Editor’s note: This commentary is by Lynn James Edmunds, of Wallingford.
No matter what you might think of its content, the Wallingford Energy Committee has done an extremely professional job presenting their energy plan to Wallingford residents, and given the quality of their presentation, it seems likely to garner wide support. However looking closer it appears much more is in play here than just a benevolent goal for clean energy.
If you are wondering what enhancements are included in your new energy plan and how they will impact you, it’s time to discuss section 1 of this plan, entitled “Why Wallingford Needs an Enhanced Energy Plan.”
If you were under the impression your community visit with the Vermont Council of Rural Development (VCRD) in 2018 was the catalyst for enhancing Wallingford’s energy plan, you would be wrong.
The impetus for this plan originated years before, with the introduction of United Nations Agendas 21 & 2030. Ordinarily such agendas are communicated to municipalities through your Regional Planning Commission as sanctioned by Vermont statutes like Act 174, which is also inspired by UN goals and now serves as a basis for enhancement of your newly proposed plan.
It is important to note you did not originate these goals: they are brought to you by the state of Vermont and numerous other organizations seeking your support for their implementation.
As with your community visit in 2018, such goals can also be reinforced by organizations like VCRD, generating an illusion to suggest such enhancements were your ideas, thus creating a vested interest for insertion into your plan.
Pride of ownership for an idea can also be misconstrued as mandate; sometimes goals or plans are easily confused with actual state law. This in turn paves the way for special interest agendas to creep into town ordinance, and thus become part of local regulations, even when no statutory mandate is present.
There are many entities promoting the agendas you are asked to author, such as government agencies, non-profits, non-government organizations (NGO) and businesses, all collaborating and in pursuit of a singular benevolent goal known as clean energy. However, it is by adding enhancements to this singular narrative for clean energy that special interests will seek their controlling advantage for profit. Know these enhanced agendas are all dressed up to be appealing in their support of the main goal. But will they limit your individual flexibility, or negatively impact other systems you rely on in your daily life?
Forcing technology too rapidly is a manipulation designed to benefit those seeking personal gain as their motive. But hardships will be the likely outcome of such premature control mechanisms that mandate change with enticement of carrots, or enforcement-wielding sticks, which could then perhaps manifest in such things as limiting the scope of your mobility or your freedom to live in a rural setting.
Be careful benevolent goals for clean energy enhancement are not extorting your liberty or infringing on your rights when evaluating this proposal. A patient plan will allow for a more organic and harmonious transition, thus reducing the likelihood of nefarious schemes for profit. Recognize your goal is to attain both clean energy and to preserve your liberty.
In the long run a shared sacrifice may only mean you are about to be left behind financially, and usually for a notion of some greater good or the promise of subsidy. When embedded agendas are present at state and local levels of authority, governance flows to you, not from you, and your options will be diminished along with the false promise that is kept out of your reach, and based primarily on controlling.
There are winners and losers in top-down governance, otherwise known as central planning. Don’t be surprised when your input or approval is no longer needed, because compliance has evolved into mandated enforcement, primarily for the benefit of those who will profit most.
As you consider the many goals set forth in this proposal, make sure they align with your goals before you lose your flexibility to do so.
Remember we have been told we must have a plan. Then it must be approved by those telling us we must have it. Only then do we get a certificate of energy compliance that entitles us to substantial deference. But isn’t substantial deference something we should already have as a sovereign town in a constitutional republic?
Perhaps you should ask yourself, does this energy plan need you more than you need it?
If the answer is yes, then two key questions remain: is it really your plan, and how will it enhance your life in the near future?
To learn if this plan is something you can support, improve or afford, visit Wallingford’s website.
I-95 Ice Storm Overnight Traffic Jam – Imagine you were Stuck in an EV
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/01/05/i-95-ice-storm-overnight-traffic-jam-imagine-you-were-stuck-in-an-ev/
An ice storm and accident stranded drivers in freezing conditions on the Virginia I-95 overnight on Monday. My question – what would have happened if they were all driving electric vehicles?
27-hour commute: Virginia officials pelted with questions after hundreds of drivers were stuck on I-95 overnight
The winter storm blanketed several states in the mid-Atlantic and South on Monday, closing schools and causing power outages.
In Virginia, drivers were stranded in a 50-mile stretch of Interstate 95 near Fredericksburg overnight. Five deaths across three states were caused by the weather.
Ice and snow stranded hundreds of drivers on Interstate 95 in Virginia into Tuesday after a winter storm pounded several Eastern states and dumped more than a foot of snow in some places.
The storm brought havoc to roadways, left more than 300,000 without power in Virginia and Maryland and caused at least five deaths across three states.
No injuries or fatalities from the storm or the traffic backup were reported in Virginia.
Problems began Monday morning when a truck jackknifed on Interstate 95, the main north-south highway along the East Coast, triggering a swift chain reaction as other vehicles lost control, state police said.
On a roughly 50-mile stretch of I-95 near Fredericksburg, drivers were stuck in their cars overnight while ice blanketed the freeway. The Virginia Department of Transportation tweeted Tuesday that the stretch of the interstate remained closed.
Josh Lederman, a reporter with NBC News, tweeted that he was stuck in his car overnight and many motorists turned off their cars to conserve gas.
“People (myself included) are taking exercise breaks outside their cars, walking their dogs on the interstate. I’ve been putting snow in his bowl and letting it melt into water,” he tweeted, detailing the ordeal.
Sen. Kaine finally arrived in Washington Tuesday afternoon, some 27 hours after his journey began.
Drivers survived the Monday traffic jam by periodically running their engines to stay warm. When the traffic finally started moving again, most vehicles had enough gasoline to finish their journeys.
President Biden is pushing everyone to switch to electric vehicles, as part of his Net Zero plan.
But EV batteries suffer severe performance drops in freezing conditions, and are more likely than gasoline engines to fail completely in severe conditions.
Even if the EV batteries don’t freeze, an EV battery contains nowhere near as much energy as a tank of gas, so the safety margin is a lot thinner, for people stranded in severe weather who are using the stored energy of their vehicle to stay warm.
In my opinion, if everyone stuck on the I-95 had been driving an EV, the I-95 ice storm traffic jam could have become a mass casualty event.
But Willem…its not going to snow in Vermont anymore, and the temperatures are going to rise, and we’ll become the NC of the East Coast, don’tcha’know?
And its ALL because us itty bitty teeny weeny itsy bitsy Vermonters made it happen, so we gotta pay the price…only half of that statement is true.
Solar changes are occurring that come around on a regular cycle that we are now…and yes, accelerated by the geoengineering and pollution…but that’s just playing with forces we’ve no real control over, and pretending that trading carbon credits makes it okay for Detroit and DC to and NYC to pollute our air with their fossil fuel emissions (that are poison to LIFE) and coal burning plants…and all of that to KEEP us focused on the tree and not see the forest…or rather the real event just ahead, and recorded in ALL of the oldest surviving texts and oral traditions around the planet… yeah…that’s real.
And ahead of that, the magnetic changes that happen on the surface of the planet causing earthquakes and volcanoes to go off… the pole shift that is actually happening as a result of these shifts we are recipients of globally from the galaxy…are these too big for people to grasp?
I’m a ‘be prepared’ kind of person, as most people are who live in temperate and arctic climates… that’s the only way you survive.
There are things that I can prep for, and things that I’ll just have to grab my ankles for…
And, there are things I can waste my time trying to fix that weren’t mine to fix in the first place.
If we want to stop human influence on climate – just stop effing with the biosphere and ionosphere and our oceans, rivers and lakes – stop those practices that pollute or destroy life immediately. Full stop. THAT will stop people from getting sick too.
Return to the Sacred again, and remember who we are, and why we are here.
Using a ‘model’ as a road map for life instead of wisdom that is as old as time itself – do no harm – is someone’s agenda being forced on all of us. Its not ‘for our good.’
Watch the bullying and coercian start around fuel and electricity passed onto us to continue to support these solutions that aren’t solutions and just put money in someone’s pocket. Not yours or mine: we’re the slaves that literally foot the bill.
There are so many scams being run right now on humanity… your best bet is just to disengage from the Matrix, and stop supporting it.
When no one shows up at the pumps or the EV stations, that kinda’ stops the machine.
CHEVY BOLT CATCHES FIRE WHILE CHARGING ON DRIVEWAY IN VERMONT
https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/chevy-bolt-catches-fire-while-charging-on-driveway-in-vermont
THETFORD; July 2, 2021 — A fire destroyed a 2019 Chevy Bolt, 66 kWh battery, battery pack cost about $10,000, or 10000/66 = $152/kWh, EPA range 238 miles, owned by state Rep. Tim Briglin, D-Thetford, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Technology.
He had been driving back and forth from Thetford, VT, to Montpelier, VT, with his EV, about 100 miles via I-89
He had parked his 2019 Chevy Bolt on the driveway, throughout the winter, per GM recall of Chevy Bolts
He had plugged his EV into a 240-volt charger.
His battery was at about 10% charge at start of charging, at 8 PM, and he had charged it to 100% charge at 4 AM; 8 hours of charging.
Charging over such a wide range is detrimental for the battery. However, it is required for “range-driving”, i.e., making long trips. See Note
NOTE: Range-driving is an absolute no-no, except on rare occasions, as it would 1) pre-maturely age/damage the battery, 2) reduce range sooner, 3) increase charging loss, and 4) increase kWh/mile, and 5) increase the chance of battery fires.
Charging at 32F or less
Li-ions would plate out on the anode each time when charging, especially when such charging occurred at battery temperatures of 32F or less.
Here is an excellent explanation regarding charging at 32F or less.
Fire in Driveway: Firefighters were called to Briglin’s house on Tucker Hill Road, around 9 AM Thursday.
Investigators from the Vermont Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit determined:
1) The fire started in a compartment in the back of the passenger’s side of the vehicle
2) It was likely due to an “electrical failure”. See Note
NOTE: Actually, it likely was one or more battery cells shorting out, which creates heat, which burns nearby items, which creates a fire that is very hard to extinguish. See Appendix
GM Recall of Chevy Bolts: In 2020, GM issued a worldwide recall of 68,667 Chevy Bolts, all 2017, 2018 and 2019 models, plus, in 2021, a recall for another 73,000 Bolts, all 2020, 2021, and 2022 models.
GM set aside $1.8 BILLION to replace battery modules, or 1.8 BILLION/(68,667 + 73,000) = $12,706/EV.
Owners were advised not to charge them in a garage, and not to leave them unattended while charging, which may take up to 8 hours; what a nuisance!
I wonder what could happen during rush hour traffic, or in a parking garage, or at a shopping mall, etc.
Rep. Briglin heeded the GM recall by not charging in his garage. See URLs
NOTE:
– Cost of replacing the battery packs of 80,000 Hyundai Konas was estimated at $900 million, about $11,000 per vehicle
– EV batteries should be charged from 20 to 80%, to achieve minimal degradation and long life, plus the charging loss is minimal in that range
– Charging EVs from 0 to 20% charge, and from 80 to 100% charge:
1) Uses more kWh AC from the wall outlet per kWh DC charged into the battery, and
2) Is detrimental to the battery.
3) Requires additional kWh for cooling the battery while charging.
– EV batteries must never be charged, when the battery temperature is less than 32F; if charged anyway, the plating out of Li-ions on the anode would permanently damage the battery.
Lynn,
Thank you for a well-written essay.
Increased command/control by Dem/Progs of Vermonters’ lives and the Vermont economy is the real issue here.
Chicanery, mendacity, shenanigans, smoke and mirrors, bait and switch, hiding information, and brainwashing of Vermonters’ minds with oft-repeated, scare-mongering slogans, are the standard operating procedures, at all levels of government.
Vermont EAN, an RE-business promoter and very biased “advisor” to Legislators and career bureaucrats on energy issues, estimated the cost of GWSA at more $1.25 billion per year for the next 28 years, excluding:
1) the cost of replacements of short life items; heat pumps, electric vehicles, wind turbines, etc.
2) the cost of financing with bank loans, and adding to already-high government debts
3) the cost of state and federal subsidies
No Legislator is mentioning these costs, because that would rain on the RE PARADE.
Vermont’s present level of RE spending is about $210 million/year
A GWSA-INSPIRED MACK TRUCK IS ABOUT TO RUN OVER VERMONTERS
WE NEED A TSUNAMI OF VOTES TO GET RID OF CAREER RE POLITICIANS AND CAREER RE BUREAUCRATS ON NOVEMBER 2022.
THE REALITY IS, VERMONT COULD DISAPPEAR AND THE WORLD TEMPERATURE WOULD NO CHANGE ONE MILLION OF A DEGREE FAHRENHEIT.
“BUILD BACK BETTER” WOULD COST $4.490 TRILLION OVER THE NEXT DECADE, IF PROVISIONS WERE MADE TO LAST 10 YEARS
https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/build-back-better-would-cost-3-95-trillion-overt-the-next-decade
DISTRUST IN GOVERNMENT
I am not surprised at the lack of public trust in Washington, DC, and elsewhere. The games of smoke and mirrors played in Washington are off-the-charts outrageous.
Never, ever, has there been such a level of deceit, as Democrats have inflicted on the US People, since January 2021, using a controversial election in 2020 (see Appendix), to obtain government power, to relentlessly implement:
– An increased size and intrusiveness of the federal government
– A major change in US demographics by means of just-walk-in, anybody-is-welcome, open borders
– Increased Democrat command/control over the federal government and the American people to “Remake America”
However, Dem/Progs made a major mistake.
– They intended to use top-down, command/control of the very-inefficient federal government to very-expensively “Remake America”.
– Their strategy is a highly un-American approach, significantly different from the history of US economic development.
– They never mentioned the words “private enterprise”.
In contrast, Trump’s “Make America Great Again” specifically did not rely on government. MAGA relied on:
– Eliminating business-stifling government rules and regulations
– Freeing up the creative energies of the American people
– Putting America and the American people first again, within secure borders
Here is an example of Dem/Progs trying to force their visions onto the American people by various underhanded methods.
PHASE 1; BBB PROGRAMS HAVE VARIOUS EXPIRATION DATES TO UNDERSTATE COST
BBB Bill “Shaping” and Cost Estimating
The cost of the original BBB bill was $6.0 trillion, as crafted by extreme-leftist Sanders, Chairman of the US Senate Budget Committee. When his proposals proved to be a non-starter, he was told to “whittle it down” to an alleged $3.5 trillion, which, he declared, was the “absolute minimum”.
Whittled down means, he shortened the duration of some programs from 10 years to 1 year, or 2 years, etc., as explained in next sections. See table 1
NOTE: Sanders is a life-long admirer of Communism and Socialism, who celebrated his honeymoon in the USSR, i.e., before the Iron Curtain came down
BBB Overwhelmingly a Social Program Bill
The cost of 16 social programs would be $3.477 trillion, or 77.5% of $4.490 trillion, if all programs last 10 years
Two of the 16 social programs would represent 67.3% of the total cost. See table 1A
Table 1A/Social Programs Start 2022 – End 2031 Start 2022 – End 2032
10 years 10 years
Program $Billion $Billion
Expanded child tax credit (CTC) 1597
Expanded child care and preschool 752
Total, per CBO 2349
Total all social programs, per CBO 3477
Allocated interest 129 206
Total 2478 3683
Total, % 67.3
CHEVY BOLT CATCHES FIRE WHILE CHARGING ON DRIVEWAY IN VERMONT
https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/chevy-bolt-catches-fire-while-charging-on-driveway-in-vermont
THETFORD; July 2, 2021 — A fire destroyed a 2019 Chevy Bolt, 66 kWh battery, battery pack cost about $10,000, or 10000/66 = $152/kWh, EPA range 238 miles, owned by state Rep. Tim Briglin, D-Thetford, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Technology.
He had been driving back and forth from Thetford, VT, to Montpelier, VT, with his EV, about 100 miles via I-89
He had parked his 2019 Chevy Bolt on the driveway, throughout the winter, per GM recall of Chevy Bolts
He had plugged his EV into a 240-volt charger.
His battery was at about 10% charge at start of charging, at 8 PM, and he had charged it to 100% charge at 4 AM; 8 hours of charging.
Charging over such a wide range is detrimental for the battery. However, it is required for “range-driving”, i.e., making long trips. See Note
NOTE: Range-driving is an absolute no-no, except on rare occasions, as it would 1) pre-maturely age/damage the battery, 2) reduce range sooner, 3) increase charging loss, and 4) increase kWh/mile, and 5) increase the chance of battery fires.
Charging at 32F or less
Li-ions would plate out on the anode each time when charging, especially when such charging occurred at battery temperatures of 32F or less.
Here is an excellent explanation regarding charging at 32F or less.
Fire in Driveway: Firefighters were called to Briglin’s house on Tucker Hill Road, around 9 AM Thursday.
Investigators from the Vermont Department of Public Safety Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit determined:
1) The fire started in a compartment in the back of the passenger’s side of the vehicle
2) It was likely due to an “electrical failure”. See Note
NOTE: Actually, it likely was one or more battery cells shorting out, which creates heat, which burns nearby items, which creates a fire that is very hard to extinguish. See Appendix
GM Recall of Chevy Bolts: In 2020, GM issued a worldwide recall of 68,667 Chevy Bolts, all 2017, 2018 and 2019 models, plus, in 2021, a recall for another 73,000 Bolts, all 2020, 2021, and 2022 models.
GM set aside $1.8 BILLION to replace battery modules, or 1.8 BILLION/(68,667 + 73,000) = $12,706/EV.
Owners were advised not to charge them in a garage, and not to leave them unattended while charging, which may take up to 8 hours; what a nuisance!
I wonder what could happen during rush hour traffic, or in a parking garage, or at a shopping mall, etc.
Rep. Briglin heeded the GM recall by not charging in his garage. See URLs
NOTE:
– Cost of replacing the battery packs of 80,000 Hyundai Konas was estimated at $900 million, about $11,000 per vehicle
https://insideevs.com/news/492167/reports-lg-chem-cost-hyundai-battery-recall/
– EV batteries should be charged from 20 to 80%, to achieve minimal degradation and long life, plus the charging loss is minimal in that range
– Charging EVs from 0 to 20% charge, and from 80 to 100% charge:
1) Uses more kWh AC from the wall outlet per kWh DC charged into the battery, and
2) Is detrimental to the battery.
3) Requires additional kWh for cooling the battery while charging.
– EV batteries must never be charged, when the battery temperature is less than 32F; if charged anyway, the plating out of Li-ions on the anode would permanently damage the battery.
HEAT PUMPS ARE MONEY LOSERS IN MY VERMONT HOUSE, AS THEY ARE IN ALMOST ALL NEW ENGLAND HOUSES
https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/heat-pumps-are-money-losers-in-my-vermont-house-as-they-are-in
I installed three heat pumps by Mitsubishi, rated 24,000 Btu/h at 47F, Model MXZ-2C24NAHZ2, each with 2 heads, each with remote control; 2 in the living room, 1 in the kitchen, and 1 in each of 3 bedrooms.
The HPs have DC variable-speed, motor-driven compressors and fans, which improves the efficiency of low-temperature operation.
The HPs last about 15 years. Turnkey capital cost was $24,000
My Well-Sealed, Well-Insulated House
The HPs are used for heating and cooling my 35-y-old, 3,600 sq ft, well-sealed/well-insulated house, except the basement, which has a near-steady temperature throughout the year, because it has 2” of blueboard, R-10, on the outside of the concrete foundation and under the basement slab, which has saved me many thousands of space heating dollars over the 35 years.
I do not operate my HPs at 15F or below, because HPs would become increasingly less efficient with decreasing temperatures.
The HP operating cost per hour would become greater than of my efficient propane furnace. See table 3
High Electricity Prices
Vermont forcing, with subsidies and/or GWSA mandates, the build-outs of expensive RE electricity systems, such as wind, solar, batteries, etc., would be counter-productive, because it would:
1) Increase already-high electric rates and
2) Worsen the already-poor economics of HPs (and of EVs)!!
PART 1
Energy Cost Reduction is Minimal
– HP electricity consumption was from my electric bills
– Vermont electricity prices, including taxes, fees and surcharges, are about 20 c/kWh.
– My HPs provide space heat to 2,300 sq ft, about the same area as an average Vermont house
– Two small propane heaters (electricity not required) provide space heat to my 1,300 sq ft basement
– I operate my HPs at temperatures of 15F and greater; less $/h than propane
– I operate my traditional propane system at temperatures of 15F and less; less $/h than HP
– My average HP coefficient of performance, COP, was 2.64
– My HPs required 2,489 kWh to replace 35% of my fuel.
– My HPs would require 8,997 kWh, to replace 100% of my fuel.
– The average Vermont house COP is about 3.34
– The average Vermont house requires 2,085 kWh to replace 27.6% of its fuel, per VT-DPS/CADMUS survey. See URL
Before HPs: I used 100 gal for domestic hot water + 250 gal for 2 stoves in basement + 850 gal for Viessmann furnace, for a total propane of 1,200 gal/y
After HPs: I used 100 gal for DHW + 250 gal for 2 stoves in basement + 550 gal for Viessmann furnace + 2,489 kWh of electricity.
My propane cost reduction for space heating was 850 – 550 = 300 gallon/y, at a cost of 2.339/gal = $702/y
My displaced fuel was 100 x (1 – 550/850) = 35%, which is better than the Vermont average of 27.6%
My purchased electricity cost increase was 2,489 kWh x 20 c/kWh = $498/y
My energy cost savings due to the HPs were 702 – 498 = $204/y, on an investment of $24,000!!
VERMONT IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET REGARDING FOOLISH ENERGY SYSTEMS
http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/vermont-is-going-to-hell-in-a-handbasket-regarding-foolish-energy
The “Global Warming Solutions Act” bill was passed by the House Energy and Technology Committee on a 7-2 vote and moved to the House Appropriations Committee, which rubber-stamped the bill. A House vote passed the bill, 105 – 37, a few days later. The Senate is next to vote.
GWSA converts the CO2 aspirational goals of the Comprehensive Energy Plan, CEP, to legal mandates.
GWSA requires state government to come up with rules, regulations and programs to implement the CEP.
GWSA sets up a legislatively controlled Council to:
– Create a plan to achieve the legal mandates of the CEP.
– Direct the Agency of Natural Resources, ANR, Department of Public Service, DPS, etc., to issue whatever binding rules and regulations they think are needed to carry out the Council’s plan.
The Legislature controls a Council by appointing a bunch of yes-men?
The yes-men will rubber-stamp whatever the government entities come up with?
The Legislature will vote for the funds to implement each binding rule and regulation?
The Council will vote for the funds to implement each binding rule and regulation?
Legislators would not vote on each far-reaching rules and regulations that would affect every household and business?
What if the Council decides to ruin pristine ridgelines for wind turbines to “fulfill the CEP”?
Table 1
Stage CO2 Reduction, % Million Mt Million Mt
1 2025, 26% reduction relative to 2005 (Paris Climate Agreement) 10.240 in 2005 7.578 in 2025
2 2030, 40% reduction relative to 1990 (CEP) 8.650 in 1990 5.190 in 2030
3 2050, 80% reduction relative to 1990 (CEP) 8.650 in 1990 1.730 in 2050
CEP: The capital cost for implementing the CEP would be in excess of $1.25 billion/y for at least 28 years, according to the Energy Action Network 2015 annual report. See URLs.
Spending on government energy programs, including Efficiency Vermont, has averaged about $210 million/y from 2000 to 2015, but Vermont CO2 emissions increased 18% from1990 to 2015.
GWSA will become a Global Warming Spending Act, which benefits the RE entities, at the expense of all other Vermonters.
We need a Tsunami of votes in November 2022 to overwhelm the shenanigans of universal harvesting of ballots, surely to occur after the CONDOS universal mail-out of ballots.
We have to oust the entrenched Legislators and career bureaucrats who are in cahoots with these RE entities.