Disconnected?
What do we think of when we hear the word disconnected?
An individual who’s struggling to make ends meet and fails to pay an electric bill…
Anyone who has been in the middle of a phone conversation and has said the words “You still there?” only to hear a dial tone…
An electrician who’s troubleshooting a circuit with some receptacles working and some not working…
We can apply the word disconnected to different circumstances but the connotation remains the same: a severed or interrupted or broken connection. As electric ratepayers, we’re all connected to a massive grid, but do most of us really begin to understand it? For the most part we don’t, and we’re certainly disconnected in this way also.
Unfortunately, regarding many electric energy issues today, there are serious disconnects throughout the Commonwealth…
Conserving electricity and using electricity more efficiently are buzz words that a lot of us seem to be mindful of these days. That’s a good thing, but disconnects persist; if you don’t believe me, just get a CFL convert and a CFL skeptic in the same conversation, and you’ll see what I mean. There are other energy topics that aren’t nearly so much on our radars, though they should be.
Most residential ratepayers probably don’t have any idea how much electricity they consume during peak demand times. Why is this? Well, maybe it has something to do with receiving electric bills that don’t provide such info or not paying close attention to electric bills that do.
Only within the past couple of years have many ratepayers begun to understand how the aggregate use of electricity during peak demand times impacts the grid. Information disconnects regarding demand-side management and demand response (do you understand these terms?) remain pervasive.
Residential ratepayers generally still don’t have any idea how much electricity costs their service providers during peak demand times. Why is this? Well, maybe it has something to do with the fact that the overwhelming majority of residents currently pay the same rate for electricity regardless of the time of day or night they use it.
Rate structures based on near real-time pricing combined with advanced metering infrastructure could help us all to become better electric energy stewards. But there are disconnects that are impeding the widespread implementation of these options. Many impediments will have to be resolved before all of us as ratepayers, regardless of which company or municipality or co-op provides our electricity, are able to utilize smart energy technologies.
We can fix the disconnects but it will take time; more informed citizens willing to contact their representatives about better energy solutions; more informed public officials willing to address complicated energy issues; perseverance…
The General Assembly convened a few weeks ago. I’ve been tracking a few bills, and I’ll let you know more about that in my next blog. So stay connected…