Smart Grid Scam

Mr. Hall,

I must tell you that I did not see where you were going with your articles about methane/natural gas. I finally understood that there is huge energy gain if we transport natural gas to homes and generate electricity at a home instead of using centralized power plants and transmitting electricity. I did not realize the power loss in the lines was so large.

Once I knew there are unrealized savings in the power distribution scheme, I wondered why General Electric was pushing a "Smart Grid." GE must know the savings they can get by optimizing the current system are puny. Why would the power companies go along with such a puny plan, I wondered. So I looked closely and discovered that the Smart Grid is a scheme meant to extract more money from us, not to make improvements in the power grid.

What I discovered is that the Smart Grid will allow power companies to turn off some of our appliances when they want. They will be able to turn off the heat to electric clothes dryers, to turn off water heaters, and to turn off our stoves and ovens if they are electric. But we will have to buy new "Smart Appliances" that the power companies can control. So GE will sell us more appliances! And the power companies plan to increase our electric rates unless we buy the Smart Appliances.

Instead of maintaining or improving the electric grid to meet demand, the power companies plan to cut our power. Instead of cutting all the power and leaving us in the dark, they will cut our appliance use. This is third world thinking. It's in the 3rd world where there are power outages. The lack of spending on infrastructure that has led to collapsing bridges is being extended to our power grid.

The facts have all been published. Clear explanations have not been provided in the press, but the details have been published. I only needed the context of your articles about methane to lead me to the critical analysis of Smart Grid and discover the Smart Grid is a scam.

I would not have looked closely at the Smart Grid if it were not for your articles about Methane. Thank you. You are doing us a real service with your provocative articles.

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