Who gets the Green, Can we get a fair shake from the DWP?

CityWatch http://www.citywatchla.com/content/view/2868/ I agree in part with David Freeman, interim General Manager for the DWP, who said at the Valley Industry and Commerce Associations Business Forecast Conference on Thursday that the fundamental question before the American people is whether we should have health care for the planet. Reducing carbon pollution is every bit as important as is reducing pesticide, mercury and other harmful chemicals from our food, water and air. Where the many people that voted against Measure B in March of this year and I differ from Freeman is in finding the most efficient and economical way to proceed. With Freeman its solar, solar, and solar -and not just any solar but PV solar panels (photo voltaic). You couldnt be criticized if you thought that he might have an interest in a PV solar panel plant. Not only is it one particular type of solar but one particular type of worker that would be allowed to install and maintain the solar throughout the 465 square miles of City owned property and in other parts of California. That is, DWP work crews. Freeman prepared us in his opening remarks for further and dramatic increases in power and water rates - increases to pay for infrastructure repairs and for converting over to sustainable energy production. At a Breathe California of Los Angeles County event held at City Hall on Friday, Josh Tickell, Author, filmmaker and Alternative Fuels Enthusiast, said opening up the grid to all could produce competitive green energy to fossil fuel energy within 24 to 48 months. With a Feed in Tariff businesses or homeowner get paid when they have produce power and the supply it to the grid Tickle, said our power shouldnt be controlled by monopolies. The danger is having a monopoly [utility] that can turn our power on and off at will [if they dont get their way]]. We need Feed in Tariffs to give us energy independence and to encourage energy production innovation. Feed in Tariffs are prohibited by the DWP in L.A.. Therefore we are not encouraged to go green and supply energy to the grid. In a time when we need to unleash the creativity of the American worker and inject competition to bring down the cost of solar Freeman and the DWP strive to maintain a monopoly over our power supply. That intention is enunciated clearly the Vision Statement in the DWP draft strategic plan: A world-class publicly-owned integrated utility [emphasis added]. Integrated is the code word, if you will, for monopoly. Link: see page 7: http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp011816.pdf After the opening remarks by L.A. Council Member Jan Perry at the Breathe California event, a disparate and frankly mutually antagonistic group composed of alternative fuel advocates vs. energy suppliers agreed on one very important thing- that the creative spirit that moved America forward to preeminence in the preceding centuries must be unleashed again. Yes, DWP water and power rates are lower than the investor owned utilities in the area. But as Jack Humphreville, President of the DWP Committee, says dont confuse lower cost with efficiency. DWP has enjoyed historical advantages and municipal benefits that allowed the low cost construction of our water aqueducts and electrical generation facilities in a less regulated and lower cost environment. The DWPs deferred maintenance of the transmission and distribution system also contributed to lower costs and rates. That deferred maintenance has been making the news lately with all the trunk line breaks. In all events the legacy advantages will largely disappear in the conversion to sustainable power. The DWP and its employees will have to compete in a new market. A cost comparison first reported in the Daily News that DWP work crews took cost twice as much and took twice as long to do the work as other unionized contractors. Councilman Greig Smith is a Los Angeles City Councilman, representing the 12th District, said city leaders know DWP employees are among the highest paid in the city at the same time they have refused to challenge IBEW over issues of pay and efficiency. "Any time we do anything over there with their personnel, it is going to cost more. There are too many people over there and over here that are afraid to stand up to that union," he said. See story at: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/DWP+ADDS+TO+IN-HOUSE+WORK+CREWS+COMPROMISE+WITH+UNION+MEANS+HIGHER...-a0162268953