Tag Archives: SB 459

Enabling a commodity market in solar power: Dr. Smith’s electric meters

Dr. Smith’s electric meters enable a commodity market
in solar power, with billing from generators to customers.
And EMCs can take 1% or so for carrying the power,
plus they can get advertising rights that could be
worth more than selling electricity!
If
SB 459 or something like it gets out of committee and into law.



Dr. Sidney Smith explained how the electric meter he’s developed
uses cellular technology to facilitate direct billing from
solar generator and customer.
Gretchen asked him what if they generate more than they use.
Dr. Smith said they wouldn’t.
I asked what if they added more panels.
He said they could, but there are trees in the back.

Here’s

Part 1 of 5:




Enabling a commodity market in solar power: Dr. Smith’s electric meters Part 1 of 5:

South Eastern Pathology Associates,

Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),

Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.


He forgot about

the parking lot out front where the panels
he just connected are located: no shading there, and plenty of room for more solar panels.

Dr. Smith said the best places for solar are where there is no shade
and near power poles.
Gretchen asked how do you finance?
Dr. Smith answered,

Continue reading →

Cutting the solar ribbon in Richmond Hill 2012 02 17



Drs. Sidney Smith and Pat Godbey and their customer
cut the solar ribbon in Richmond Hill, Georgia,
17 Febuary 2012:

To commemorate the future of power in Georgia
and the future for our children.

I didn’t get the customer’s name; sorry.

You, too, could be a customer or a seller of distributed solar power
if SB 459 gets
out of committee and through the Georgia Senate and legislature
into law.
Contact your state senator today!

-jsq

Here’s

the video:




Cutting the solar ribbon in Richmond Hill 2012 02 17

South Eastern Pathology Associates,

Selling Power, Lower Rates for Customers LLC (LRCLLC),

Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia, 17 February 2012.

Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

SB 401 revived in SB 459: lets you generate and sell solar power

SB 401 got tabled in the Natural Resources Committee.
46 other states already let people generate solar power and sell it to
a third party.

Yet in only four states — Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and
Kentucky Mdash; are third party power purchase agreements disallowed,
according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

But Georgia Power convinced that committee that it would raise
rates for everybody else.
Which is pretty rich coming from the same gapower that is

already charging customers Construction Work in Progress
for its nuke boondoggle.
So SB 401 sponsor Sen. Buddy Carter found another way.

Mary Landers wrote for the Savannah Morning News Friday,

Solar bill jolted back to life:

To revive his bill, Carter tacked it onto to one already sent to the


Regulated Industries Committee — SB 459, which would allow
consumers to opt-out of smart meters like the ones Georgia Power is
currently installing in Savannah. The committee held a hearing on
the bill Thursday, ultimately tabling it, and saying they wanted
more information about how power purchase agreements work in other
states.

Carter was elated.

“It’s out there now and people are aware of it,” he
said. It’s getting media attention. I feel good about it.”

Help him feel even better about it.
Contact the committee chair and tell him we want solar cogeneration:

Senator William Ligon

404-656-0045

william.ligon@senate.ga.gov

Oh, regarding the meter opt-out in the main body of the bill,
why let gapower charge people for that?
You can mention to Sen. Ligon that people should be able to opt out for free.

-jsq

PS: Owed to Bob Ingram.