Free Access to Electricity

Jump on the Bandwagon for Free Electricity

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:34:00 +0000

I firmly believe that homes and businesses can be run on free electrical energy and should be run on free electrical energy. The grids and other electrical supply setups currently in use are inefficient to say the least.

I think a wave of awareness will soon sweep across the American plains and valleys, mountains and deserts, awakening millions of men and women to the idea of free electricity. The only thing that must happen before electricity becomes free is awareness.

Think Outside the Box and Generate Own Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:45:00 +0000

The International Tesla Electric Company ITEC) plans to install a revolutionary new "Permanent Magnet" generator at no cost to a limited number of U.S. and Canadian residents - source: freeelectricity.com

The above quote is about a plan to use magnets to generate electrity, free electricity, however, ITEC will charge a fee for the generator.

Free electricity by any other name is still not free.

I am fully aware that if a household could generate their own energy and transport themselves to other places without petroleum use, that household would triple the amount of money at their disposal.

Are we each going to have to strive for that independence and if we attain it, will we then capitalism on our knowledge by charging others to use it. The above illustration of the Pelton Wheel, which uses water to generate electricity. I want one.

Electricity must be Free to Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:56:00 +0000

There is no reason electricity should not be free world wide. I repeat, there is no logical reason electricity should not be absolutely free at all times.

The basis of Capitalism is that access to credit/cash provides access to have control of your home, drive a car, use the internet, talk on a phone, send an email, etc.

However, the basic assets such as food, electricity, water, and shelter, should be a given in Capitalism; it's the only way Capitalism can remain humane.

Teepee's Along the Pomme de Terre

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Back before the Ozarks became civilized by electricity, and even before that really, the Kickapoo Indian tribe lived happily on one side of the Pomme de Terre River and the new settlers and their families lived happily on the other side.

They helped each other and all was well for a few years. But as more settlers arrived and all the land on one side of the river was already homesteaded by earlier settlers, things were set in motion to move the Kickapoo out of the region. I live on the Kickapoo side of the river now.

Windmill Homes in the Ozarks

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:54:00 +0000

This windmill is starting to look real inviting to live in -- plenty of space to live inside and the bonus is that the entire home functions as a generator. What a pleasant village it would be with all the residents living in windmills. We are due to move this year and if we are lucky we might find a windmill to live in.

Sixty years ago such a home in America would be considered eccentric.But as the price of electricity goes up even further, such homes would be considered very desirable. Yes, I want to live in a windmill,American-style.

This is a photo of a 240-year old windmill in Holland.

How Vulnerable is Your Home to Blackouts

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:38:00 +0000

I would like very much to have my own source of electrical energy for several reasons: One, I'd save enough money to call the savings a second income. Two, I could relax, knowing I would not have my access to electrical energy cut off as this Great Depression II loams forward.

Books and videos are coming out that will show the average man and woman how to create some of your own electricity with wind -- potentially cutting your electric bill by 80%. The thought of not having access to the Internet due to lack of electricity terrifies me -- my life is now online, my photos, my blogs, my websites, my business.

If I no longer had access to electricity, thus did not have accesss to the Internet, I would be helpless. It is almost as if my life has become virtual and without access to my virtual life, all that would be left would be my body. What are your thoughts regarding this statement?

Electricity in England in 1930s

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Here is a glimpse into the 1930s to 1950s in England.

1930s English Kitchen: cooker, fridge, iron, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, ceiling light and fire.

1930s English Sitting Room: fire, toaster, ceiling light, lamp, radio, television, kettle.

1950s English Kitchen: washing machine, cooker, kettle, food mixer, transistor radio, fridge, coffee percolator, spin dryer, dishwasher, toaster, ceiling light.

1950s English Sitting Room: ceiling and wall lamps, telephone, radiogram (a combined radio and record player), hairdryer, sewing machine, vacuum cleaner, fire, television.

The number of homes in England without electricity in 1939 was 33%. By 1955 the number of homes with electricity had risen to 88%.

Great Depression of 1939

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Life during the 1930s when the land blew away in great clouds of dust and no one could get a job so many families went to bed without a meal; when there was no social net to catch families before they lost their homes and became destitute; when everything had to be sold cheap or no one could buy it; during those days, people, many people in the rural areas, did not have to worry about paying the electric bill since they didn't have electricity.

But as a trade off, those rural families did have access to food. They could grow their food whereas city families could not and suffered in other ways that rural communities did not suffer.

Turning on the Lights

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Electricity seemed to be a miracle when it first came out. Although the lighting was harsh compared to a glowing fire or a kerosene lamp, it was brighter and easy to use.

But as many are finding out now in 2008, electricity is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity and that necessity over the next year or two may be out of the reach of millions as they drop back in to the Dark Ages where there is no way for them to access the Internet, no way to stay warm, no way to see at night, no way to keep food fresh, no way to cook.

Rural Electricity Comes to Nebraska in 1939

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0000

The short article below was written by Claudia Reinhardt and Bill Ganzel and is published on Wessels Living History Farm website -- best website I've come across about the Great Depression.

Bringing electricity to rural residents on the Great Plains was an engineering, geographic, and management challenge. Electric cooperatives were formed and used low interest loans from the government to build the electric lines. The REA dropped off poles at a farm, and farmers could earn a little money by digging holes themselves.

The REA in Nebraska wired the first York County farmhouse in 1941 at a cost of $224.50. Gresham, NE had electricity since 1908, but it wasn't until 1939 that the REA started to connect electricity for houses in rural Gresham. "When they first started putting some of these lines out, they would drop the poles along the section lines," he says. "Farmers, if they wanted to, could make 25 cents a hole by digging the hole." But there were no machine-driven augers to dig holes, and workers had to dig deep holes with a spade in the drought-hardened ground.

The Perennial Public Power District (formerly York County Rural Public Power District) was formed on December 31, 1938. In January 1939, the board of directors passed a resolution to borrow $271,000 from the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in Washington, D.C. to construct electrical lines in York County. Soon after the district was formed, engineers and a construction company were hired to build the lines.

In September 1939, the district purchased electric power from the Seward County Rural Public Power District. By early February 1940, the Perennial Public Power District announced that 130 miles of lines had been completed, and 118 customers were now receiving electricity. By 1945, the district had completed nearly 250 miles of electric line and connected more than 500 rural customers.

The process of organizing power districts like Perennial was often a difficult political process. Most rural families had to be convinced that is was necessary to pay for electricity.

Kerosene Lamps and the Bedroom Betsy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Before the REA strung electric lines to connect rural homes, a few farmers bought battery systems to run lights, crude appliances and, most important, a radio.

And to get lights before electric lines were connected, some houses had a carbide gas light system with a buried tank of water and pellets to create gas to burn. -- by Claudia Reinhardt, Wessels Living History Farm, York, NE

Before the government hooked up farmhouses to electricity, light came from kerosene lamps that were so dim "you almost had to use a flashlight to see if they were on," says Stan Jensen.

Families heated water on the stove to take baths and wash clothes. Women pressed clothes with a wedge of iron heated on the stove.

The outhouse was cold and unwelcoming during the cold winter months so family often kept a Betsy in the house, usually in each bedroom. The Betsy was emptied the next day into the outhouse privy.

Rural Electric Bill of Rights

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Electric cooperative utilities are unique in that they are owned and controlled by the consumers they serve. In an evolving restructuring of the entire electric industry, electric cooperatives are vigorously pursuing policies that will protect the individual and economic interests of all consumers; included among these interests are:

The right to have access to reliable, affordable and safe electric power. The availability of reliable, affordable and safe electric power is a necessity for life issue, as well as an important factor that drives the country's economic engine. Consumers have a right to expect reliable, affordable, and safe electric power. Consumers have a right to expect uniform standards of electric power across the country as they travel or move. Each sector of the electric utility industry is different: each is structured differently, financed differently and, aside from the provision of electric service, organized for different purposes. All electric utilities receive federal assistance and the form of federal assistance is different for each sector. In an era of competition, consumers should expect to have many choices. However, all energy providers should have the obligation to provide reliable, affordable and safe electric power. The obligation of lawmakers is to recognize the differences among electric utilities and to treat them differently in legislation.

The right to join together to establish and operate a consumer-owned not-for-profit electric utility. Current consumer protection depends on government regulation, local service territories, and voluntary cooperation among thousands of utility systems with local service obligations. If that system is to be replaced with competition, where "big dogs eat first," where utility systems are allowed to become huge combines remote from local consumers, and where energy providers are free to choose the customer class that provides them the most profit, consumers must have a way to protect themselves. All electric consumers must have the right to join together to establish and operate a consumer-owned electric system to provide themselves with electricity according to their own needs.

The right of consumer-owned not-for-profit systems to be treated fairly and recognized as a unique form of business. Electric cooperatives (co-ops) are independently owned business enterprises incorporated under the laws of the state in which they operate. Electric cooperatives are owned and controlled by the consumers they serve. The co-op difference resides in consumer ownership and control. Thus, for co-ops to be treated fairly by government regulation, they must be recognized as a unique form of business, different from investor-owned or community-owned systems.

As recognized by the federal courts, since the consumer owns the cooperative, there is no motive for the cooperative to mislead, cheat, overcharge, or act in any way that is not in the consumer-owners' interests.

The right to elect representatives to manage their consumer-owned form of business to best meet their needs. Electric cooperative consumers (members) participate in the operation of the co-op by electing a board of directors from among its co-op consumers to establish the co-op's basic policies, goals and strategies, as well as to determine the rates and types of service(s) they wish to receive. In a competitive environment, consumer-owned and controlled cooperatives will be a more important discipline in the marketplace and a more important force for innovation as long as local ownership, local control and local autonomy are not abridged through unnecessary government regulation.

The individual right to privacy that assures information about consumers will not be released without their prior express consent. Historically, consumer-owned cooperatives have advocated levels of information disclosure beyond industry standards but necessary for judging the performance of utility systems. Recently, however, discussions on energy policy have included the idea that utility systems should be required to collect and divulge extraordinary consumer specific information. Consumers should have the right to determine how information collected about them is used. Consumer-owned cooperatives should not be required to collect or to divulge consumer specific information.

The right to determine the scope of energy services to be furnished through their consumer-owned not-for-profit utilities. In a competitive environment, consumer-owned cooperatives, with their local ownership, local control and local autonomy provide a fast, efficient and flexible way for consumers to address their needs.

The right to use consumer-owned not-for-profit utilities to provide additional services that meet the needs of their consumers and communities. All electric consumers must have the right to join together to establish and operate a consumer-owned electric system, if they so choose. In addition, consumers must retain the right to use their cooperative as a means to meet their needs and expectations over time.

The right to work in cooperation with other consumer-owned entities with common goals. Consumer-owned cooperatives should be able to work together to provide a countervailing balance of power in the marketplace to the huge investor-owned combines that are likely to result from deregulation. Consumer-owned cooperatives should be able to work together to provide an open window into the operation of a competitive electric market for all consumers. Consumer-owned, not-for-profit cooperatives should be able to work together to provide a "yardstick" by which all consumers can measure the performance of the market and market participants.

This Electric Energy Consumer Bill of Rights was overwhelmingly approved by the membership of NRECA at its 57th Annual Meeting in March 1999

About Co-ops

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0000

I found this information on the National Rural Electric website. You can visit their page explaining what a rural electric co-op is all about. About Co-ops

Basically, the principles of a rural electric co-op are these:
Cooperatives are voluntary democratic organizations controlled by their members who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.

President Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in 1935 by Executive Order within days of being sworn in as President. There are more than 900 electric cooperatives today, with an average of 7 customers per mile.

Letter to Editor of Rural Missouri and his reply

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 06:00:00 +0000

I wrote the following letter to the editor of Rural Missouri concerning the recent rate hikes during a major recession:

'Southwest Electric Co-op raised its rates to members earlier this year. Even a very frugal member who shuts off lights and watches a small television and cuts back on using the oven will still have a high electric bill. Actually, a member who does not use any electricity at all must pay almost $18 a month.

These high rates went into effect just a few months before the world economy collapsed. Southwest Electric Co-op is owned by its members. It may be necessary to hold an emergency meeting to vote on lower rates until the economy improves.-- Susan Salaki

The managing editor, Bob McEowen, sent me this reply:

"Rate increases are the result of rising costs of wholesale power. The co-op must pay more for the electricity it buys and consequently, the members — who ARE the co-op — bear this cost in their monthly bills.

To not raise rates now would simply weaken the financial health of the cooperative, threaten reliability and, eventually, put the members in the dark. Bob McEowen, Managing Editor, Rural Missouri

"Owned By Those We Serve"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:05:00 +0000

Southwest Electric Co-op's slogan is

"Owned by those we serve."

SEC is "committed to providing quality residential an commercial electrical service at the lowest possible cost."

They provide services to 30,000 meters, home and business.

Rural Missouri and Light Lines Publications

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:59:00 +0000

This is all the information I could gather from Southwest Electric Cooperative website.

All members do receive Rural Missouri, a monthly publication addressing current issues brought up by the Board.

Southwest Electric Cooperative (SEC) also has a quarterly publication, Light Lines, a newsletter for members.

Southwest Electric Co-op began in 1939

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:09:00 +0000

Southwest Electric Cooperative was established in 1939 to provide electricity to rural southwest Missouri homes and businesses in eleven counties. Norman Sutherland of Fair Grove is the current President of the Board of Directors consisting of nine members.

The Beginning

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:43:00 +0000

In the beginning, electricity was a luxury that only folks in cities could have but after the Great Depression produced an abundant labor force for the government to tap, huge water projects were erected throughout the country, making it possible to expand electricity to hard to reach areas.

Rural folks are too independent to just accept new things that would make them dependent on something else -- i.e., electricity. Kerosene lamps were fine. The only way to get these folks voluntarily online was to put them in charge of the utitlity by creating Rural Electric Co-ops -- members own the company.

Quiet Country Evenings

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:38:00 +0000

Southwest Electric Co-op reaches deep in to the Ozark mountains.