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About Democratic Energy
Energy heats our homes, lights our offices, powers our industries and fuels our vehicles. Today the energy sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Governments at every level are changing the rules. Meanwhile, technological innovations are making it increasingly possible to think about a more decentralized and environmentally benign energy system. Democratic energy means an energy system where the consumer can become a producer, where power plants are located near where the energy is consumed, and where the decisions about the structure of the energy system is made in large part by those who will feel the impact of those decisions. Let's examine more closely four pillars of Democratic Energy. Decentralizing Authority and Control Which utility organizational structure is better - customer-ownership or investor-ownership? Both sides have data to justify their position. The debate is useful, but one hundred years of actual experience teaches us that both structures are efficient, reliable, and innovative. The most important distinction is that customer-owned utilities are inherently more democratically governed, closer to their customers and more responsive to them. The federal government has recognized these differences, and since the 1930s has established policies to nurture customer-owned electric utilities. Decentralizing Capacity The age of the personal power plant is upon us. Today the United States is home to about 10,000 power plants. It's conceivable that by 2020 there could be over a million. Since the 1970's power plants have been decreasing in size. Today, technological developments are reducing the size of a new power plants dramatically, from the megawatt to the kilowatt level, from the neighborhood scale to the small business and household scale. Protecting the Environment The energy system ties us together into a web of mutual responsibility. The behavior of an individual homeowner (e.g. turning on power equipment) can affect the electricity levels and quality in other homes on the block. At the global level we share a biosphere. Americans consume up to 100 times as much electricity as the average person on the planet, yet our emissions are affecting the weather patterns of people half a world away. We have a responsibility to future generations to leave them a place to live that is clean and safe. The emissions from our fossil-fueled past need to be drastically reduced in the future and policies that promote energy efficiency and the increased use of renewable energy technologies can be part of the solution. Protecting People In return for their monopoly status, electric utilities have an obligation to serve all members of the community. Over the years, a number of states have elaborated rules to specifically protect low-income households' access to electricity including; bans on power disconnection in winter, energy assistance payments, lifeline rates and discounts and low-income energy conservation (weatherization) programs. Some states have formally required providers and utilities to continue programs targeted to low-income households under a restructured energy system. The New Rules Project - http://www.newrules.org/ Questions? E-mail the Webrarian |
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