If there was ever any doubt as to
whether or not the Smart Grid aspect of UN Agenda 21 is marching forward,
recent developments in Boulder, Colorado should dispel such skepticism.
Likewise, these developments should also make clear that so-called Smart
technology is about much more than simply cost saving.
The relevant part of this story starts
as far back as 2007 when Boulder entered into an agreement with Xcel
Energy to enable the city to become the world's first "smart city."
For those who are unaware of what the
terms "Smart Grid" and "Smart City" refer to, the Smart
Grid is essentially a computerized system that allows the monitoring and
control over energy use from power the plant source to every appliance in the
home. Smart Grid technology is a major part of UN Agenda 21, the United Nations
plans to herd a drastically reduced population into "human habitat
areas," meaning ultra-modern super cities with stack em' and pack em'
dwelling structures and zero contact with nature and the outside world.
Smart Grid technology includes the
infamous "Smart Meter," which is not only a Big Brother spy device
that monitors the amount of power consumed in the household (even down to the
specific devices using that power), but it is also linked to a variety of
adverse health effects as a result of the frequencies they emit.
Regardless of these issues, however,
Boulder is expected to become the model city for the rest of the world within
the coming years. Yet, if the Agenda 21 connections and the adverse health
effects were not enough to draw serious concern from the average taxpayer, the
sheer cost of the project should at least be cause for opposition.
Indeed, the recent report released by
the Denver Post is only one more example of how the average person who
is to live as a prisoner under the coming system is eagerly paying for and
building his own bars.
It is also a textbook example of the
privatization of services that should be provided by governments in that the
price tag for this venture as tabulated by Xcel Energy, the private
company controlling Boulder's power supply, has increased from $0 to $44.5
million with $27.9 million already being hoisted onto the backs of Colorado
residents.
Initially, of course, the cost of the
entire project was supposed to be much less than the current projections.
Because Xcel was joining with several different firms and corporations who were
supposed to share the burden, which was to cost a total of $100 million, the
cost to Xcel was to be only $15.3 million as their consortium partners were
expected to pick up the rest.
However, around May of 2008, a
discussion was held during Xcel's internal corporate finance meeting where it
appeared that the cost of the project to the company had doubled to about $31
million. Yet, when Xcel presented their way forward for the SmartGridCity
program in Boulder to the Public Utilities Committee, the company failed to
mention that its costs had risen. This is most likely because Xcel knew in advance
that it had the most effective means of debt leverage known to man -- the
American taxpayer -- to make up for any losses in the program. The Smart Grid,
after all, must go forward at any cost.
During the summer of 2008, after a
great deal of rushed work, crews completed installation of much of the
system so that they were able to unveil the "first SmartGridCity
home" in time for the second day of the Democratic National Convention. The
home included "integrated software, solar panels and an electric-car
charger" and gave tours to media organizations like ABC's Good Morning
America.
As 2009 approached, some of Xcel's
partners began to back away from the project, shifting more and more of the
costs onto Xcel itself.
No need to worry though, because Xcel
had the captive customer base of Boulder to fall back on. Which is exactly what
they did.
As Scott Wilensky, an Xcel senior vice
president, stated in PUC testimony, "Management concluded the costs of
continuing forward with the project completion under the initial scope were
less than the potential benefits that could be determined if there were a
broader pilot." Thus, Xcel decided not to stop the project or even modify
its goals, but to move ahead with the original plan.
In April of 2009, the board of Xcel set
the budget of the project at $27.3 million. Note that the budget was still
lower than the projected costs, which were known to be $31 million at
the time.
Shortly thereafter, the two executives
in charge of the SmartGridCity program left Xcel with Ray Gogel, the
lead executive for the project becoming CEO at Current Group, and Mike
Carlson taking a position with GridPoint Inc. Both Current Group and GridPoint
are consortium partners.
Finally, it was time for Xcel to cash
in on its unfortunate customer base.
In May, 2009, Xcel filed for a $132.5
million rate increase for Colorado that included $27 million allocated for
SmartGridCity.
In yet another interesting development,
shortly after the filing was made to increase energy rates, Xcel made the
decision to shift $17 million in SmartGridCity-related software costs
from Minneapolis (the other major city where Xcel operates) to the Colorado
budget. The Minneapolis costs, however, were actually part of Xcel's normal IT
budget so there was no justifiable reason for the Colorado customer to be
expected to pay it.
The revised numbers submitted by Xcel,
now totaling $45.8 million, were subsequently challenged by the Consumer
Counsel's office, the organization which represents small businesses and
residential customers, as well as industrial consumers such as Climax
Molybdenum and Rocky Mountain Steel.
As Mark Jaffe of the Denver Post
writes, Harry Di Domenico, a PUC analyst, testified that the project "was
conducted outside of normal budgeting processes and was therefore never subject
to normal budget reviews, policies and internal audit procedures."
The consumer counsel's office said that
once the project hit $27 million, Xcel should have stopped. Any costs
beyond that were imprudent.
Climax Molybdenum and Rocky Mountain
Steel in filings argued that SmartGridCity was a research project,
that it had not achieved its goals and that shareholders, not ratepayers,
should pick up the bill.
Obviously, it is true that the
ratepayers should not foot the bill for this disastrous experiment in an even more
disastrous overarching agenda. However, the collusion between global
schemes and local corruption knows no bounds.
After reviewing the request, the PUC
actually granted Xcel $27.9 million in rate hikes for SmartGridCity in January
2011. It even went so far as to state that Xcel could receive the rest of the
money once it demonstrated "value to customers and [that it] had a
strategic plan for the project."
Frustrated with being raped for
increasingly large amounts of money while still not receiving the product they
paid for, the Boulder voters agreed to allow the City Council to explore
whether or not they might be better served by replacing Xcel with a municipal
utility. Ironically, in order to direct the City Council to take these steps,
the voters had to approve yet another tax!
In terms of the privatization of
services -- whether it is trash pickup, water, energy, or other necessary procurements
for city life -- this is the typical procedure for hoisting
virtually all of the costs on the taxpayer while private companies owned by major
banks, etc. reap the profits.
For instance, the taxpayers are taxed
to develop and maintain a power system which is subsequently privatized. Then,
when a major update to that system is due, and after fleecing the taxpayer for
millions of dollars, there now lies the opportunity to revert back to city
service provision.
Thus, when even more vast amounts of money
are expended to install the totalitarian Smart Grid, it is likely that yet
another private company will slip in to reap the benefits shortly thereafter.
Nevertheless, the true issue is not
necessarily the cost of the program. As I stated earlier, the entire concept of
the Smart Grid represents a massive step toward the implementation of UN Agenda
21. Indeed, Smart Grid technology raises a myriad of concerns in its own right.
As Paul Joseph Watson writes: Indeed,
privacy experts have warned that smart meters could be used to spy on consumers
in a myriad of different ways, including "what appliances are being used
in individual homes, and even what programs are being watched on TV."
The European Data Protection Supervisor
(EDPS) warns that the rollout of smart meters will allow "massive
collection of personal data" by utility companies and governments, tracking
what "households do within the privacy of their own homes, whether they
are away on holiday or at work, if someone uses a specific medical device or a
baby monitor, or how they spend their free time".
The American Academy of Environmental
Medicine and other health bodies have voiced concern about potential damaging
effects of radio waves emitted by the smart meters and have urged a moratorium
on installing the devices.
The group recently warned that people
suffering from "neurological, neurodegenerative diseases, genetic
defects, cancer, and other conditions," should avoid smart meters because
they could be "adversely impacted by electromagnetic frequency (EMF) and
radio frequency (RF) fields," emitted by the devices.
Instead of demanding that the Smart
Grid technology be delivered in a cheaper manner, it is imperative that
the Boulder voters demand that the technology is removed altogether. While
demanding renewable sources of energy is important, it is also important that
this real demand for greener power not be corralled and co-opted into a demand
for increased surveillance, control, and ultimate dehumanization.
AP by Brandon Turbeville, November 1, 2012
Comments:
We have “smart meters” in Georgia. Look at your electric meter to see if it says
“smart meter” on the right in small print.
It communicates with your household appliances to report back what you’re
using and when. It is a wireless system
and its emissions have caused health problems. It is capable of turning down
your thermostat. Pregnant women have been warned not to leave their electrical devices plugged in at night where they are sleeping.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party
Leader
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