Meet the Public Utilities Commissioners of Ohio [1] - five "public servants" of the State of Ohio who have approved an electricity demand side management program that is so unfair and costly to residents of Northeast Ohio, and so advantageous to a select group of public utility companies, as to raise absolute doubt about the integrity, competency and honesty of those setting energy policy and regulations for our state. Of course, energy policy for Ohio determines our levels of pollution, which are high [2]. These dubious people are:
Alan R. Schriber [3], Chairman - Term ends: April 10, 2014
Ronda Hartman Fergus [4], Commissioner - Term Ends: April 10, 2010
Valerie A. Lemmie [5], Commissioner - Term ends: April 10, 2011
Paul A. Centolella [6], Commissioner - Term Ends April 10, 2012
Cheryl Roberto [7], Commissioner - Term ends: April 10, 2013
As reported today in the Cleveland Plan Dealer [8], without outrage (the PD earns $ millions each year from utility company advertising):
"FirstEnergy Corp. is getting ready to leave two high-efficiency light bulbs on your doorstep. But they're not a gift.
The utility will charge average users 60 cents a month extra on their electric bills for the next three years -- $21.60 all together. That covers the cost of the bulbs ($3.50 each), their delivery and the delivery of the power consumers would have used if they didn't have them.
Rather than spend my valuable time running analyses of how absolutely perverted everything about this program is, let me just ask the leaders of energy policy for our state to provide their analysis of the carbon footprint of this program, which shipped millions of lightbulbs from China, where they were manufactured at great environmental impact, across the ocean to America, and then by rail and or truck to Cleveland, and then by California contractor vehicles to every door in Northeast Ohio, or into the carbon-producing US postal system, to be used by residents to replace millions of functioning lightbulbs, manufactured at great environmental impact, sending many to landfills, at great environmental impact, when people go to stores regularly and buy lightbulbs there, when their lightbulbs burn out, supporting the local economy at no increased carbon footprint for the shopping.
Not to say it is a good idea for the utility companies to be invlved in lightbulb decisions for consumers, at all... but this could not be done in a more moronic way, if it must be done at all.
A coupon for free lightbulbs, sent with the monthly mail, would have accomplished the same objective of reducing consumption, at lower cost and carbon footprint.
Eliminating paper billing and not getting into the lightbuld business would accomplish more for the environment.
Just increasing rates and paying bonuses to utility company executives would have been the most efficient way to meet the PUCO Commissioners' obvious objective, of enriching very few on the backs of many Ohio residents.
This is simply $ millions in corporate charity stolen from residents of unreal NEO and given to corporations that are not good, and their lawyers who are not good, by beaurocrats who are not good, none of which deserve the public subsidy they already receive.
Having worked as a consultant in the utility industry, where I analyzed operations and administration, including demand side management programs, of most of the electric utilities in America, I can say that demand side management is core to transformation of America's economy, but it will not be accomplished through such pathetic initiatives as this. I have never seen an example of good demand side management in Ohio, and our state is not an innovator or leader of any sort with energy policy or regulation, so I believe all our PUCO commissioners are complete failures.
The entire board of commissioners should be replaced as soon as possible, and the appointment process must be changed [9], as citizens rather than Governors must select the next board members. This failure of the PUCO to protect the interests of the public is so disgraceful, and the responsibilities of the board are so great, we cannot risk waiting for these people's next mistake or act of bad faith.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) affects just about every household in Ohio. That's because the PUCO regulates providers of all kinds of utility services, including electric [10] and natural gas [11] companies, local and long distance telephone [12] companies, water and wastewater [13] companies, and rail [14] and trucking [15] companies. The PUCO was created to assure Ohioans adequate, safe, and reliable public utility services at a fair price. More recently, the PUCO gained responsibility for facilitating competitive utility choices for Ohio consumers. The PUCO Agency Overview [16] outlines the duties and responsibilities of the PUCO.
5 Ways The PUCO Works for You:
- Protects you by monitoring and enforcing PUCO rules and state laws against unfair, inadequate and unsafe public utility and transportation services.
- Resolves your disputes either informally between you and the company or through our formal complaint process where only the PUCO can order relief and corrective action. The PUCO resolves disputes between utilities and residential, business, and industrial customers, as well as between competing utilities.
- Assures availability of adequate, safe and reliable services to all residential, business, and industrial consumers.
- Provides you with information about your rights and responsibilities as a utility customer and publishes the Apples to Apples cost comparisons for energy services where you have a choice. You can turn to the PUCO for answers to your questions and help with your utility and transportation problems.
- Regulates your rates for utility services where you do not have choices. Even with competition growing in the gas and electric industries, for example, the PUCO still sets the rates for delivery of those services since that part is still controlled by one company.
The day we get to vote Ted Strickland out of office may not come too soon.
But first, how do we fight this multi-million-dollar scam against us, the residents of Northeast Ohio, being forced to subsidize the bad utility companies of unreal Northeast Ohio, and their bad lobbyists and attorneys?
Links:
[1] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/PUCO/About/index.cfm
[2] http://realneo.us/forum/of-the-day-is-air-pollution-in-the-region-becoming-better-staying-the-same-or-becoming-worse
[3] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/PUCO/About/Commissioner.cfm?id=4120
[4] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/PUCO/About/Commissioner.cfm?id=4186
[5] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/about/commissioner.cfm?id=6792
[6] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/about/commissioner.cfm?doc_id=7410
[7] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/PUCO/About/Commissioner.cfm?id=8400
[8] http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/firstenergy_light_bulbs.html
[9] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/PUCO/Consumer/Information.cfm?id=6590
[10] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/utilities/onestop.cfm?onestopkeyword=EL
[11] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/utilities/onestop.cfm?onestopkeyword=GA
[12] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/utilities/onestop.cfm?onestopkeyword=TP
[13] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/utilities/onestop.cfm?onestopkeyword=WW
[14] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/utilities/onestop.cfm?onestopkeyword=RR
[15] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/utilities/onestop.cfm?onestopkeyword=TR
[16] http://www.puco.ohio.gov/emplibrary/files/media/Publications/Brochures/PUCO%20Agency%20Overview.pdf
[17] http://smtp.realneo.us/independence-of-the-day-may-the-people-of-neo-find-freedom-from-air-pollution
[18] http://smtp.realneo.us/forum/of-the-day-is-air-pollution-in-the-region-becoming-better-staying-the-same-or-becoming-worse
[19] http://smtp.realneo.us/events/make-friday-13th-very-unlucky-slacker-failing-noaca-governing-board-members