 70% of final salary), including CPP. Current data show that, for a person retiring today at age 55, their life expectancy is now 84. This means that the numerous Sunshine List employees will each collect a pension of at least $2-million.
Defenders of these very generous pensions always claim that these employees contribute their fair share into the pension plans, and so deserve them. As taxpayers, we would normally think a 50-50 split of contributions would be fair, with employees contributing 50% and taxpayers matching it. But over the past five years alone, taxpayers have pumped $1.3-billion into the plan, while employees have contributed only $368-million. Not so fair and sure to create serious pension tensions when taxpayers find out what is really happening in these pension Ponzi schemes.
With all this money having gone into the plan recently, one would think that these pension contributions would mean the plan is solvent. Not so. OPG still had an estimated pension deficiency on a wind-up basis of $2.8-billion with the last valuation that was due on Jan. 1, 2011. Since the report has not yet been released, it is likely the shortfall is even worse than the $2.8-billion reported.
Unfortunately, the story does not stop here. Both Hydro and OPG pay for generous benefits for its retired employees — benefits that are rarely if ever seen in the private sector. Called Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEBs) in the lingo of pension experts, these allowances are primarily for enhanced health care for employees after they retire. OPG owes a debt to its future retired employees of $1.9-billion in OPEBs, and Hydro One owes almost $1-billion. Given expectations that healthcare costs will skyrocket in the next few years, the real costs faced will very likely be much higher than even these significant amounts.
This is only one narrative regarding the hydro utilities in one province. Multiply this times so many other arm’s-length government agencies at all levels of government, across all the provinces, and you start to get an idea of the massive obligations that will soon fall on private-sector taxpayers and ratepayers for utilities like hydro. Think hydro rates are outrageous now? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Financial Post http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/08/31/get-ready-to-pay-billions-for-hydro-pensions/
Catherine Swift is president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Bill Tufts is an employee benefits specialist at WB Benefit Solutions and author of the upcoming book, Pension Ponzi.
.
Think hydro rates are outrageous now?
By Catherine Swift and Bill Tufts
Wonder why Ontario hydro rates are so high? There are many reasons for soaring electricity rates, but one that hasn’t received anywhere near enough attention is the very lavish pay and benefits of the hydro utilities’ staff.
Recently, there has been quite a ruckus over a number of pensions in the extended public sector. In British Columbia, it was revealed that a senior executive at BC Ferries was eligible to receive a lifetime pension valued at $315,000 after only nine years of employment there. In Quebec, Hydro-Québec claimed that its pension costs last year were only $21-million, but its financial reports showed that taxpayers had pumped $646-million into the pension plan. Stay tuned — we will hear many more such horror stories as a result of decades of pension underfunding, early retirements and rich pensions of public sector workers and those in the extended public sector.
As a result of some of these outrageous recent examples, we decided to investigate the Ontario electricity situation. A recent executive compensation report from Ontario Power Generation (OPG) shows it is on track to pay its CEO a lifetime pension of $720,000 annually or $60,000 per month or $2,000 per day starting at age 65. Assuming an average lifespan, the CEO will collect total pension payments valued at about $17.6-million. Various other executives at OPG are shown to be eligible to receive pensions of $490,000, $330,000 and $310,000 per year according to the OPG report.
This seems to be part of a government trend in Ontario. Last year, the Sunshine List showed more than 11,000 workers making more than $100,000 a year at Hydro One and OPG. When fully eligible, they will receive a pension of at least $70,000 (as public-sector workers typically receive a pension valued at 70% of final salary), including CPP. Current data show that, for a person retiring today at age 55, their life expectancy is now 84. This means that the numerous Sunshine List employees will each collect a pension of at least $2-million.
Defenders of these very generous pensions always claim that these employees contribute their fair share into the pension plans, and so deserve them. As taxpayers, we would normally think a 50-50 split of contributions would be fair, with employees contributing 50% and taxpayers matching it. But over the past five years alone, taxpayers have pumped $1.3-billion into the plan, while employees have contributed only $368-million. Not so fair and sure to create serious pension tensions when taxpayers find out what is really happening in these pension Ponzi schemes.
With all this money having gone into the plan recently, one would think that these pension contributions would mean the plan is solvent. Not so. OPG still had an estimated pension deficiency on a wind-up basis of $2.8-billion with the last valuation that was due on Jan. 1, 2011. Since the report has not yet been released, it is likely the shortfall is even worse than the $2.8-billion reported.
Unfortunately, the story does not stop here. Both Hydro and OPG pay for generous benefits for its retired employees — benefits that are rarely if ever seen in the private sector. Called Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEBs) in the lingo of pension experts, these allowances are primarily for enhanced health care for employees after they retire. OPG owes a debt to its future retired employees of $1.9-billion in OPEBs, and Hydro One owes almost $1-billion. Given expectations that healthcare costs will skyrocket in the next few years, the real costs faced will very likely be much higher than even these significant amounts.
This is only one narrative regarding the hydro utilities in one province. Multiply this times so many other arm’s-length government agencies at all levels of government, across all the provinces, and you start to get an idea of the massive obligations that will soon fall on private-sector taxpayers and ratepayers for utilities like hydro. Think hydro rates are outrageous now? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Financial Post http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/08/31/get-ready-to-pay-billions-for-hydro-pensions/
Catherine Swift is president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Bill Tufts is an employee benefits specialist at WB Benefit Solutions and author of the upcoming book, Pension Ponzi.
.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
New Smart Meter Tax
"A review of the 2010 Ontario Public Accounts reveals that McGuinty’s Minister of Energy has quietly approved charging Ontario families a new “smart meter service fee”. This new tax is being charged to cover the costs of the “Smart Metering Entity” that runs the smart meters which themselves are nothing more than government-sponsored tax machines. The new Smart Meter Tax will be applied on top of the current costs of the smart meter scheme – which already charges families $200 per household to install, and drives up family hydro rates by 150%. One of Dalton McGuinty’s energy bureaucracies is already budgeting to collect this tax which will cost Ontario families at least $132 million dollars over four years. "
Posted as a comment http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1047656--health-care-and-economy-are-ontarians-biggest-concerns-poll-finds?bn=1#comments
Also: http://larryscott.ca/feature/coming-soon-%E2%80%93-yet-another-dalton-mcguinty-tax-grab/
Coming Soon – Yet Another Dalton McGuinty Tax Grab
September 1st, 2011
TORONTO — Today Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak was joined by Ontario PC candidates Mike Yen and Karlene Nation to expose Dalton “The Tax Man” McGuinty’s latest attempt to sneak in a new tax on Ontario families. A review of the 2010 Ontario Public Accounts reveals that McGuinty’s Minister of Energy has quietly approved charging Ontario families a new “smart meter service fee”. This new tax is being charged to cover the costs of the “Smart Metering Entity” that runs the smart meters which themselves are nothing more than government-sponsored tax machines.
The new Smart Meter Tax will be applied on top of the current costs of the smart meter scheme – which already charges families $200 per household to install, and drives up family hydro rates by 150%. One of Dalton McGuinty’s energy bureaucracies is already budgeting to collect this tax which will cost Ontario families at least $132 million dollars over four years.
While Dalton McGuinty seeks new and creative ways to force Ontario families to pay higher taxes, a Tim Hudak government will cancel the secret Smart Meter Tax and close the new hydro bureaucracy associated with it. In addition, an Ontario PC government will unplug mandatory smart meter time-of-use pricing.
An Ontario PC government will provide Ontario families with further relief by removing the HST from hydro and home heating bills and removing the debt retirement charge from home hydro bills – which will save the typical Ontario family $275 per year.
Posted as a comment http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1047656--health-care-and-economy-are-ontarians-biggest-concerns-poll-finds?bn=1#comments
Also: http://larryscott.ca/feature/coming-soon-%E2%80%93-yet-another-dalton-mcguinty-tax-grab/
Coming Soon – Yet Another Dalton McGuinty Tax Grab
September 1st, 2011
TORONTO — Today Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak was joined by Ontario PC candidates Mike Yen and Karlene Nation to expose Dalton “The Tax Man” McGuinty’s latest attempt to sneak in a new tax on Ontario families. A review of the 2010 Ontario Public Accounts reveals that McGuinty’s Minister of Energy has quietly approved charging Ontario families a new “smart meter service fee”. This new tax is being charged to cover the costs of the “Smart Metering Entity” that runs the smart meters which themselves are nothing more than government-sponsored tax machines.
The new Smart Meter Tax will be applied on top of the current costs of the smart meter scheme – which already charges families $200 per household to install, and drives up family hydro rates by 150%. One of Dalton McGuinty’s energy bureaucracies is already budgeting to collect this tax which will cost Ontario families at least $132 million dollars over four years.
While Dalton McGuinty seeks new and creative ways to force Ontario families to pay higher taxes, a Tim Hudak government will cancel the secret Smart Meter Tax and close the new hydro bureaucracy associated with it. In addition, an Ontario PC government will unplug mandatory smart meter time-of-use pricing.
An Ontario PC government will provide Ontario families with further relief by removing the HST from hydro and home heating bills and removing the debt retirement charge from home hydro bills – which will save the typical Ontario family $275 per year.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Solar Production, real numbers
Someone posted a link to a solar company that has real time and historic solar power output from their customers. http://portal.powerhousesolar.ca/publicpage.aspx
This is what I've been looking for, and will be databasing all this data. But I can show you something very interesting. Take for example this location: http://portal.powerhousesolar.ca/publicinfo.aspx?trackerid=57
Notice the power output for each month of the year (selecting year in the drop down). Winter months are around 800kwH a month, while the summer is 2500. An average home uses some 3500 for the month in winter, and about 3000 for the summer, depending on how hot the summer is.
This chart shows the consumption of an average home for the year, and the solar output for the same months:
So you can see that a double pillar of 235 panels will not produce as much power as an average home consumes. This means the home owner of the panels would use more power than his panels provide. Thus these panel owners do not have a net contribution to the grid since they use more power for their homes than the panels provide.
The best part of this is how much they are making compared to how much they are paying for their own consumption.
So these people are paying about $1750 a year for their grid power, and getting some $22,000 for their solar power. But since their net contribution is zero, it means you, the rate payers, are paying these people $20,000 per year for NOTHING! You are paying these solar contracts to essentially be off the grid.
Can someone please find an argument that would show me how this can possibly be a net benefit to our grid.
This is what I've been looking for, and will be databasing all this data. But I can show you something very interesting. Take for example this location: http://portal.powerhousesolar.ca/publicinfo.aspx?trackerid=57
Notice the power output for each month of the year (selecting year in the drop down). Winter months are around 800kwH a month, while the summer is 2500. An average home uses some 3500 for the month in winter, and about 3000 for the summer, depending on how hot the summer is.
This chart shows the consumption of an average home for the year, and the solar output for the same months:
| Month | Home Consumption | Solar Production | % of consumption |
| Jan | 3739 | 856.2 | 23% |
| Feb | 3209 | 1113.2 | 35% |
| Mar | 4466 | 1754.8 | 39% |
| Apr | 2126 | 1330.1 | 63% |
| May | 2193 | 2021 | 92% |
| Jun | 3110 | 2545 | 82% |
| Jul | 3000 | 2915.6 | 97% |
| Aug | 3340 | 1449.9 | 43% |
| Sep | 3030 | ||
| Oct | 1873 | ||
| Nov | 2102 | ||
| Dec | 3008 | ||
| 35,196.0 | 13,985.8 | ||
| 27,971.6 | Projected |
So you can see that a double pillar of 235 panels will not produce as much power as an average home consumes. This means the home owner of the panels would use more power than his panels provide. Thus these panel owners do not have a net contribution to the grid since they use more power for their homes than the panels provide.
The best part of this is how much they are making compared to how much they are paying for their own consumption.
| Month | Home Consumption | Consumption c/kWh | Solar revenue | Revenue c/kwh |
| Jan | $204.82 | $ 0.05 | $ 686.67 | $ 0.80 |
| Feb | $166.29 | $ 0.05 | $ 892.79 | $ 0.80 |
| Mar | $224.87 | $ 0.05 | $ 1,407.35 | $ 0.80 |
| Apr | $68.45 | $ 0.03 | $ 1,066.74 | $ 0.80 |
| May | $97.92 | $ 0.04 | $ 1,620.84 | $ 0.80 |
| Jun | $168.93 | $ 0.05 | $ 2,041.09 | $ 0.80 |
| Jul | $151.42 | $ 0.05 | $ 2,338.31 | $ 0.80 |
| Aug | $168.03 | $ 0.05 | $ 1,162.82 | $ 0.80 |
| Sep | $174.54 | $ 0.06 | ||
| Oct | $85.26 | $ 0.05 | ||
| Nov | $92.94 | $ 0.04 | ||
| Dec | $146.24 | $ 0.05 | ||
| $1,749.71 | $11,216.61 | |||
| $22,433.22 | Projected | |||
| $20,683.51 | Profit |
So these people are paying about $1750 a year for their grid power, and getting some $22,000 for their solar power. But since their net contribution is zero, it means you, the rate payers, are paying these people $20,000 per year for NOTHING! You are paying these solar contracts to essentially be off the grid.
Can someone please find an argument that would show me how this can possibly be a net benefit to our grid.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Ontario Liberals entrench 1,800 renewable power projects
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1033581--ontario-liberals-entrench-1-800-renewable-power-projects?bn=1
Ontario’s Liberal government has entrenched the legal rights of 1,800 proposed renewable energy contracts – making it impossible for a new government to cancel them.
The Liberals have changed the terms for approving contracts under its feed-in tariff program or FIT.
Under the old system, the Ontario Power Authority, which signs the contracts with power developers, could unilaterally terminate proposed agreements at a relatively late stage of the approval process.
But a new directive from energy minister Brad Duguid will entrench the contracts at a much earlier stage in the process.
That will protect 1,800 contracts now in the pipeline from cancellation.
Collectively, the projects represent 3,500 megawatts of generating capacity, the equivalent of close to 10 per cent of the province’s current total capacity.
The issue is politically significant one, since Conservative leader Tim Hudak has vowed to cancel the FIT program if the Conservatives win the provincial election on Oct. 6.
Hudak has said the high prices paid under the FIT program are “unsustainable.”
While the Conservatives would not tear up existing contracts, projects that were only part way through the approval process would have been at risk of cancellation under a new government.
The new rules will reduce the scope for the power authority to cancel agreements for FIT projects.
Duguid said the changes will provide “stability and certainty” for renewable power developers and for their suppliers.
That will make it easier to finance renewable projects, and for power developers to place firm orders with equipment manufacturers, he said.
Duguid said the government has been discussing the issue with the industry for the past year.
But he used the occasion to take a swipe at the Conservatives.
“There’s no question Tim Hudak’s irresponsible plan to dismantle our programs and destroy our clean energy economy is something that’s creating a great deal of instability in our economy right now,” Duguid said.
No Conservative official was available to respond.
Proposed projects will still have to get environmental approval, show that they have a purchase agreement with an Ontario manufacturer and submit a financing plan before they can proceed.
Creating a clean energy sector and adding 50,000 jobs to the economy by the end of 2012 is a key plank in the Liberals’ election platform. The Liberals say they’ve created 20,000 jobs to date.
Peter Tabuns of the New Democratic Party shrugged off the significance of the announcement.
He said many renewable energy developers can’t connect their projects to the grid. Without connections, the projects can’t deliver power or get revenue.
“I think that’s the largest ongoing issue,” he said.
Robert Hornung of the Canadian Wind Energy Association offered cautious endorsement of the changes.
“It reduces project development risk,” said Hornung. “It clarifies in essence what’s required to firm up FIT contracts. That greater certainty makes it easier for them to go and secure financing.”
The association was polling its members yesterday to see how they reacted to the changes.
Ontario’s Liberal government has entrenched the legal rights of 1,800 proposed renewable energy contracts – making it impossible for a new government to cancel them.
The Liberals have changed the terms for approving contracts under its feed-in tariff program or FIT.
Under the old system, the Ontario Power Authority, which signs the contracts with power developers, could unilaterally terminate proposed agreements at a relatively late stage of the approval process.
But a new directive from energy minister Brad Duguid will entrench the contracts at a much earlier stage in the process.
That will protect 1,800 contracts now in the pipeline from cancellation.
Collectively, the projects represent 3,500 megawatts of generating capacity, the equivalent of close to 10 per cent of the province’s current total capacity.
The issue is politically significant one, since Conservative leader Tim Hudak has vowed to cancel the FIT program if the Conservatives win the provincial election on Oct. 6.
Hudak has said the high prices paid under the FIT program are “unsustainable.”
While the Conservatives would not tear up existing contracts, projects that were only part way through the approval process would have been at risk of cancellation under a new government.
The new rules will reduce the scope for the power authority to cancel agreements for FIT projects.
Duguid said the changes will provide “stability and certainty” for renewable power developers and for their suppliers.
That will make it easier to finance renewable projects, and for power developers to place firm orders with equipment manufacturers, he said.
Duguid said the government has been discussing the issue with the industry for the past year.
But he used the occasion to take a swipe at the Conservatives.
“There’s no question Tim Hudak’s irresponsible plan to dismantle our programs and destroy our clean energy economy is something that’s creating a great deal of instability in our economy right now,” Duguid said.
No Conservative official was available to respond.
Proposed projects will still have to get environmental approval, show that they have a purchase agreement with an Ontario manufacturer and submit a financing plan before they can proceed.
Creating a clean energy sector and adding 50,000 jobs to the economy by the end of 2012 is a key plank in the Liberals’ election platform. The Liberals say they’ve created 20,000 jobs to date.
Peter Tabuns of the New Democratic Party shrugged off the significance of the announcement.
He said many renewable energy developers can’t connect their projects to the grid. Without connections, the projects can’t deliver power or get revenue.
“I think that’s the largest ongoing issue,” he said.
Robert Hornung of the Canadian Wind Energy Association offered cautious endorsement of the changes.
“It reduces project development risk,” said Hornung. “It clarifies in essence what’s required to firm up FIT contracts. That greater certainty makes it easier for them to go and secure financing.”
The association was polling its members yesterday to see how they reacted to the changes.
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