JG Excerpt:This has been the in-stock line repeated over and over again in nearly all the reports and articles regarding the sales pitch to gain permission to build the Rockdale-Paddock power-line. Its always about taking care of our needs here in Wisconsin. Its always about importing power.
ATC intends the lines to increase the amount of power Wisconsin is able to import from Illinois as well as improve grid stability in the state. March 7, 2007
JG Excerpt:Not once have I read these lines have import/export capability. Not once have I read that these lines will be used to export power to Illinois.
ATC Timeline - The line will allow Wisconsin to import electricity from Illinois.
JG Excerpt:What about the days Wisconsin power is generated more cheaply?
It will allow Wisconsin to access Illinois power on the days it’s generated more cheaply there.
Why the ATC would want this impression is rather obvious, but would the media ever have the wherewithal to initiate an inquiry and ask the tough questions? Never mind that these info-articles are presented like neutral news reports when in fact they are pro-source commercials.
Comparisons:And that survey was taken in 2005. Illinois deregulated as of January 1st and the average bill for electricity went up another 20%. Yet, the steady drumbeat here is that the power lines are needed for Wisconsin consumers when most likely the powerlines will open up a new customer market willing to pay more for electricity, not less. OK, you see where I’m going here and I don’t have a problem with exporting electricity despite the fact that Wisconsin power is mostly coal generated. My point here is why aren’t they upfront about this when explaining their reasons?
Wisconsin has the 3rd lowest electric rates in the nation according to recent Edison Electric Institute comparisons.
Grant County Business:The Grant business report is from the summer of 2006, again Illinois rates went up 20% since that report.
According to the Typical Bills and Average Rates Report by Edison Electric Institute released in the Summer of 2006, Wisconsin has the lowest average electric rates when compared to Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. Wisconsin electric costs averages 28% to 44% less than Commonwealth Edison, when compared on a kilowatt and kilowatts per hour consumption basis. This includes electrical demand from 150kW to 1,000kW.
Retail Wheeling:Whether it is retail or wholesale bypass might not matter to the average consumer, but most of us I would imagine know the difference between importing and exporting. Apparently these transmission lines are not unidirectional and they can be used to import/export power. Why is it never mentioned in their info-commercials?
One option that has become the lightening rod of the current debate is that of "retail wheeling." Under this approach retail customers secure their own electricity and use the lines of the local utility for transport. Retail wheeling is best seen as "generation bypass" of local utilities.
2 comments:
Gee, why don't they just invite more increases in our bills!? I'm so sick of how these people operate. Wisconsin has lower electric bills than other states.....well we better charge them more. WE just asked for an increase, I have a feeling Alliant will be doing the same here soon. These little articles are just ways of telling people to get ready for increases, they (the papers) seem to be doing the job for the utilities. This way the utilities can say "what, we didn't say it!" and the papers can say "what, we're just reporting a story!" Meanwhile the papers just take the check to the bank for their little pulic service announcement. Consumers get angry but can blame no one, so they just take it. Welcome to the CS of A, thats corporate states of America.
Exactly, newspapers should be defenders of the public and hold the power players and the rest of establishment accountable through their articles and editorials. When the papers walk in lockstep with nearly all special interest growth plans, the average person feels defenseless. Whether its the price of gasoline or electricity, people just pay the bill and say, "nothing I can do about it."
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