Hey! Jerry Heckenliable! If you're still torqued about Madison's high electric rates, you should get on this committee!
At tonight's meeting, the Madison City Commission will consider creating an "Energy Advisory Committee." The proposed committee's portfolio would include the following tasks:
- to review, analyze and recommend alternatives regarding the implementation of an energy management/conservation plan for the City of Madison,
- to establish policies regarding reserves held by the City to include operating capital, capital improvements and replacements, and contingency reserves,
- in coordination with the Superintendent to review new technology and methods of operations that may increase productivity or reduce costs to the City of Madison's Electric Department, including but not limited to Load Management and Smart Metering System,
- to review and monitor the City of Madison's contracts and rates for the purchase or sale of electricity.
Did you catch that last one, Jerry?
If this resolution passes, the mayor will nominate and the commission approve five members to have conversations on these topics at least four times a year and make recommendations to the city. There's no money in the gig (at least not a salary, although the city may pay some expenses for committee members), but it would be a good chance for residents to help the city find ways to save money, improve energy efficiency, and maybe even promote a little local energy self-sufficiency.
This is a huge mistake. You need real experts to make these kinds of recommendations/decisions. This is ridiculous. This is the Dunning-Kruger effect in action.
I assume by your Dunning-Kruger reference Tony, that you believe the Commissioners are highly skilled in this area, and that the general citizenry are the foolishly incompetent.
No offense to any member of the commission, but they are hardly experts in this field. They are simply making the best informed decision they can. And for all I know they are doing a great job. I have no trouble believing however, that there are individuals in this town who are at least equally capable of grappling with the issues of energy conservation and consumption.
Should we abolish the Airport Board, the Sidewalk Committee, ect.?
To call this a "huge mistake" seems alarmist.
Matt-
No, I mean that everyone from the beginning of the pipeline to the end is not qualified and do not understand the technical complexities of the problem that they are attempting to address. What's going to happen is that someone without the proper skill set is going to appoint people that they believe might know something about the problem. However, without technical knowledge in the area they are incapable of judging competency.
Regarding the other committees that you reference, I can't comment. I don't know who is on those committees nor what their duties entail. However, due to my engineering degrees and construction background I do feel capable of commenting knowledgeably on energy conservation/consumption issues. This is a technical area where the knowledge barrier to entry is high.
Our county commission acting as the drainage board would be another local example where it takes expertise. They recently said they may try to find another way to review drainage requests because they have come to realize they don't have the background.
Well I guess my question Tony is this, what should a local government do? Obviously we can't expect a group of commissioners to be experts in everything.
The new committee will work in coordination with the Superintendent of the Madison Electric Department. The committee will include Finance Officer Jeff Heinemeyer as liaison to the commission. Jeff knows as much about Madison's rates and contracts over time as anyone.
Seems like a good start, not ridiculous. Maybe we should give it time and see what happens before we jump to conclusions?
Hello Matt,
Let's review what these people are going to be tasked with:
1. Energy Conservation/Management Plan. This is not trivial. One must have a detailed understanding of grid deployment and loading. This is a technical task. You better have an engineering degree.
2. Budgeting for capital expenditures. Again, this isn't trivial. Unless you understand how the grid works you can't possibly hope to guess at how much new roll out costs are going to be. Again, you need an engineer for this task.
3. Reviewing new technology. NOT TRIVIAL. You need to have an engineering background or else you're going to buy into marketing speak and just buy junk.
4. Contracts and Rates. Not trivial. You need to be able to analyze rates others are getting and put them in context with your rate to evaluate them. You need an engineer here to understand why your rate is as it is. Probably a business person as well to understand the contracting language or possibly a lawyer.
So, accordingly, as a technical expert in this area, i don't see any of these tasks as trivial or something that could just be picked up by an average person without technical training.
Now here is the rub. Neither you or the vast majority of the populace are capable of rating the performance of this committee. They will do things. You won't know if they have been good or bad.
Sure, if power rates go up you might say that they have done a bad job. But of course they might have made all of the right decisions and because of some unforeseen reason rates across the board might go up. They might do a great job.
Or, rates might stay the same while they do a horrible job. They might make suboptimal choices that result in your rates NOT decreasing. Or they might make choices that minimize cost now but triple it over 10 year periods.
This is why you higher technical experts to make these kinds of decisions.
From the Leader article: Heinemeyer said Madison currently has committees dedicated to the library, parks and recreation, and sidewalk construction and "maybe there should be some public involvement" with the municipal electric utility.
"Some public involvement" sounds like a limited role. Seems unlikely these volunteers would have the responsibilities Tony mentions above. Does sound like the city will need to get their hands around the right technical information.
No to sidewalks!!!
http://madisonet.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20467242&BRD=1302&PAG=461&dept_id=181987&rfi=6
I am in favor of independent technical advice being available to committees such as this proposed energy committee, but I am also not at all convinced that engineers automatically are capable of making good decisions in a political environment.
On the other hand, it may be likely that engineers are a few hundred percent better than ministers, english teachers, and others nearly completely ignorant of scientific methods and proofs...or in fact viewing them with suspicion compared to the revealed "truth" of religions.