{"id":455,"date":"2012-10-02T00:17:15","date_gmt":"2012-10-02T04:17:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/10\/streetlights-and-georgia-power-hahira-2012-10-01.html"},"modified":"2012-10-02T00:17:15","modified_gmt":"2012-10-02T04:17:15","slug":"streetlights-and-georgia-power-hahira-2012-10-01","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/10\/streetlights-and-georgia-power-hahira-2012-10-01.html","title":{"rendered":"Streetlights and Georgia Power @ Hahira 2012-10-01"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nTo get a decent deal on streetlights, a small Georgia city may have\nto help change the Georgia Public Service Commission.\nOr, an energy concern in Hahira happened to coincide with\na visit by PSC candidate Steve Oppenheimer.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nRalph Clendenin, City Council member, is looking into converting\nHahira's streetlights to LEDs or maybe solar.\nHe has discussed that with Georgia Power, which will do it for\n\n$250,000 up front.<\/a>\nAt a savings of $1,000 a month, that would take quite a while to pay back:\nmore than 20 years.\n<\/p>\n

\n\nSteve Oppenheimer, running for Georgia Public Service Commission<\/a> (PSC),\n\nfound the streetlight issue interesting:<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nJust like you're looking at options the city might do for better choices for lighting\nin terms of serving the people and meeting your budget, as Georgians we need that, too.\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nHe indicated that there are more solutions than we're being told.\n<\/p>\n

\nTo me what's improtant are homeowners rights,\nand we get control over the power rates,\nbecause our residential rates and small business rates have gone up about 31% in five years.\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nHe brought up\n\nDublin's solar streetlights,<\/a> and\n\nsolar for energy and jobs.<\/a>\nHe indicated energy was a future source of jobs.\n<\/p>\n

\nWhat it comes down to is people like you in this room in the small communities\nfiguring out what pieces do we put together to make our community better for tomorrow.\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nAfterwards in the entranceway,\n\nRalph Clendenin showed Steve Oppenheimer<\/a> how\nhe'd figured out that Georgia Power was charging about 73% maintenance\nabove the electricity cost of the streetlights.\nOppenheimer said there were many options.\nClendenin suggested one:\n<\/p>\n

\nThe option I see right now is, the Commission somehow, has got to change the rules\non how Georgia Power… structures payments.\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nOppenheimer suggested a way to get there:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nWe need a commission with some new leadership,\nwith some separation from industry, that doesn't have the\napparent conflicts of interest.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nRalph summed it up pithily:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nRalph Clendenin: 73% is that forever payment to Georgia Power.\n<\/p>\n

\nSteve Oppenheimer: It's a great deal, if you're on the right end of it.\n
\n[laughter]\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nWhat say we change the end of the stick we the taxpayers are getting from the PSC?\n<\/p>\n

\nHere's\n\na playlist.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n