Changing the Rules on us... [RE-wrenches]

Sat Jun 7 08:28:30 PDT 2003

Nick / Wrenches:

The element of "changing the rules with every job" is not limited to the
CEC.  The Utilities also do this.

I believe the CEC's reason for this is a lack of effective internal
leadership and the limitations of bureaucracy, to be honest.  While
others may assume a similar condition within the Utilities... I'll go
out on a limb here... (I can hear the saw running between myself and the
trunk right now!)  I believe it is a much larger and subversive, if not
sinister, attempt to de-rail all RE DG.

I have watched and experienced this "phonomena" for the last couple of
years very closely.  The Utilities change Net Metering Program
Management as frequently as those of you who elect to waste waste water
and laundry detergent change your underwear!  This is not a rant, as
much as it may sound.  It's just the cold, hard fact!

Tell me if you've ever had to deal with "special circumstances".... By
the time you've worked your arse off to establish a trusting
relationship with a Utility Net-Metering Manager on behalf of your
customers and the "big picture"... Wham, somebody new.  Start over.  New
Rules.  Somebody new to educate. It is my belief that one of the
"reasons" for this is that the Utilities understand that RE is appealing
on a human level.  Humans inherently believe it is "the right thing to
do".  Utility program managers are not immune to this.  Often, they come
to the program with a positive frame of mind.  By the time they get to
the point they understand "it" and the program, they generally have
become friendly and supportive to Net Metered Customers.

"Time to move them to another program.  We can't be having RE Friendly
program managers, now, can we?"  

This comes into play especially when dealing with larger projects.  The
Utilities literally have a 19th Century view of electrical
distribution... "If it isn't 100MW of conventional-fuel dispatchable
generation we don't want to deal with it."  Hell, until late in the 20th
Century, dispatchable meant somebody had to get on a horse or in a car
and ride/drive to a generator and flip switches..... They were literally
"dispatched to go turn it on".  While times have changed, this mentality
and culture have not.  I sincerely hope everybody working at the
Utilities doesn't have to die before we see a new generation and "up
with the times" perspective.  I know this sentiment is not shared by all
an this list (the dying part) but I hope that what we are doing now
makes a difference between now and the time I'm no longer around to see
it happen.

The stories I can tell, as well as others I know, would curl your hair
and make everybody give up, I'm afraid.  I'll forego storytelling here
and just offer this as insight into just one of the issues that we must
face if we are to "come out of the woods and do this in town".  (OK,
Gorillas...Your turn!)

Please know there are true warriors fighting this and the other issues,
as we speak.  I encourage all who are doing the right thing, in a
responsible manner, to continue.  One way to support this is to install
quality, safe, reliable, and code-compliant systems.  The eyes of many
are upon us!

Pray for a very large earthquake to transform San Francisco into a
modern day Atlantis!

Matt Lafferty
Universal Energies Institute
mlafferty at universalenergies.com
(916) 422-9772
(916) 628-7694 Cell
(916) 914-2247 Fax
www.universalenergies.com

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