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Until the power scam was blown on this blog, the attention was being spun to the inconvenience of it all. Media around the province went along with that and, helped to propagate that line of thinking.
Until this blog put up the numbers, EPCOR was ready to pocket the money and run. The city of Edmonton and those councilors took the same tact! I have been told by Edmonton elected officials they do not want to go back to the regulated system. They privatized EPCOR and it is bringing back a good profit for the city, thank you.
In fact, every one in the chain was happy to pocket the windfall profits no matter how questionable the practice was. No money went out of the system! One department paying another and charging us. Do you hear of any of these crooks saying they will give the money back?
I think we have to look long and hard at our elected officials. All of them seem to be more than happy to pick our pockets given the opportunity!
Why can’t we have the RCMP investigate? Well, the RCMP cannot investigate unless the Attorney General of Alberta gives them the go ahead. You can be very sure the Conservatives would not give such an approval unless they were very sure of a favorable outcome ahead of time.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Monday, July 31, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
PPAs- The inside circle
Many of the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are owned by The Power Corp. This is not an electrical company; it is the parent company of Great West Life. Mr. Mazankowsy is chair at Great West Life.
Many PPAs are unsold because they are natural gas driven and consequently too expensive to make a profit at. I ask you, why would the Power Corp hold onto worthless PPAs?
Nothing the Power Corp does is non profit! They are making money on holding these units. Is that part of the 192 million dollar a day brown out?
Yes, this is the same Great West Life sitting in the shadows to take control of our health care, picking up the paper from AOn, a non operational scam company.
These guys have a small profitable circle and they stick together like crap!
Sad to say but the only hope is to get rid of the Conservatives.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Many PPAs are unsold because they are natural gas driven and consequently too expensive to make a profit at. I ask you, why would the Power Corp hold onto worthless PPAs?
Nothing the Power Corp does is non profit! They are making money on holding these units. Is that part of the 192 million dollar a day brown out?
Yes, this is the same Great West Life sitting in the shadows to take control of our health care, picking up the paper from AOn, a non operational scam company.
These guys have a small profitable circle and they stick together like crap!
Sad to say but the only hope is to get rid of the Conservatives.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Is the Electrical Brown-out a deliberate rip off?
The last scam going in Electricity involved Genesee power plant planned shut down and, the activation of the Clover Bar plant. On the surface this seems like nothing however, the cheap supplies from Saskatchewan and BC were not used. Instead, a huge amount of money was pumped into the owners of the PPA for Clover Bar who, also held PPAs in the Genesee operation. A cash flow operation!
Simply put we were robbed!
When they were busted on Ralph’s world, the decision was prompted to shut down Clover Bar generation as it was too expensive being powered by natural gas which is now being given away to the oil companies at the tar sands.
AESO is to get advance warnings of outages from the PPA buyers. Then, if the planned shut down is going to cause brown outs, the AESO can ask (not order) the plant to change the date of it’s planned shut down. This should control costs.
What happened in Alberta was a number of plants shut down at the same time. Consider much of the Production is owned by the same PPA people. This little trick forced the price of electricity from 100.00 to 1000.00 per MwH. Considering the demand was peaked at some 8000 Mwh these same plants made a windfall profit of 192 million dollars over the course of 1 day! For days!
The question has to be asked is this a deliberate manipulation of the electrical system for profit? If so it is not the first time! It is time to heat up your phones to your MLA.
And yes, you will see it on your utility bills.
Ralph has said his deregulation is working fine. The criteria for success are the profit the companies are returning and that only. This is the Conservative way.
This is a cut and paste from the AESO link under the History tab.
9.Outage Scheduling CoordinationAll the PPA Buyers and GFOs are expected to review and take into account the short-term to mid term system supply adequacy when they prepare the schedules for their unit outages. It is expected that the PPA Buyers and the GFOs , in response to market forces, will change their outage schedules when needed to avoid insufficient supply situations. The changes in the original schedules should be communicated to the AESO, as specified in subsection 5a above. Each day, the AESO will review the next 7 (seven) day schedules for generation outages. Whenever an outage is scheduled for a date/time when the supply margin appears to be insufficient, the AESO personnel will contact the Buyer or GFO involved and:
a. advise of situation; b. suggest changes in schedule
etc
4. Types of outages covered
1. a) Forced Outage - the occurrence of a component failure or other condition that requires to remove the generating unit from service immediately or up to or including the very next weekend. b) Maintenance Outage - the removal of a generating unit from service to perform work on specific components which could have been postponed past the very next weekend. This is work done to prevent a potential forced outage and which could not be postponed from season to season. c) Planned Outage - the removal of a generating unit from service for inspection and/or general overhaul of one or more major equipment groups. This work is usually scheduled well in advance.
Since Forced Outages are generally not scheduled, out of these three types of outages, only the last two outage types (maintenance and planned) could be subject to effective scheduling coordination.
Trading page
Also there is a distinct possibility the heavy service power line between Calgary and Edmonton overloaded and tripped a breaker (heavy usage at 8000 MW)
This in turn may have blown other breakers.
Serious coin was pocketed in the meantime, it changes nothing.
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Simply put we were robbed!
When they were busted on Ralph’s world, the decision was prompted to shut down Clover Bar generation as it was too expensive being powered by natural gas which is now being given away to the oil companies at the tar sands.
AESO is to get advance warnings of outages from the PPA buyers. Then, if the planned shut down is going to cause brown outs, the AESO can ask (not order) the plant to change the date of it’s planned shut down. This should control costs.
What happened in Alberta was a number of plants shut down at the same time. Consider much of the Production is owned by the same PPA people. This little trick forced the price of electricity from 100.00 to 1000.00 per MwH. Considering the demand was peaked at some 8000 Mwh these same plants made a windfall profit of 192 million dollars over the course of 1 day! For days!
The question has to be asked is this a deliberate manipulation of the electrical system for profit? If so it is not the first time! It is time to heat up your phones to your MLA.
And yes, you will see it on your utility bills.
Ralph has said his deregulation is working fine. The criteria for success are the profit the companies are returning and that only. This is the Conservative way.
This is a cut and paste from the AESO link under the History tab.
9.Outage Scheduling CoordinationAll the PPA Buyers and GFOs are expected to review and take into account the short-term to mid term system supply adequacy when they prepare the schedules for their unit outages. It is expected that the PPA Buyers and the GFOs , in response to market forces, will change their outage schedules when needed to avoid insufficient supply situations. The changes in the original schedules should be communicated to the AESO, as specified in subsection 5a above. Each day, the AESO will review the next 7 (seven) day schedules for generation outages. Whenever an outage is scheduled for a date/time when the supply margin appears to be insufficient, the AESO personnel will contact the Buyer or GFO involved and:
a. advise of situation; b. suggest changes in schedule
etc
4. Types of outages covered
1. a) Forced Outage - the occurrence of a component failure or other condition that requires to remove the generating unit from service immediately or up to or including the very next weekend. b) Maintenance Outage - the removal of a generating unit from service to perform work on specific components which could have been postponed past the very next weekend. This is work done to prevent a potential forced outage and which could not be postponed from season to season. c) Planned Outage - the removal of a generating unit from service for inspection and/or general overhaul of one or more major equipment groups. This work is usually scheduled well in advance.
Since Forced Outages are generally not scheduled, out of these three types of outages, only the last two outage types (maintenance and planned) could be subject to effective scheduling coordination.
Trading page
Also there is a distinct possibility the heavy service power line between Calgary and Edmonton overloaded and tripped a breaker (heavy usage at 8000 MW)
This in turn may have blown other breakers.
Serious coin was pocketed in the meantime, it changes nothing.
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Monday, July 17, 2006
Klein tells Americans degregulation is great!
Today, Monday July 17, 2006 at the Westin Hotel in Edmonton our favorite guy Mr. Ralph Klein addressed an audience of mostly American mover and shakers. He told them we are second in the world as far as oil supply is concerned. He didn’t tell them we do not have sufficient water to exploit the production.
He also told them (Mr. Dinning’s) deregulation plan is working find.
Obviously his view of success is that all the Alberta taxpayer equities have been sold to US companies at a value of 1 cent on a dollar. Also, because these companies can charge Albertan’s anything they want basically, they, the companies, are allowed to tuck away over 50 million dollars a year in profits. Yet, we must pay the highest rates in the country and, pay for the power lines to export power.
Look at the game:
Oil companies draw off our resource at the lowest rates in the world.
To get this oil out of the ground, they need multi billion dollars worth of extraction equipment and plants.
To do this, they are prepared to pay the highest wages in North America, probably in the world.
This money is not paid out of their profits; no! This money is paid out of our cut of the very shallow royalties!
This “great economy” is pushing up wages and the cost of goods and services in this province. We are paying 20% more for bread, labor and mechanics etc. than they are in other parts of the country.
A double hit. First, rob us of our royalty then, charge us double for the results.
I have to believe it is planned that the high utility bills would close down industry in this province leaving a labor force available for the Tar Sands.
If any of you out there are thinking Dinning as a premier keep in mind he has no plans at all other than becoming Premier and enforcing the oil companies will.
Along side of him even Klein looks better!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
He also told them (Mr. Dinning’s) deregulation plan is working find.
Obviously his view of success is that all the Alberta taxpayer equities have been sold to US companies at a value of 1 cent on a dollar. Also, because these companies can charge Albertan’s anything they want basically, they, the companies, are allowed to tuck away over 50 million dollars a year in profits. Yet, we must pay the highest rates in the country and, pay for the power lines to export power.
Look at the game:
Oil companies draw off our resource at the lowest rates in the world.
To get this oil out of the ground, they need multi billion dollars worth of extraction equipment and plants.
To do this, they are prepared to pay the highest wages in North America, probably in the world.
This money is not paid out of their profits; no! This money is paid out of our cut of the very shallow royalties!
This “great economy” is pushing up wages and the cost of goods and services in this province. We are paying 20% more for bread, labor and mechanics etc. than they are in other parts of the country.
A double hit. First, rob us of our royalty then, charge us double for the results.
I have to believe it is planned that the high utility bills would close down industry in this province leaving a labor force available for the Tar Sands.
If any of you out there are thinking Dinning as a premier keep in mind he has no plans at all other than becoming Premier and enforcing the oil companies will.
Along side of him even Klein looks better!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Who pays and, where is the balance?
I recently had an extended conversation with a young man who has a welding rig, working from camp to camp around the machinery area. He drives up to a work site, contacts the job foreman and tells him he is available here and now and his rate is $320.00 per hour. Most times he works a 16 hour day, 7 days a week. Whew!
In most instances the job foreman will give him an open ended PO and put him to work welding offering bonus hours if he will work over 10. Also offered is only welding, the company will provide its own people to de-burr the seams after the welding is finished.
He makes an insane amount of money and pays the same scale for a hovel to stay in at Fort McMurray occasionally usually opting for sleeping in his truck.
It doesn't matter to the exploration companies can pay 1000 dollars an hour if they want, it goes onto the cost of their construction costs. All construction costs (as in 100%) are deducted from the money received from selling the oil until, all is paid for. Only 1% of revenue goes to the Alberta Government! When all is built and paid for, 5% goes to the Alberta Government, that being the lowest recovery in the world.
Our total take is far below the 25% of revenue talked about. This again is the lowest in the world. If the oil companies won't give up another 15% as they should, then, go explore in Ontario.
You and I are paying the extreme high wages in the Tar Sands! There is no accountability!
You and I are also paying for the higher rates in labor around the province, pushed up by the open process in staffing used by the oil companies.
In addition to this, these same processes use our natural gas. Whether or not the oil companies charge us for this by withholding royalty money or, they get it for nothing, it is all out of the taxpayer pocket. We, the tax payers pay for the electrical transimssion lines built from the Tar Sands to export power to the US!
We have more oil in this province than we have water! Yet, oil companies get huge amounts of water from the aquifer and lakes that they don't have to pay for and without regard to a dwindling resource.
There is another source of water about 4000 feet down, below the sweet water (Aquitaine aquifer). This water is poison and will never be used for drinking or domestic use. Why not force the oil companies to uses this water? Yes, it is more expensive but, since we are paying for it anyway why not?
People in this province better get interested and soon!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
In most instances the job foreman will give him an open ended PO and put him to work welding offering bonus hours if he will work over 10. Also offered is only welding, the company will provide its own people to de-burr the seams after the welding is finished.
He makes an insane amount of money and pays the same scale for a hovel to stay in at Fort McMurray occasionally usually opting for sleeping in his truck.
It doesn't matter to the exploration companies can pay 1000 dollars an hour if they want, it goes onto the cost of their construction costs. All construction costs (as in 100%) are deducted from the money received from selling the oil until, all is paid for. Only 1% of revenue goes to the Alberta Government! When all is built and paid for, 5% goes to the Alberta Government, that being the lowest recovery in the world.
Our total take is far below the 25% of revenue talked about. This again is the lowest in the world. If the oil companies won't give up another 15% as they should, then, go explore in Ontario.
You and I are paying the extreme high wages in the Tar Sands! There is no accountability!
You and I are also paying for the higher rates in labor around the province, pushed up by the open process in staffing used by the oil companies.
In addition to this, these same processes use our natural gas. Whether or not the oil companies charge us for this by withholding royalty money or, they get it for nothing, it is all out of the taxpayer pocket. We, the tax payers pay for the electrical transimssion lines built from the Tar Sands to export power to the US!
We have more oil in this province than we have water! Yet, oil companies get huge amounts of water from the aquifer and lakes that they don't have to pay for and without regard to a dwindling resource.
There is another source of water about 4000 feet down, below the sweet water (Aquitaine aquifer). This water is poison and will never be used for drinking or domestic use. Why not force the oil companies to uses this water? Yes, it is more expensive but, since we are paying for it anyway why not?
People in this province better get interested and soon!
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Friday, July 14, 2006
New scientific poll is out!
Tory leadership pin census.
I called 1200 people in the last 10 days taking a straw poll on the Conservative Leadership. Of these 1200 only 40 people said they give a crap and were not interested.
Here is the Poll
32 were for Lyle Oberg a clear win,
4 were for Jim Dinning.
4 were undecided
This flies in the face of the polls conducted by the news papers. Seems to me the leadership race has as much interest as does the last provincial election!
cyberclark@shaw.ca
I called 1200 people in the last 10 days taking a straw poll on the Conservative Leadership. Of these 1200 only 40 people said they give a crap and were not interested.
Here is the Poll
32 were for Lyle Oberg a clear win,
4 were for Jim Dinning.
4 were undecided
This flies in the face of the polls conducted by the news papers. Seems to me the leadership race has as much interest as does the last provincial election!
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Oil and Conservatives join in concert of lies.
Government and Oil Companies circle the wagons. Here
The conservative government has done an internal private study that tells them we are getting our fair share of oil royalties when we are collecting the lowest royalty rates in the world.
The same article is also saying the revenue received by the province (us, the taxpayer) has dropped 6% in the past 3 years.
The oil companies showing their regular high sense of humor state in this same article that we are on a par with other jurisdictions. They seemed to have relieved Klein’s group the task of outright lies.
cyberclark@shaw.ca.
The conservative government has done an internal private study that tells them we are getting our fair share of oil royalties when we are collecting the lowest royalty rates in the world.
The same article is also saying the revenue received by the province (us, the taxpayer) has dropped 6% in the past 3 years.
The oil companies showing their regular high sense of humor state in this same article that we are on a par with other jurisdictions. They seemed to have relieved Klein’s group the task of outright lies.
cyberclark@shaw.ca.
Journal predicts Libertal Sweep of Province!
Edmonton Journal July 12-06 Link
In an article headed “Will Kevan Taft be the new Alberta Lougheed?” the Edmonton Journal predicts if Mr. Dinning is elected as Conservative Party Leader, The Liberals and Mr. Taft will sweep the province in the next election!
cyberclark@shaw.ca
In an article headed “Will Kevan Taft be the new Alberta Lougheed?” the Edmonton Journal predicts if Mr. Dinning is elected as Conservative Party Leader, The Liberals and Mr. Taft will sweep the province in the next election!
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Showing the difference between Alta and US system
In Alberta thanks to Dinning’s plan on electrical power, Albertans will pay for all power lines on their utility bills. However the US makes the companies more accountable. Do you want more of the same?
Quote Ohio Edison
There are seven different companies that have lined up to say that they would like to do renewable energy - wind energy - and if all seven of those companies did their proposed megawatts, it would totally overload the lines," Hagen said. "So they had to do what they call a TAG study - Thumb Area Generation study - which would tell them how much it would cost to upgrade the lines per company depending on how many megawatts they were putting in."
According to Tom Hiester, Noble project development director, the study is a cooperative effort by Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, International Transmission Co., and Detroit Edison.
That study, released Wednesday, tells each company how much they would have to ante up to help pay for those upgrades, Hagen said.
"I think when (the study's findings are released), most of the companies are going to end up saying it's way too much money and they're going to back out," she said.
There is a new power line across the mid province to hook with ATCO's proposed line running the lenght of the east side of the province to export into Montana.
Yes, you will pay for this on your utility bill (as it stands now).
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Quote Ohio Edison
There are seven different companies that have lined up to say that they would like to do renewable energy - wind energy - and if all seven of those companies did their proposed megawatts, it would totally overload the lines," Hagen said. "So they had to do what they call a TAG study - Thumb Area Generation study - which would tell them how much it would cost to upgrade the lines per company depending on how many megawatts they were putting in."
According to Tom Hiester, Noble project development director, the study is a cooperative effort by Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, International Transmission Co., and Detroit Edison.
That study, released Wednesday, tells each company how much they would have to ante up to help pay for those upgrades, Hagen said.
"I think when (the study's findings are released), most of the companies are going to end up saying it's way too much money and they're going to back out," she said.
There is a new power line across the mid province to hook with ATCO's proposed line running the lenght of the east side of the province to export into Montana.
Yes, you will pay for this on your utility bill (as it stands now).
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Monday, July 03, 2006
58.5 Millions in profit out of your pocket.
Albert Energy Savings LP, your friendly Electrical Utility Company has declared atg 58.3 million dollar profit this year!
Don't forget that 60million dollars of taxpayer money went down the tubes, never to be accounted for. And, the Power Purchase Agreements sold at something less than an open bid were flipped several times driving up the cost of the utility. This is Mr. Dinnings free trade in blossem. Nope, he can't see any way to change according to himself.
Consider your once cheap electrical power was sold off by Jim Dinning and you are now paying the highest power rates in the country your choices should be made a little easier.
The question is, do you want more of the same or do you want a fresh look on the conservative party?
With Dinning in charge it will be impossible to elect a conservative.
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Don't forget that 60million dollars of taxpayer money went down the tubes, never to be accounted for. And, the Power Purchase Agreements sold at something less than an open bid were flipped several times driving up the cost of the utility. This is Mr. Dinnings free trade in blossem. Nope, he can't see any way to change according to himself.
Consider your once cheap electrical power was sold off by Jim Dinning and you are now paying the highest power rates in the country your choices should be made a little easier.
The question is, do you want more of the same or do you want a fresh look on the conservative party?
With Dinning in charge it will be impossible to elect a conservative.
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Sunday, July 02, 2006
The third way by any other name is still --
Ralph's Third Way Heath Care has not gone way. The difference now is they are not talking about it publicly. Lists of limited coverage drawn up by Capital Health are making their way through the system.
The contract with AON (very private) is in fact a temporary contract to pinion the health care administration onto. Then, it serves as the vehicle to turn it all over to Mazenkowski's Lifeco.
The Alberta Health Care Act which was changed in a back room during Stampeed week remains changed to accommodate what ever level of private health care this Government wants to put in place.
This article in the US will show fully what we are headed for under this Government. Dr. Lyle Oberg has proper insights. Unhappy Health in US
The contract with AON (very private) is in fact a temporary contract to pinion the health care administration onto. Then, it serves as the vehicle to turn it all over to Mazenkowski's Lifeco.
The Alberta Health Care Act which was changed in a back room during Stampeed week remains changed to accommodate what ever level of private health care this Government wants to put in place.
This article in the US will show fully what we are headed for under this Government. Dr. Lyle Oberg has proper insights. Unhappy Health in US
Check the Balance
I have referred to spin doctors in Mr. Dinning's campaign . That would be the one and only Rob Love who was turfed out of his position as Mr. Kleins spin doctor after channeling a large sum of money into his private company where he shouldn't have. Although this should have gone into a court, it was said to be normal operating by Mr. Klein and no changes in rules were necessary.
Mr. Love moved on to become Mr. Dinnings spin doctor. He is obviously Mr. Dinnings kind of guy
If we conservatives want a chance at another government we are going to have to look for change. There is no change available in Mr. Dinnings camp. The status quo is being defended rigorously.
Change and new ideas is what we need. And, that would be Mr Lyle Oberg.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
Mr. Love moved on to become Mr. Dinnings spin doctor. He is obviously Mr. Dinnings kind of guy
If we conservatives want a chance at another government we are going to have to look for change. There is no change available in Mr. Dinnings camp. The status quo is being defended rigorously.
Change and new ideas is what we need. And, that would be Mr Lyle Oberg.
John Clark
cyberclark@shaw.ca
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