HEI-NextEra merger approved

[leilanidude]

Has anyone been following the Smart Meter controversy? Dangerous or not?
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No more dangerous than your home wireless router that connects to your wireless laptop and your smart phone held up against your head.

[Obie]

"I suspect only a local CO-OP could or would opt out of such a system."

Actually most Co-OP's have long had smart meters.Mine in Ohio was upgraded to the latest last year.Yesterday the CO-OP detected that I had my a/c on during a peak load event,so they shut off my water heater.

Scary stuff huh ?

[kalakoa]

if you can't disrespect the person, then disrespect the position they hold, as well as any position they might hold in the future?

I never said Ige was a dumb/weasel -- but he does seem a little wishy-washy, considering the TMT construction still hasn't broken ground, so I'm curious to see how he'll do better with NextEra.

[kjlpahoa]

quote:

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Originally posted by PauHana

Has anyone been following the Smart Meter controversy? Dangerous or not?
Once again who can you believe?
I suspect only a local CO-OP could or would opt out of such a system.

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I experienced PG&E's conversion to smart meters in Northern California and they had serious problems in that many change overs created large increases in electrical bills. The big question was, was the problem in the old meter or in the new smart meter. It turned out that most of the problems were in the smart meter not reading correctly. I believe at one point PG&E had to stop the conversion program to evaluate the problem and found that the smart meters were most often the faulty meters. If the consumer is not diligent about their electric bills, they could end up paying to much indefinitely.

[pahoated]

The Nextera merger isn't a done deal. A recent example is Comcast trying to buy Time-Warner. The FCC didn't disapprove it but there was enough indication of disapproval at the end, so Comcast bowed out and now Charter is buying Time-Warner. Hawaiian Electric has looked at their financials and decided they are available for buyout. It would be better if it was a local buyer but they are few on the islands and many on the mainland. There is at least a year of review before any final decision is made at the PUC.

"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"

[PauHana]

"Just because you are paranoid, doesn't mean someone isn't really out to get you"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLeCTaSG2-U

This is a rather long video, but you will not be bored. It is a good starting point in understanding the issue.
With a local CO OP the people on this island could refuse this technology. A super utility would just jam it down your throat with Federal police power to back them up. Maybe simply lower rates, not a given anyway, are not the most important thing in the universe.

In a world of lies the truth sounds preposterous.

[RJHampton]

I'm sure NextEra wants to help[]

http://www.scientificamerican.com/articl...en-halted/

This article was 2013 where are we today. HECO has 100 reasons why they cannot handle all our rooftop solar right now.

http://www.kitv.com/news/heco-proposal-c...g/32414728
This is a reason to demand Decentralized Generation (DG) power generation.


Parker Ranch wants in too
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/break...=288880431

[PauHana]

Did anyone attend the PUC meeting in Hilo last night?

[pahoated]

There is video now. It was halfway sane and rational, not the usual psychotic paranoid hysteria with anything to do with Hawaiian Electric. HE is a private corporation and can decide to sell if the shareholders vote in favor of that corporate decision. It's really stupid how corporations have been demonized to the point most people don't even have any comprehension of how they work, but this is simple. Corporations are examples of pure democracy. There is a board that has been agreed to by shareholder vote, then the shareholders vote on the decisions made by the CEO and the board.

The PUC has regulatory control of HE. Control, not power. If there is enough public sentiment against a Nextera merger, the PUC might be able to file a lawsuit against it. This process has another year to develop before final decisions. The public sentiment is now realizing a local owner is better, yet HE is local owned and the public sentiment is they hate it. HE is selling because it knows the cost of conversion to alternative energy is high, and their whole antiquated billing bureaucracy needs total overhaul. This means investing in the corporation, reducing dividends and disappointing shareholders. Anyway, this is not a done deal and in the end, if it doesn't go through, then it returns to the status quo that Hawaii enjoys, despite continuously complaining about HE the entire waking day.

"Aloha also means goodbye. Aloha!"

[PauHana]

"Corporations are examples of pure democracy. There is a board that has been agreed to by shareholder vote, then the shareholders vote on the decisions made by the CEO and the board."

The shareholders get to vote for, or not vote for, the directors who are on the ballot presented by the Directors and the CEO. The Board/CEO usually have enough proxy votes to do pretty much as they please.
It is a pure democracy much like Saddam Hussein's Iraq, and similar pure democracies, everyone gets to vote for the one name on the ballot.

Public utilities operate as a monopoly by the grace of the public they do not get to act entirely for their own selfish interests.

According to a KITV report:
"While the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the proposed merger, the transaction remains subject to other regulatory approvals including approval by the PUC" It doesn't appear The PUC needs to go to court to exercise their authority in this matter.

I do not hate HELCO! The people who work there are always very pleasant to work with, and they did wonders after the hurricane here. The rates are higher than elsewhere, like everything , after all we don't have the Colombia or Tennessee river to tap, but conversely we do have the Jones Act winners to support.

Finally; I have been involved with a number of agricultural cooperatives over a long period of time and they work very well. Even if a local Energy Cooperative cost a bit more which I really doubt, I believe the benefits would still outweigh the cost.