By MEGHAN BLONDER | WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
A green energy advocacy group in Alaska is demanding a local utility provider fork over its consumers’ private energy consumption data. The group wants to use that data to craft a new pricing plan that could penalize those who exceed a certain level of energy consumption, says a report from the Washington Free Beacon.
Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP), an Anchorage-based nonprofit that works to secure “Alaska’s clean energy future,” petitioned state regulators last month in an attempt to compel the Chugach Electric Association to provide each of its customers’ monthly energy consumption data.
REAP says it needs that data to design a rate structure that would compel customers to use less natural gas—by charging them more once they surpass certain energy consumption thresholds, the Free Beacon reports.
Chugach, Alaska’s largest electric utility, is refusing to hand over the data, citing privacy concerns. But if REAP convinces Alaska’s regulatory commission to rule in its favor, the company won’t have a say. Such a decision would effectively force Chugach to give the green energy group the actual electricity consumption habits of virtually every resident and business in Anchorage.
REAP Executive Director Chris Rose told the publication, “We don’t want the data to leak out. We respect the privacy concerns of individual customers. “But we need that data in order to develop rate design.”
REAP submitted a motion to Alaska’s regulatory commission that called the utility company’s privacy concerns “exaggerated.”
Read more of this news report at the Washington Free Beacon.
Let us get this right, a radical eco-fascist marxist NGO is developing our rates?
How about a hell no?
Chris Rose is a nice guy and has helped rural Alaska in obtaining wind turbines in some of our rural villages. The turbines were funded by the feds, so why not put some up for real time fuel consumption data?
We have three turbines in Quinhagak, they save fuel but don’t do anything for you if the wind don’t blow. Will they ever pay for themselves, AVEC never says…..
But for Chris to have caught the Legislator flu, that leaves them with the delusional ability to pick and choose winners and losers from the grand sum of budget appropriations.. or in Chris’s case the needed ability to pick and choose the appropriate BTUs from X amount of a lineal feet of gas…..
Sorry Chris, but the State is already suffering from the legislative syndrome of we know better than you.
Why would a Reap think they were entitled to everyone’s energy usage?
Since when is it up to REAP to design a rate plan? They have absolutely no right to Chugach Electric Association customer usage information.
Of course we all know what sort of boobs inhabit the RCA so if you are a Chugach Electric Association customer don’t expect your usage information to remain private for long.
CREAP (Can’t Really Expect Anything Positive) to come out of this should this band of idiots get this information. Of course, they can propose anything they want. The public can propose keel-hauling them all the way back to San Francisco or whatever L48 village they slithered here from. These people weary me; I look forward to the day the Lord comes a calling.
Wait, wait, wait. Who the hell does REAP think they are? And from where do they think they get their authority to demand anything, let alone influence rate structures?
It is bad enough we have lost our two party system and now have a woke uni party, we the people have to be subjected to the whims of wacko ideologies?
So they think. Right on point
I’d recommend to read the document:
On November 11, 2023, REAP was admitted as an intervenor in this rate case.23 REAP stated in its petition to intervene that it “seeks to promote a rate design that incentivizes the conservation of Cook Inlet natural gas resources by bolstering consumer incentives to pursue investments in energy efficiency and rooftop solar.”24 REAP also announced its intention to help create a more complete record upon which the RCA could find “that rates comply with AS 42.05.141(c) by ‘promot[ing] the conservation of resources used in the generation of electric energy.’”25 REAP noted that it planned to offer expertise on topics “such as innovative rate structures aimed at promoting conservation and renewable investment.”26 Chugach did not oppose REAP’s intervention.27
The woke CEA board members that were recently elected, thanks to far left voters in Anchorage and to conservative voters that didn’t bother to vote, are no doubt doing anything they can to help these Earthjustice enviro-terrorists. This is insidious, but no surprise.
Another bunch of meddlesome psychopaths intent on economically controlling every facet of our lives under the guise of “conservation”. It is just another way to tax those of us that are paying our own way in order to subsidize those that are not. This is just another step into the realm of total control of our lives by government fiat. It was a great country when individual freedoms existed.
Quit skrewwing around with these woke socialist engineering programs and use capital from the AK Permanent Fund (last estimate was ~$4-5B) to build the Susitna – Watana Dam Project, benefiting 90% of the population in AK by stabilizing electric rates.
Large-scale Hydroelectric Power Generation Facilities have a history of paying back the original cost around 50 years and then become positive revenue generators for the Utility or Coop for another 50-100years. Base Load Continuous Energy Demand depends on boiling water, or falling water to spin turbines that generate electricity. Some small scale nuclear power generation of advanced technology may be appropriate for some locations in Alaska, but solar and wind are unreliable to meet continuous base load demand…Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project is a good example of sustainable lower cost electrical energy.
John’s right.
Hydro is “the right” resource to develop for the Railbelt Energy portfolio. The cheapest sources of energy right now in the Railbelt are Eklutna Hydro and Bradley Lake Hydro. We should be building more hydro projects in the state to provide firm, reliable power.
There is a Chugach Electric Board of Directors election in April and May. Vote the ballot you get in the mail, because if you don’t, we’ll have another 2+ years of a REAP/Alaska Center (for the Environment) backed and stacked Board.
Vote for Todd Lindley and Dan Rogers for the two Chugach Electric Board seats. We’re both engineers, and I have worked in the power industry as an engineer and contractor for the last 40 years. We’re running because we don’t want to see the results of a wind/solar only (with only lip service paid to hydro as they discuss reducing or eliminating Eklutna as a source of cheap and reliable power) power system. As a guy who spent his career improving the reliability and economics of power delivery in Alaska, I don’t want to see all of our hard work undone.
Look for your ballot in the mail in April, and check us out at chugachstability.org.
That’s outright illegal. You can’t even get IP address information from telecom without a valid warrant. Alaska’s law is very clear on this. REAP is asking them to break the law.
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.” – C.S. Lewis
I printed this quote and keep it close by to re-read occasionally. Thanks for posting–one of my favorites.
Or, perhaps more succinctly: “I’ll face any man who means me harm but I’ll walk a thousand miles to avoid one who means me well.”
I forget where I heard that one but it pretty much makes the same point.
Grim REAP-ers
You have got to be F@*&##&$& kidding me!
My consumption and customer information should necer be available to any entity outside the utility.
Under the heading of MY PERSONAL PRIVACY both as a CUSTOMER and as a WOMAN.
RCA, this overreach should be quashed immediately and never to be brought up again.
Every one of us has the fight to privacy withing the confines of our homes and businesses.
Handing this information ofer WILL compromise THE CYBER SECURITY OF EVERY CUSTOMER.
Whom or what exactly is “Alaska’s regulatory commission” ? The original article doesn’t tell us either. This would be relevant information.
M.John: The RCA is a commission whose members are appointed by the Governor and they as a commission set public utility rates and provide regulation for them as well. For further info, do a rather quick Google for Alaska RCA and you shall be enlightened.
That board isn’t entitled to harvest en masse private energy consumption data. It’s illegal. I’ll be writing CEA with the RCA in mind. Any release of this data is begging for a long drawn out class-action suit against CEA, REAP & RCA.
Every rate payer should send the RCA an email telling them what you think about REAP trying to access your private information.
‘[email protected]’
Yes! If the RCA has the final say, then we need to flood them with emails opposing this! Pass the info on to everyone you know! Doesn’t matter if they are Chugach customers or not.
Yes! If the RCA has the final say, then we need to flood them with emails opposing this! Pass the info on to everyone you know! Doesn’t matter if they are Chugach customers or not.
Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) is a 501.c.3 organization based in Anchorage, AK. We are a coalition of over 70 energy stakeholders working together to advance renewable energy and energy efficiency throughout the state of Alaska.
So, if you’re a coalition of over 70 energy stakeholders, why don’t you have enough smarts to figure out how to run a business? Why would anybody be willing to give a coalition all of the records of their customers? As a customer of Enstar and Homer Electric, I don’t want my information shared with any other organization. Or coalition. Thank you very much.
List your stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Here are the names of the people on the business licensing:
Bill Stamm Director, Secretary
Brian Murkowski Director
DAVE MESSIER Director
DAVE MYERS Director
Frances Ball Director, Treasurer
GREG PORTER Director
Ian Laing Director
INGEMAR MATHIASSON Director
Jamie Hansen Director
Jeremy Kasper Director
JIM NORDLAND Director, President
JULIE ESTEY Director
Lee Bolling Director, Vice President
Louie Flora Director
Mark Wiggin Director
MATT BERGAN Director
SCOTT WATERMAN Director
Steve Konkel Director
Suzanne Settle Director
Look them up. These are NOT our allies, Alaskans.
Two of the people listed are on the Chugach Electric Board of Directors (Mark Wiggin and Jim Nordland)!
How is this not a conflict of interest? We need to vote these two off the Chugach Board!!!
Wow! Thank you for the list! Is that Brian Murkowski related to Lisa? I don’t know of any other murkowskis besides her crooked family.
Sure a of directors maybe they direct them self’s out of my personal information.
How much energy are they wasting?
I vote to do away with this organization.
REAP can say whatever they want. What they really are is a group of untrustworthy ideologists without real jobs.
Anchorage
REAP utilizes its collective expertise to educate Alaskans, collaborate with a wide group of stakeholders, and advocate for a clean energy future. REAP’s work empowers Alaskans to make more informed energy choices that help them live fuller, richer lives. The organization promotes an array of clean energy opportunities that positions Alaska to be a global clean energy leader that generates employment and pride.
Organisation Industries
Energy
Organisation Product Service Offering
‘- Educating K-12 students in science, technology, engineering, and math through the lens of clean energy. – Promoting energy efficiency. – Developing and implementing policies to increase the production of renewable energy in Alaska. – Building a market in Alaska for renewable energy. – Fostering and demonstrating stakeholder unity in support of renewable energy and energy efficiency in Alaska.
Organisation Opportunity
We are always looking for likeminded individuals and organizations to join our work as supporters, Energy Visionaries, members, and collaborators.
Website
‘https://www.alaskarenewableenergy.org
Contact Name
Sydney Scout
Contact Email
[email protected]
Contact Number
503-380-0639
Organisation Address
308 G St. #225, Anchorage, AK 99501
REAP are eco-Marxists
Fire: Care the enlighten us on the source of REAP funding?
Why do they have an Oregon area code? Are these the same people who want to import natural gas from Oregon into Alaska when we could simply use our own?
As a private organization, what legal authorization do you claim to have, to demand access to private customer information of the utilities and the ability to SET RATES for all when it comes to energy?
Will you list YOUR private information on your business interests, funding and donations?
This group is composed of Green New Deal /WEF advocates who have either bought into the climate change hysteria, or are just capitalizing on the economics developing out of the hysteria. These groups want to force their ideology onto EVERYONE, no matter the cost or opposition. They want to limit choice, or make options so expensive that we are really left with no choice at all. Hydroelectric power is “climate friendly” but there’s a big push to dismantle the Eklutna Hydroelectric Dam that has supplied residents from Anch to Mat-Su since 1951! YOU ARE A GROUP OF LEFT-WING ACTIVISTS THAT WILL NEVER BE HAPPY! GO LIVE OFF THE GRID SOMEWHERE BY YOURSELVES AND LEAVE THE REST OF US IN PEACE!!!
“Sydney Scout,” the “she/her” “organizer” “born and raised on Dena’ina Lands” who’s on the board for AKPIRG and the Bronson-trashing 907 Initiative. Sure sounds like a non-partisan one could trust with an entire city’s population of private data!
Fire: So in short, REAP has no right to the customer information that they are insisting that they ‘need’.
Drove up to Talkeetna a few times over the past couple months. Passing the major solar array along the highway by Houston I noticed EVERY SINGLE PANEL had a foot of snow on them. Yeah solar panels work good in Alaska.
I also made a run to the airport twice this past month and noticed Fire Island windmills dead in the water. Yeah windmills work good in Alaska. Mumbling of a Wantana dam on the Susitna? A boondoggle multi billion dollar project that would never pay off and destroy the whole Susitna River drainage and it’s salmon runs. REAP is a socialist group, Hitler and nazism. Purely a redistribution of your money to REAP’s pockets so only REAP and their cronies can live “fuller, richer lives” on your dollars. Oh and about that social score they will incorporate on you to make your lives intolerable if you use to much energy. Communism.
You got it right on, these people
should dye their skin green so we can ID
them on the spot.
Communists, you bet !
“70 energy stakeholders”… total number of persons within those “stakeholders”? Is the funding for this coming principally from within the State or from outside? What alliances are there with other like-minded groups in both the nation and the state? Of the infrastructure needed to create and maintain this “renewable” energy, how much is non-renewable and the energy created compared to the energy needed to maintain it? How much of a reduction in the population is needed to meet the limitations of the energy created? Just some questions that will pop up.
No way. What they really want is information that will prove what we already know, we use more electricity in the winter….duh. This information will then be put in to a PowerPoint presentation that will be used to show that we as consumers must be punished by paying higher rates for being glutinous during the cold dark winters. They’ll propose a solution, wind farms, solar panels, energy harvesting measures,etc. They (REAP) will then ask for local and federal monies to pay for said turbines and solar panels, while also using the extra money gathered from the rate increases during the hardest months to pay for their “renewable” energy. This is a scam. Stakeholders want return on investment. Just because you’re a 501.c.3 doesn’t mean you’re a charity.
503 Portland Oregon number…
figures….
Is REAP going to be one the groups that helps get the Chinese Social Credit Scoring system set up that will control every aspect of your life and your utilities? Maybe McCabe can tell us what the plan is since he was supporting ESG along with Dunleavy?
Here another observation:
How would this private group be able to actually enforce THEIR rate plan? They are not a government entity. They can set rates all day long, but have no legal way to actually force the RCA, the utility or the individual customer to accept them.
So one wonders about the real purpose.
In my cynical mind, it seems more plausible that the real purpose is to gather data on individual consumers and target them to make them to switch to a “green energy system”!
Marxist globalist enviro cult zombies. No one from REAP has elected status to make decisions for ratepayers. What part of NO do they or those who might allow such egregious foolishness not understand?
There’s a REAP what we sow joke here somewhere… help me out.
Grim REAPers, I’d say, but that’s only a sow-sow joke.
“The right of the people to privacy is recognized and shall not be infringed. The legislature shall implement this section.” Alaska Constitution, Art. 1, §22.
RCA denied request.
JUST A MINUTE!!!!! Just what information is it that REAP wants? Address? Phone number? Electricity usage? Natural gas usage? Credit card number? (I’m on auto pay.)
Questions if the data was provided:
who are the people that will have access to it
where have they done this before and what were the outcomes
have the people passed a background check
what protocals are in place to keep it confidential
what regulatory entity ensures that it stays confidential and how does that work
what happens if it doesn’t, etc. Do they post a bond…oh snap, I left the thumbdrive on the passenger seat of my subaru but now find it.
Renewable Energy Alaska Project is living off your federal taxes. It received $620,880 in federal grants in tax year 2022. Mr. Rose’s salary and benefits totaled more than $200,000. It took in more than $1.1 million in 2022. Here is a link to its tax return (Form 990): ‘https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2022/260/484/2022-260484527-202343199349302884-9.pdf?_gl=1*1vwmmuc*_gcl_au*MTMxNjAzODM4NS4xNzA5MzE2NTcw
They need to know who to “hurt”. If you ain’t on the hate Trump tip; do you even need electricity AND food? Ain’t gitten no whir.
“REAP says it needs that data to design a rate structure that would compel customers to use less natural gas—by charging them more once they surpass certain energy consumption thresholds, the Free Beacon reports.”
Setting the sheer hubris aside for a moment, REAP’s stated goal is to reduce “natural gas” usage. However the utility they are targeting isn’t Enstar but Chugach Electric. Could it be that they expected CEA board to just roll over and let them take over? Seems there is more to this than meets the eye….
There is always more than meets the eye with all of this globalist energy crap! Everything is intertwined!
How far does this agreeably like-minded group (with a few obvious exceptions) extend beyond this platform.
Still waiting for information on all our Turbines and panels within the state as to their actual numbers. To this date, I have requested the information several times from my local power authority, but I have been told that they cannot give me that information. Why not? They are using public funds to indicate how good we are doing, show me some numbers to verify the claims. It is apparent that the move the tear down the Eklutna dam is all about money and the increased rates all of us would be paying without it. Wake UP!
Ride this crowd of insane Ecco fanatics on a rail out of the state.
This is in the document submitted to RCA:
“On November 11, 2023, REAP was admitted as an intervenor in this rate case.23 REAP stated in its petition to intervene that it “seeks to promote a rate design that incentivizes the conservation of Cook Inlet natural gas resources by bolstering consumer incentives to pursue investments in energy efficiency and rooftop solar.”24 REAP also announced its intention to help create a more complete record upon which the RCA could find “that rates comply with AS 42.05.141(c) by ‘promot[ing] the conservation of resources used in the generation of electric energy.’”25 REAP noted that it planned to offer expertise on topics “such as innovative rate structures aimed at promoting conservation and renewable investment.”26 Chugach did not oppose REAP’s intervention.27
“…rooftop solar.” ? Lol How many Alaskans just experienced the latest wind storm that we had? It is frightening enough when billboards and other items are blowing across the landscape. Just think how many rooftop solar panels would be airborne during one of our hurricane-rated wind storms?
And these are the yahoos running REAP:
‘https://alaskarenewableenergy.org/about/team/
Guess who came up with this grand socialist scheme. Antony Scott, Regulatory Manager for REAP. He was run off the RCA as a commissioner because he was having inappropriate discussions with MEA while they were suing CEA. He doesn’t list his time with the RCA in his LinkedIn resume. He is a socialist. He has always pushed the boundaries of privacy. He worked for Chugach. He worked for MLP and advised other Railbelt Utilities. He has always had outlandish rate design schemes. Thank goodness the RCA put a hard NO on this ridiculous and intrusive and invasive request of CEA customers. But hey, he’s the smartest guy in the room. Privacy be dammed.
Correction, on LinkedIn he doesn’t list his time as a Commissioner with the RCA from 2019 to 2022, nor his appointment to MLP by his buddy Mayor Berkowitz in 2018. After which his appointment by the Governor to the RCA in 2019.
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