WIND
Offshore mills! The wind is strong:
A grandiose scheme, beat the gong.
Beothuk sings a heady song
To let power flow To let flow to Up-along?
Think Muskrat Falls a precedent,
A template for a cost-ascent
That promises our discontent
As heat bills to the heavens sent.
Wind power widely subsidized:
Rates are low, cost high-sized.
Many projects ill-advised,
Markets often un-realized.
To fill Brakes Cove, what’s the need?
There’s lots of wharf, and land in weed
Sees little use, that could be freed
To development if must proceed.
For short-term jobs, the mayors bray:
Assemble mills in filled-in Bay.
The public signed for cost to pay?
To facilitate power give-away.
That old hype pattern on project moot.
We can’t afford the bill to foot –
The peoples bill! Who gives a hoot? –
– Demand a stop to our cash input.
John Tuach
Pynn’s Brook
August 18, 2017
I have suggested we need a revolution, such as Quebec had, called the Quiet Revolution. In the 1960s Quebec has about 1500 different school boards…….but one example of inefficiency and waste.
Here in the early 1900s , Grenfell preached against our denominational school system in Nfld. Even Clyde Wells failed to bring this about, but was finally done by Tobin. This a century and a half to achieve.
A Nfld revolution would have all the bark and bite of our Nfld or Labrador Retriever puppies: Less than a Quiet revolution,likely but a Hush Puppie one.
Let it start with poetry, such as this piece titled WIND
A lack of comments suggested the wisdom is this piece is not much appreciated by UN readers.
It is not that wind energy is not a valuable resource, and on shore wind could have been a significant cost effective part of an Isolated Option for the island instead of connecting to the mainland grid.
But this Beothic project is another mini Muskrat to screw the Nfld ratepayers. I have previously posted my views on that.
Yet no one except this bard seems to be speaking out on that planned project: least we forget how cost effective Muskrat is turning out.
Winston Adams
Has anyone really checked into the business dealings and credibility of Kirby Mercer ??? Lets start with Canadian Imperial Venture Corporation .
My postings previously cited information. One would think the Telegram would do a piece on him………but it seems anyone outfit that provides a bit of advertising income to the Telegram, does not get serious or any investigation.
WA
Take Russells piece today:Get ready: rates going up – again.
This about even more planned power rate hikes by Nfld Hydro, to total about 20 percent or more.
Good that he reads these applications before the PUB……Yet he says not one word on how one should get ready to address these rate hikes!
Russell himself installed miniplit heat pumps acccording to his piece about 6 months ago, with one line on the matter. But he does not advise others that this is a good option, or to beef up insulation, to to protest MF, or to stop throwing good money after bad,……. silence on how to GET READY!
His online piece had a pop up ad by Source Atlantic promoting the LG make heatpump………so the Telegram is now getting revenue from such sources. But more often, there are Take Charge ads, so Telegram ads from Nfld power and Nfld Hydro, but paid for by the ratepayers. Take Charge is nothing but a front for measures that are mostly inefffective, or misleading, or 20 years behind the times.
So, it seems that the Telegram and Russell prefers to say Get Ready, but nothing on how to get ready. Ad money coming from both directions….so why rock the boat!
Russells typical lack of attention to detail.
Expect to hear lots from Russell on the high rates coming our way…….but little in the past on the impact of shock rates or now on how to get ready for this.
And at MF sanction, rates were expected to go to 50 percent higher,so why his now surprise at shock rates about to hit.
Search for his warnings on shock rates in the past. Do they exist!
PF
The Telegram, and Russell can suck and blow at the same time. Seems the strategy for online ads is to have ads along side or pop up in the midst of an article.
So Russell writes on rising power bills, people gets concerned and reads it, and up pops a ad on saving on power bills…….very convenient!
Opinions pieces working hand in hand with advertising. This is the way it is meant to work.
Of course what is wrong with this is that it promotes one brand over another……..there is nothing to make customers aware of the advantages or disadvantages over another manufacturer. He who pays for the ads gets the business, your attention hooked by the article headline about power rates going up again. Is this ethical or just the realities of business. Maybe it should be noted as an infomercial.
Surely good journalism can do better to highlight the plight of residents and lack of good sources of information.
The executive bonuses paid, (Telegram), is a reflection of just how wasteful the mega project system is nowadays. Add up the 'soft costs' and one quickly realizes that about 25 cts on project expenses does not directly end up in hard construction costs. Projecting a $15B completion, only about $11B – $12B goes towards real measurable construction.
About 20 percent bonuses (56,000 to Gilbert Bennett) while adding another billion to the cost………now thats performance
Bonuses announced by Nalcor are a blatent attempt to stare down the public by saying "Look what we're doing. No one can touch us so live with it!!" How's that for arrogance!
NALCOR and cronies have the attitude of "get while the getting is good", as with a 30$ billion debt facing a half million people the end of that kinda bonuses is near. They also look at as "hey" we are bigger than muskrat, that oil money is ours too, I. E. Money coming in from oil , or minerals belongs to NALCOR cronies, and bum boys too. We own it all, we can afford bonuses now and into the future. They own the "shop" given to them and untouchable by the government, which means me and you. What a system of government and democracy. Yup, that's what we have, tin ditactorship form of government. If the question were asked, who is the most powerful,person in the province, would you say, Stan the man or ball and all. Would it be Eddie or Cathy when muskrat was scantioned. A great question of the day for vocm. A straw vote but would say it all.
Should have read "Eddie the 6$ million man or Cathy the loan shark"
Have you seen the article in The Economist about Muskrat? The headline seems to say it all: "Dodgy Dam in Canada's east".
People seem to forget the amount of subsidies spent on the offshore. It was to the tune of some $2.5 Billion in the form of PIP grants (Petroleum Incentive Program in the 1970's and early 1980's) and another $1.8 Billion spent by (or was it an "investment") by the federal government when Gulf bailed out. We must be cautious here in that if private industry is preaching the benefits of a project then maybe private industry should put up its own money. The price of energy may well fall if Donald Trump has his way with subsidies to coal, shale oil and control of Venezuela's oil fields. This price of energy will also include electricity in the very market we will be trying to sell Muskrat Falls, offshore oil and other forms of generating electricity. Very few areas in the world are capable of surviving on resources alone and the the only ones I know of are Norway and Saudi Arabia and both these have massive reserves of oil that aren't as easily depleted as Newfoundland's offshore fields. We must face up to it and remove our dependency off the resource economy or perish.
You can add to your post due the lack of agricultural activity here in Nl which forces us to import nearly all our food from mainland sources. It is debateable whether or not we will ever climb out of outside dependency while this food importation exists. Potato chip anyone?
The biggest threat we face in NL in the near future besides Muskrat Falls is the danger of Comne by Chance oil refinery and the Long Harbour Nickel plant closing when electricity rates rise. This is a situation that must be watched closely since both operations were built on the assumption that rates would not rise as high as the projections now. It would be a disaster to the NE Avalon since not only would it throw thousand or more out of work but also the various contracts associated with these two operations would disappear altogether. The oil refinery is already on precarious financial footing with several layoffs last year and a streamlining of maintenance and other divisions.
This is the result of trying to create overpriced construction jobs in this province. Both projects were built for just that and Muskrat Falls as one of its main objectives was also built to maintain the construction industry. To rebuild the economy of NL we must stop these Mega Projects that drain public money once and for all(Come by Chance did cost taxpayers some money and Long Harbour diverted royalties but Muskrat Falls-well the news speaks for itself). Government has to get out of the Mega Project business altogether like the politicians distanced themselves from the fish plants after the moratorium. We can no longer afford to keep employing high paid construction workers at all costs. A rational approach to development must be planned.
Any bonuses should be paid out only after at least 3 consecutive years of profits for any company or organization and done with outside audits and that should be a law across the board all-both government and private enterprises. This would help prevent fiascos such as Nalcor and Sears where by both the taxpayer and the workers were on the hook for money and wages. If you're a CEO and you can't produce a profit with in three years then there is something wrong with your management.
The Telegram is good at sucking and blowing at the same time, as to ad revenue (see prior comments)
Today, Hydro`s Jennifer Williams responds to Russell.
Russell on Aug 21 piece was titled …..Hydro shrugs off risk. In a rate application, To remotely operate spillway gates was cited as necessary to avoid risk, then they said there was no risk….so why spend over 2 million dollars.
Jennifer now explains there is risk, and that the expenditure is PRUDENT.
Off to the side of this online piece by Jennifer is a ad by …..think ductless.ca
If you go into this you find it is by (guess who)…. the wholesaler Source Atlantic.
So, whether talking about power , electricity in any form, or rate increases, these ads now appear regular This is not what Hydro wants to see….as they do their best NOT to have meaningful savings for customers, via their Take Charge BS.
But the Telegram can suck and blow at the same time, getting revenue from each. Very clever.
Their new owners had stated they had a NEW PLATFORM for PROFITABILITY. Suck and blow…..very clever.
Meanwhile Jennifer was on the list for bonuses this year. Hydro was cited and fined for IMPRUDENCE following DARKNL, for poor maintenance etc on our island grid, so they are doing catch up, recommended by Liberty.
But what of the IMPRUDENCE of Muskrat!
15 billion of imprudence, and no one accountable, and those responsible like Gil Bennett, , still getting bonuses! Seems there should be a reassessment of those bonuses reflecting the fiasco…….but that require the forensic audit ………so it seems necessary to keep the truth hidden, and keep on awarding bonuses.
Is there even one prudent decision related to MF!
PF
God vs Trump: Hurricane Harvey,
End of 2nd inning: God 20 , Trump Zero. Rainfall now over 50 inches, all time record in the USA.
Last comment on last piece of UG, comment by anon suggests a compassionate God would not send a hurricane, and that I blame God for man made climate change.
Reply: Gods laws of nature and the earths workings, that of physics and thermodynamics permits wind, rain, lighting etc, including hurricanes.
Mankind is tampering with those laws of nature,( Gods laws), beyond reasonable limits. So it is mankind that is making these storms more destructive.
When you challenge the reasonable limits of those natural laws, it is Gods laws vs Trumps and mankind laws. Not much of a contest, is it!
When so few die with so much destruction, is this not compassion to the extreme. Survivors have stated they are blessed by God to be alive. Many attribute their life and safety to God.
Trump states him and the Governor of Texas should not, yet, congratulate each other, but seemed anxious to do so! As if this event was over. Not exactly Churchill visiting bombed section of London in WW2. Trump lands at the Body of Christ, Corpus Christi, with little damage, ignoring the plight of survivors. What a statesman! What a Christian!
PF
Interesting piece by Pan Frampton in the Telegram, past quotes on Muskrat , the first letter of each quote spells out BOONDOGGLE.
Very clever to compile that.
Quote 6 is by Ed Martin, he cites electric heat as the rationale for Muskrat…….this is accurate,
Quote 5 is by Ken Marshall , saying all sources were evaluated.
Both of these appear ignorant of ,or dismiss, or mislead the alternative to baseboard heat that use 60 -75 percent less electricity………a system called heat pumps.
Neither mention Customer Efficiency as a power source, which many utilities acknowledge and practise, or of Efficiency Corporations independent of the power companies.
And interesting, at the bottom of this piece online is an ad link from Source Atlantic on minisplit heatpumps……..something mentioned by the comment of PF, previously, so the linking with topics of electric power seems very apparent.
Of course the Telegram also did not, as far as I recall, suggest customer efficiency or heatpumps as a alternative to Muskrat, by any reporter or editorial.
One comment in this piece say two third of Nflders were in favour of Muskrat……….suggests they were grossly ignorant or misled on the subject, the latter I suggest.
Winston Adams
If one Googles:Approved Heat Pump List Efficiency Nova Scotia, you will see a 2 page list of acceptable products, that are indicated as Cold Climate models. These are rated for good performance to -15 C, and so are also good for Nfld climate.
This is an excellent source of information, that Nfld Power refuses to provide to homeowners or contractors here. It gives a performance rating for cold conditions indicted as COP at -15C, so are sure to perform well even at cold snap conditions.Some contractors promote and use lower cost inferior units, that will not meet our climate requirements and save much less on electricity use.
The make LG is one of those, as advertised by the Telegram by Source Atlantic, as an acceptable model.
I cannot confirm this as a superior make, with two concerns;
1. Some makes use a blue fin coating for protection against salt corrosion……….not sure if LG uses a protective coating.
2. Source Atlantic cites that unit defrost after 15 minutes of operation. Not sure if this an error, as other makes I have monitored defrosts typical after 50 minutes to 3 hours , and for attic mounting defrosts about only once per day or less.
Frequent defrosts reduces performance and gives a lower COP then indicated in the list noted. It is related to relative humidity in the outdoor air, which is very high in Nfld, and lower actual COP then that indicated ( factory testing does not allow for the defrost cycles). Nevertheless, units have substantial savings.
It would be good if a Telegram writer cited the Nova Scotia list as a service to Nfld customers, as power companies here refuse to inform customers with appropriate data.
Winston Adams.
EARTHS LAMENT:
Mobil thou giant
With unquenching thirst
Take time, consider
My life comes first
Mar not my surface
Bleed not my veins
Think instead
Of my inner pain.
Hurricane Harvey: 112 rigs evacuated, 12 refineries shut down.
Global warming…….CO2 at all time high, temperatures rising, 80 percent of known reserves to remain in the earth…….drill baby, drill………..Nfld off shore program……
Anyone concerned about stalling weather patterns,here…. stalled Greenland highs, record freezing rain this spring, our similar annual rain fall to Houston Texas……….
In Texas there are two earth filled dams holding back water, the height of Muskrat dam, 108 ft of water, now completely filled with some overflow, despite spillway open. Normally this is grass with no water.
This constructed in the 1950s……..but no quick clay problem there, so it may hold , but concern.
I hear that more than 10,000 are lined up at Nalcor to protest high power rates…………..lined up 2 abreast for 7 kilometers……..wow…..
Sorry. A mistake, that is for Chase the Ace.
Stupid me, to think the Hush Puppie revolution had started!