HD37 Dems: Fwd: Calendar Update

----- Original Message -----

Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 10:32 AM

Subject: Calendar Update - The GrassCatcher

The GrassCatcher!

Calender update: See below this message…

Just when you were ready to get solar this is what Xcel is doing to stop you.

Read this to see what's happening. You won't see this info as an insert in your utility bill. Anything you see there will not tell you the truth.

Xcel don't Eclipse Solar!

As you may remember from WeatherDem's diary, Xcel is planning on adding a monthly charge to their "net metered" customers (i.e. those who would have likely invested $15,000 - $25,000 in their solar installation). The new charges will result in the solar customers paying MORE than those without solar installations.* If passed, this proposal would result in solar installations coming to a screeching halt in Colorado.

What happened to the green energy economy the governor is talking about? Xcel is trying to stop it! Is the governor not walking the talk? Will he allow Xcel to do this?

There will be a PUC public comment hearing on:
Wednesday, August 5th
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
1560 Broadway, Suite 1550
Denver, CO 80202

Sierra Club and East Denver Neighborhood Volunteers for Change, plan on attending the hearing. We'll be easy to spot, as we're planning on wearing black to signify what will happen to solar installations in Colorado if this outrageous proposal were to go through. Please consider joining us!
From Bella Energy's site:
Under Xcel's proposed rate structure:

Every residence with a solar system will be charged a ratcheted MINIMUM MONTHLY CHARGE-regardless of how much electricity is generated by the solar system in that month. If a solar household purchases electricity from Xcel Energy in ANY twelve-month period, Xcel will charge the customer for that same amount of electricity as A MINIMUM CHARGE EVERY SINGLE MONTH FOR THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS-even in months when you are producing all of your own electricity!
If you purchase electricity from Xcel Energy in more than one month, the new minimum monthly charge will be pegged to the month in which you purchase the GREATEST number of kilowatt-hours!
These charges are IN ADDITION to the current monthly minimum of $7.50 already paid by solar customers!

Commenter Stan Wagon lays it out:

Suppose my electricity cost with no solar panel would be $600 a year, for an average of $50 a month.

Suppose that in December my panels are completely covered in snow (this happened this year) requiring me to purchase, say, $65 worth of electricity from XCel. Dec. is darker and colder than July so usage in Dec. is above the $50 average.

Then XCel wants to charge me $65 a month for the next 12 months. So my expense to XCel over the year would be 65 x 12 = $780. This would be MORE than if I had no solar PV system at all. So at this point the solar panels would be costing me money, and therefore I should put the entire system in the trash, and eat the $25,000.00 I paid for it.

Xcel's last rate increase was just implemented a mere (6? 7?) weeks ago. The one before that was last fall. Xcel is allowed to pass energy basic costs (natural gas, coal) on to customers monthly without a rate increase request, so I have a difficult time figuring out how they can be so inefficient.

I can't help but compare this "situation" to the health crisis, except that is worse. In this case, we have a single private company providing essential services, with (apparently) weak governmental oversight and as a result treating their customers as their personal no-limit ATM.

IMHO, If Xcel can't provide energy services at a reasonable cost, then we need to introduce competition or switch to a "public option".

*Customers with systems in place prior to April of 2010 will be grandfathered in, only installations after that will be subject to the new charges.

» Read full article on[SquareState.net - Front Page]

Call the governors office 303.866.2471 and ask for Alice Madden's number ________she will hear what you say, talk to her and tell her how angry you are about this. Tell her that Clean Coal is a Dirty Lie!

Call Jim Martin, brains behind clean coal garbage and exec director of the CO Dept Public Health and Environment... 303.691.7700. Tell him what you think.

Set an appointment with either Alice Madden and/or Jim Martin and Nancy LaPlaca and Leslie Glustrom and myself will go with you.

The Comanche plant's mercury permit is up for review and the PUC fought getting info that shows they probably will not meet the EPA requirements. Why?

We need the 100th Monkey approach.. massive numbers of people calling and asking the PUC, Gov, etc. to stop Xcel from adding these rate charges... and increases... these people are trying to stop the move to clean, renewable energy.

If we talk about a green energy economy but put up road blocks to this happening then what are we really doing?

Michael Bennett was in the Denver Mayor's office and was working to stop the move to renewable energy before he was appointed as our senator. What is going on here?

Calendar of Events:

August 4^th – 5:30 pm. National Night Out hosted by Elsie Guzman at 5448 S . ForestHill St Littleton 80120 phone 720-283-1323 email elsie.guzman@hotmail.com

This is a potluck, bring something to share, no chips please.

August 4^th – Arapahoe Dems Excecutive Committee Meeting at the party HQ 15445 E Iliff Ave Aurora, CO 80013 7 pm. Find out what is going on with the county party.

August 8^th – Solar Saturday 11 a.m. at Blueberry's Café at 1500 W Littleton Blvd. We normally meet out in the hallway at the tables.

August 13^th –7 pm. HD38's 1^st annual Ice Cream Social at home of Arnie and Deidre Clarke. 5828 S Louthan, Littleton 80120 home phone 303-795-2138 email deidreclarke@msn.com This is also a fundraiser for Joe Rice while he is in Iraq.