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electric bill

Precedented Times in the Utility Space

By Energy Rant No Comments
This week, I am just about wrapping up everything from the Mid-America Regulatory Conference held in Indianapolis. However, there is so much content that I’m saving the best (nuclear power) for last, next week. Cyber Threats An early session featured a panel of cybersecurity experts discussing the relentless and ruthless threats to our grid and utilities. As I listened to that with my cybersecurity training background and reading about it, I realized that the most significant vulnerabilities are soft targeting and social engineering, rather than brute force hacking. What is soft targeting? Tailgating through a security gate is one example.…
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energy cost

Property Value, Rent, and Energy Cost Exclusivity

By Energy Rant, Uncategorized No Comments
About twenty years ago, I moved into my first home, which sits on a beautiful lot where the cattle used to graze. When you think about it, all homes sit where wildlife used to frolic, but I digress. The point is, a first-time homeowner, especially one with a substantial lot and a long driveway, is in for a few surprises. I remember saying $10,000 checks were flying left and right, and that’s not even for the mortgage payments. Driveway: $5,000. Lawn seeding: $2,000. Mowing tractor and snow removal equipment: $7,500. There were at least twice that many nickels and dimes.…
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bipartisan

Efficiency’s Problem: Cyborgs, Fragments, and Climate

By Energy Rant 2 Comments
The number of bipartisan political issues that can be counted on one finger is shrinking fast. All this while the definition of bipartisan has been lowered to a single vote from the opposing party. Energy efficiency is not among the bipartisan issue (sic). It is unfortunately limited to the left-wing of the political spectrum as once again demonstrated by Ohio where the deep red legislature in House Bill 6 passed a $1.1 billion bailout to keep two nuclear plants afloat, and efficiency - dead. Ohioans – Screwed, Coming and Going But there is more. Since it would be unfair to…
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