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SF Public Utilities Commission up to mischief - favoring dubious ploys by Barbara Hale.
San Francisco touts it is green but far from it - it has just begun to understand - sustainability. There are many other towns and cities that have a better track record when it comes to Solar and other Clean Energy. However, San Francisco touts it has done this, that, and the other - linked to Clean Energy - but far from it - it has done little. The latest ploy by Barbara Hale from SFPUC is to introduce the Private Sector to take the lead. Taking a fiscal role - that mandates as a clause - that the SF Board of Supervisors - have NO oversight - in fiscal matters. Leaving the SF City and County holding the bag - if something goes wrong - and of course all this - in these very difficult Economic times when funding for large projects - is difficult - less feasible.
San Francisco thinks it has the bragging rights when it comes to anything.
Well, this mantra does not hold up - when you tally the empirical data and more when you do the investigative study of our measly Solar Projects - in this City and County of San Francisco.
In the past the main Solar Project on Moscone West and the Pier 96 Solar Project have not been sound.
If the books were opened - you would see great "flaws". However, the dubious folks in charge simply talk about Solar and its benefits - but do not allow the ordinary citizen - to have a peep at the accounting and the real flow of energy into any GRID system of worth.
One must remember in all the howling that SF Public Utilities undertakes it does not have a mandate to sell electric.
In fact in all the years it has been in business - it has failed to itself be in charge of distributing and accounting for the Hydro-Electricity that is generated at Hetch Hetchy.
The main purpose of Hetch Hetchy - was that San Francisco have sufficient water and electricity.
In the past twenty years - this has NOT been the case.
At one time millions of dollars were spent from the General Fund - by Mayors such as Diane Feinstein - monies generated by the SF Water Department now the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
The main point linked to Hetch Herchy - being it diverts some hydro-electricity to Tulare - and this ploy and machination is not openly spoken of.
Secondly, it has dubious arrangements with Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E) - that way back in the 1920s - complete the Transmission Line to San Francisco and neighboring counties. Then went back to Congress and took control of the Transmission Lines and energy distribution - thus favoring the Filthy Rich that had Stocks and Shares in PG&E.
SF Water Department of the past and SFPUC of the present - are symbols that lack accountability and transparency. One sad look at the present SFPU Commissioners will re enforce that - so sad that we have come so far - and are now sinking in the cesspool that SFPUC has created.
For years Energy has brought rich dividends to the "filthy rich" while City Managers, Directors, others in power have failed to state in clear terms - why San Francisco has not been able to take control of its own power. More distribute, sell, and be in charge?
Every time some Proposition is made to do this - PG&E spends millions and defeats the Propositions.
The only entity that has made some dent in the concrete information to educate the public has been the Bay Guardian. PG&E once took the Bay Guardian to court and made them pay. Ever since that fateful day - Bruce the owner of the Bay Guardian has been monitoring PG&E - like a bull dog - and rightly so.
Most San Francisco constituents have not read the Raker Act of 1913 and less the many documents that put Pacific Gas and Electric in the cockpit.
Few know about the old times when the SF Water Department was in charge - and the recent times when the SF Water Department is still in charge - but SFPUC an enterprise department - that does not tap into the SF City and County's General Fund - fiscally is in charge - but the nity gritty - hard working Water Department does the work - through service orders.
This back ground is thrown to the reader to further understand that in recent years the constituents of San Francisco have given the SFPUC a blank check - the $2.4 billion dollar blank check - linked to the upgrade of the Waste and Clean Water - the projects are not moving fast enough - and is costing too much money.
It is really $4.2 billion when you look at it Region Wide with the millions of customers all over the Region who are distributed and have the pleasure of drinking and flushing their toilets with pristine Hetch Hetchy water.
I say pristine - because at the SOURCE it is Sacred Water - that was stolen from the First People - down stream it is mixed with water from other sources - treated and distributed.
San Francisco consumes about 960 MegaWatts of Electricity.
We need about 30 to 40 MegaWatts during Peak Times - when demand for Electricity increases. The only inner city generation are from two power plants - one is the Mirant Power Plant and the other a smaller one between 5th and 6th Market - if you see the stacks you see it - from the alley opposite Nordstrom's.
The other Clean Energy in smaller amounts from the various Solar Project - Moscone West, Pier 96, the Phelps Treatment Plant - not much and not adding to more then 7 Mega Watts in toto.
Right now the Potrero-Hunters Point and the Jefferson-Martin Transmission lines bring us the bulk of our electricity.
By the year 2012 we hope a Transmission line - under the Bay will bring us - about 400 Mega Watts to San Francisco - with lots of Electricity to spare.
We must stay away from Plants that produce electricity using fossil fuel.
Today, the Mirant Plant has been causing a lot of environmental problems - the older parts of the Mirant Plant must be shut down - as soon as possible.
The City and County could have taken a lead years ago - and Supervisor Tom Ammiano did with a Proposition that created a $100 million Bond.
It had some flaws - and could not be implemented of some fiscal surety element - and of course the issue of tapping into the Main GRID - that Pacific Gas and Electric will NOT permit any other entity to tap into.
The laws have been changed and we have as the City and County of San Francisco lost time, money, and now cannot do much in this present Economic Crisis.
PG&E has lost some clout - but has gone ahead and invested heavily in Solar Projects with our money. Most of us pay PG&E for our Electricity not SF Public Utilities Commission.
Secondly on a average and this is important - Pacific Gas and Electric get its Electricity for about 8 cents per Kilo Watt on an average - 10 cents Kilo Watt at the most - and sells it for more.
You can go for Solar - but if it cost more then 20 cents be very careful.
These Solar Hogs will talk the talk - but cannot walk the walk. If these Solar Hogs tell you the price of the Kilo Watt they generate is more then 20 cents a Kilo Watt - they will charge you more. But, right from the start they will not tell you much.
In the case of Recurrent Energy they chose to have many meetings behind close doors - thinking they could work a deal. Meeting with some crooked San Francisco Supervisors - and making deals.
At the recent Budget and Finance Committee - Harvey Rose laid it out straight - advising the SF Board of Supervisors to stay clear of any project or contract where they is little or no over sight.
As I said in the past - we did not do our home work - today we have a $100 million bond measure - linked to Solar Project - but it really is not going anywhere.
The gimmicks by Phil Ting and his side-kicks the likes of James Bryant is NOT going anywhere.
Mayor Gavin Newsom talks the talk - but as you can see - it is mostly hot air.
Now, some other wanabees have lined to work for a measly 21 job slots - with no clear agreement and what is more no blue print - linked to career jobs - at the Sunset Reservoir by 24th Avenue and Ortega.
The plan is to generate about 5 Mega Watts of electricity and sell it for now to entities like the crooked and corrupt - Redevelopment Agency.
None of these machinations have been brought before the community where an open dialog could have generated some consensus and clear understanding.
No mention was made - even to the SF Board of Supervisor to relegate their Over Sight Powers.
After the first seven years - and after the Internal Revenue System meets its requirement from the Recurrent Energy Limited Partnership - entity - anything could happen. But, by then Barbara Hale will have disappeared.
Barbara Hale has NOT been honest - and those that want arrange for jobs and think they are doing the constituents of San Francisco some good - are at best hoodwinking themselves because they are ignorant, have been ignorant about Job Workforce and standard training.
Some of them are supposed to be community advocates who really have not clue about a contract and have never, ever signed one.
They are looking for money in the wrong place. It is so said to see these folks - that may mean well - but in their ignorance are a disgrace to society and the community. At times they act like sell outs. Some have sold out the community - a hundred times over - the likes of James Bryant and his cohorts.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission better get RID of Barbara Hale - the stop assigning her any project and contract - worth any salt.
Barbara Hale has failed the City and County of San Francisco umpteen times - and one more chance is one more chance - too many:
http://www.recurrentenergy.com
http://www.sfwater.org
Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy
*****************************
*****************************
Well, this mantra does not hold up - when you tally the empirical data and more when you do the investigative study of our measly Solar Projects - in this City and County of San Francisco.
In the past the main Solar Project on Moscone West and the Pier 96 Solar Project have not been sound.
If the books were opened - you would see great "flaws". However, the dubious folks in charge simply talk about Solar and its benefits - but do not allow the ordinary citizen - to have a peep at the accounting and the real flow of energy into any GRID system of worth.
One must remember in all the howling that SF Public Utilities undertakes it does not have a mandate to sell electric.
In fact in all the years it has been in business - it has failed to itself be in charge of distributing and accounting for the Hydro-Electricity that is generated at Hetch Hetchy.
The main purpose of Hetch Hetchy - was that San Francisco have sufficient water and electricity.
In the past twenty years - this has NOT been the case.
At one time millions of dollars were spent from the General Fund - by Mayors such as Diane Feinstein - monies generated by the SF Water Department now the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
The main point linked to Hetch Herchy - being it diverts some hydro-electricity to Tulare - and this ploy and machination is not openly spoken of.
Secondly, it has dubious arrangements with Pacific Gas and Electricity (PG&E) - that way back in the 1920s - complete the Transmission Line to San Francisco and neighboring counties. Then went back to Congress and took control of the Transmission Lines and energy distribution - thus favoring the Filthy Rich that had Stocks and Shares in PG&E.
SF Water Department of the past and SFPUC of the present - are symbols that lack accountability and transparency. One sad look at the present SFPU Commissioners will re enforce that - so sad that we have come so far - and are now sinking in the cesspool that SFPUC has created.
For years Energy has brought rich dividends to the "filthy rich" while City Managers, Directors, others in power have failed to state in clear terms - why San Francisco has not been able to take control of its own power. More distribute, sell, and be in charge?
Every time some Proposition is made to do this - PG&E spends millions and defeats the Propositions.
The only entity that has made some dent in the concrete information to educate the public has been the Bay Guardian. PG&E once took the Bay Guardian to court and made them pay. Ever since that fateful day - Bruce the owner of the Bay Guardian has been monitoring PG&E - like a bull dog - and rightly so.
Most San Francisco constituents have not read the Raker Act of 1913 and less the many documents that put Pacific Gas and Electric in the cockpit.
Few know about the old times when the SF Water Department was in charge - and the recent times when the SF Water Department is still in charge - but SFPUC an enterprise department - that does not tap into the SF City and County's General Fund - fiscally is in charge - but the nity gritty - hard working Water Department does the work - through service orders.
This back ground is thrown to the reader to further understand that in recent years the constituents of San Francisco have given the SFPUC a blank check - the $2.4 billion dollar blank check - linked to the upgrade of the Waste and Clean Water - the projects are not moving fast enough - and is costing too much money.
It is really $4.2 billion when you look at it Region Wide with the millions of customers all over the Region who are distributed and have the pleasure of drinking and flushing their toilets with pristine Hetch Hetchy water.
I say pristine - because at the SOURCE it is Sacred Water - that was stolen from the First People - down stream it is mixed with water from other sources - treated and distributed.
San Francisco consumes about 960 MegaWatts of Electricity.
We need about 30 to 40 MegaWatts during Peak Times - when demand for Electricity increases. The only inner city generation are from two power plants - one is the Mirant Power Plant and the other a smaller one between 5th and 6th Market - if you see the stacks you see it - from the alley opposite Nordstrom's.
The other Clean Energy in smaller amounts from the various Solar Project - Moscone West, Pier 96, the Phelps Treatment Plant - not much and not adding to more then 7 Mega Watts in toto.
Right now the Potrero-Hunters Point and the Jefferson-Martin Transmission lines bring us the bulk of our electricity.
By the year 2012 we hope a Transmission line - under the Bay will bring us - about 400 Mega Watts to San Francisco - with lots of Electricity to spare.
We must stay away from Plants that produce electricity using fossil fuel.
Today, the Mirant Plant has been causing a lot of environmental problems - the older parts of the Mirant Plant must be shut down - as soon as possible.
The City and County could have taken a lead years ago - and Supervisor Tom Ammiano did with a Proposition that created a $100 million Bond.
It had some flaws - and could not be implemented of some fiscal surety element - and of course the issue of tapping into the Main GRID - that Pacific Gas and Electric will NOT permit any other entity to tap into.
The laws have been changed and we have as the City and County of San Francisco lost time, money, and now cannot do much in this present Economic Crisis.
PG&E has lost some clout - but has gone ahead and invested heavily in Solar Projects with our money. Most of us pay PG&E for our Electricity not SF Public Utilities Commission.
Secondly on a average and this is important - Pacific Gas and Electric get its Electricity for about 8 cents per Kilo Watt on an average - 10 cents Kilo Watt at the most - and sells it for more.
You can go for Solar - but if it cost more then 20 cents be very careful.
These Solar Hogs will talk the talk - but cannot walk the walk. If these Solar Hogs tell you the price of the Kilo Watt they generate is more then 20 cents a Kilo Watt - they will charge you more. But, right from the start they will not tell you much.
In the case of Recurrent Energy they chose to have many meetings behind close doors - thinking they could work a deal. Meeting with some crooked San Francisco Supervisors - and making deals.
At the recent Budget and Finance Committee - Harvey Rose laid it out straight - advising the SF Board of Supervisors to stay clear of any project or contract where they is little or no over sight.
As I said in the past - we did not do our home work - today we have a $100 million bond measure - linked to Solar Project - but it really is not going anywhere.
The gimmicks by Phil Ting and his side-kicks the likes of James Bryant is NOT going anywhere.
Mayor Gavin Newsom talks the talk - but as you can see - it is mostly hot air.
Now, some other wanabees have lined to work for a measly 21 job slots - with no clear agreement and what is more no blue print - linked to career jobs - at the Sunset Reservoir by 24th Avenue and Ortega.
The plan is to generate about 5 Mega Watts of electricity and sell it for now to entities like the crooked and corrupt - Redevelopment Agency.
None of these machinations have been brought before the community where an open dialog could have generated some consensus and clear understanding.
No mention was made - even to the SF Board of Supervisor to relegate their Over Sight Powers.
After the first seven years - and after the Internal Revenue System meets its requirement from the Recurrent Energy Limited Partnership - entity - anything could happen. But, by then Barbara Hale will have disappeared.
Barbara Hale has NOT been honest - and those that want arrange for jobs and think they are doing the constituents of San Francisco some good - are at best hoodwinking themselves because they are ignorant, have been ignorant about Job Workforce and standard training.
Some of them are supposed to be community advocates who really have not clue about a contract and have never, ever signed one.
They are looking for money in the wrong place. It is so said to see these folks - that may mean well - but in their ignorance are a disgrace to society and the community. At times they act like sell outs. Some have sold out the community - a hundred times over - the likes of James Bryant and his cohorts.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission better get RID of Barbara Hale - the stop assigning her any project and contract - worth any salt.
Barbara Hale has failed the City and County of San Francisco umpteen times - and one more chance is one more chance - too many:
http://www.recurrentenergy.com
http://www.sfwater.org
Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy
*****************************
*****************************
For more information:
http://www.recurrentenergy.com
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