UPDATED – Smart Grid: The Rest of the Story – Vicky Davis

UPDATE: OK-SAFE, Inc. – Researcher Vicky Davis has completed Part 10 of her series, Smart Grid: The Rest of the Story. 

Part 10, Global Power Shift, describes the functional realignment of the electric utilities, including the self-serving roles of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC), and the utilities.

 

Excerpt:

“The Environmental Protection Agency, which I’m sure has a similar Torus structure, is closing down coal‐fired power plants based on their regulatory authority over air quality. They are creating the shortage of electricity, which will provide the racketeering power of extortion pricing to the utility sector. The Renewable Energy Certificate subsidy scam is a cover of sorts until the entire country is under the control of the smart grid and NERC.

The Smart Meter is the gateway to the home for the Smart Grid and the Regional Transmission Operators (RTOs). The objective, which is well documented, is “demand management”. Through the Smart Meter and Smart Grid capabilities, plus the appliance standards passed by the Congress in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, the RTOs will have the capability for the Regional Transmission Operators to “shave the peak” – meaning to shut down your access to electricity entirely – or to selectively shut down your appliances including heating and cooling equipment.”

Link to updated 10-part series.  Link to Part 10.

Original post:

OK-SAFE, Inc. – Our friend Vicky Davis, a former computer Systems Analyst-turned researcher at Channeling Reality, has written a series of articles on the history and implementation of the global Smart Grid.

Entitled Smart Grid: The Rest of the Story, this 9-part series covers everything from the basics of how a smart meter’s 2-way communication system works, to an examination of the types of data collection systems involved and the how/why of “smart” appliances; from the efficiency movement to energy rate decoupling; and the origins of the concept of scarce energy.

The series includes a brief look at the “who’s who” orchestrating the global smart grid roll out.

The series is a must-read for those with concerns about smart meters and global energy control.

Smart Grid: The Rest of the Story – by Vicky Davis.

 

 

 

Fusion Centers and IBM’s SmarterCity – Big Blue Monopoly

OK-SAFE, Inc. – From Part 5 in a series on Fusion Centers by independent researcher Vicky Davis of Channeling Reality.

BIG BLUE CORPORATION

Fusion Centers – Part 5

THINK

A major step in the march to fascism begins in 1988 with legislation sponsored by then Senator Al Gore to fund the building of a high speed, nationwide “data superhighway” that would allow corporations and researchers at the universities and national laboratories to collaborate in research, product and systems development.  While it might have sounded like a good idea at the time, it was the beginning of the socialization of business costs and the privatization of profits from those public expenditures.   It also set the stage for the corporate takeover of government.   

 

New York Times, December 28, 1988, Sharing the Supercomputers

 

“Officials at the National Science Foundation envision computerized ”collabatories” in which scientists using computer work stations could directly view and control the output of complex machines, such as particle accelerators, wind tunnels, telescopes and nuclear reactors, even though they were thousands of miles from the actual apparatus.”

 

”The infrastructure we will need in the 21st century goes beyond traditional public works projects,” Senator Gore said. ”I envision a national computer network linking academic researchers and industry, using the nation’s vast data banks as the raw material for increasing industrial productivity and creating new products.”

 

”It’s possible that if we simply let a completely self-motivated marketplace develop our data communications infrastructure for the future it will be either inferior to what is being developed in Japan or Europe or owned by companies in Japan and Europe,” said Russell Neuman, a political
scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab.

 

 Read rest of Vicky Davis article here.

 

 

Travel Advisory – Stealth Tolls in Colorado

OK-SAFE, Inc. – This past June researcher Vicky Davis traveled from Idaho to Oklahoma.  This road trip involved traveling through the Denver area of Colorado.

Davis used cash and credit cards on her trip and paid all the tolls she encountered along the way.  Or, at least she thought she did.

A month after driving around Denver, Davis received a surprise in the mail – a bill for traveling on Denver’s E-470 electronic toll highway. According to Davis, she couldn’t even tell she was on a toll road.

From Wikipedia’s description: “E-470 is a 47-mile-long (76 km) controlled-access toll road traversing the eastern portion of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Area in the US state of Colorado. The toll road is not a state highway, but is instead maintained by the E-470 Public Highway Authority, which is controlled by a governing board of ten elected officials, three from each county and one from Aurora. Construction and operation involves no state or federal funding or taxes.”

Toll Fees Surprisingly High

The Denver locals may know E-470 is an all electronic toll highway system accepting no cash. Visitors don’t know this – the surprise comes later in the mail.

Continued from the Wikipedia description, “The toll rate on E-470, roughly 33 cents per mile, is one of the highest rates of any toll road in the United States. There are six toll stations along the 47-mile (76 km) route and the average toll to pass each is $3.00. Traveling the entire length of the road from I-25 in the north to I-25 in the south can cost in excess of $14.00 one way. The toll stations no longer accept cash…”

License Plate Toll Billing Process 

E-470 utilizes a license plate toll billing  process, put into effect in August 2012.  Every vehicle that accesses E-470 has the license plate photographed for billing purposes.   E-470’s tolling policy is described here. This license plate billing process is explained here.

Within days of getting the first notice, Davis received a 2nd notice, assessing an astonishing 50% late fee on top of the original toll bill.

It would be nice for travelers to be forewarned about how E-470 works in enough time to choose an alternative route and avoid the license plate cameras, the hassle, and the exorbitant toll fees.

The E-470 toll scheme is a Ricky Mountain high travelers can do without.

Stealth Tolling Equals Criminal Racketeering  – Vicky Davis’ letter Public Highway Authority

September 7, 2012

Public Highway Authority
P.O. Box 5470
Denver, CO 80217-5470

Dear Sirs,

In June of this year, I did go on a trip passing through Colorado. In July, I received a bill for $9.45 for allegedly driving on a toll road. I did not drive through a tollbooth. I did not see a sign that said “entering toll road”. I did not see an exit that said, “if you entered this toll road accidentally, exit here”. I did not in any affirmative way agree to pay a toll for driving on a road in Colorado. Because of this, I consider your toll road to be an ambush racket.

Despite the fact that I consider your Public Highway Authority to be engaged in racketeering, I debated whether or not to pay it. It was only $10.00 and in this day and age of rampant public corruption, deception and organized crime under the color of law, there is only so much time in the day so one has to choose their battles. I decided to just pay it and not bother with you people but when I opened the second bill and you added a $5.00 late fee, I changed my mind. You proved me right. You are engaged in criminal racketeering and I’ll not contribute one penny to it. You may stick this bill in your round file.

I won’t be traveling through Colorado ever again and I’m going to issue a travel advisory on my website to warn unsuspecting travelers that Colorado is a state to be avoided.

Sincerely,
Vicky L. Davis
Statement Numbers: 1145416454
1148263761

Other Tolling Incidents in Colorado

This website is collecting Colorado tolling incidents – looks like the stealth tolling is effecting a lot of travelers:

http://neighbors.denverpost.com/viewtopic.php?f=233&t=123488088

List of toll roads in Colorado:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Toll_roads_in_Colorado

Travelers should avoid using E-470 to get around Denver. Keep your money, find and use an alternative, less expensive route around the city.  Or better yet, stay out of Denver in the first place and really save some money.

Spinning like a Top – Idaho Times-News Story on Smart Meter Battle

The Idaho Times-News story on the Smart Meter installations in Twin Falls Idaho is full of so much spin one wonders why it considers itself a news service at all.

The Idaho Central News Agency would be more appropriate.

Completely ignoring all the controversy about the spy-meters in general, and downplaying local opposition, the paper is reporting only  happy news about the installation of the spy-meters.

“Idaho Power Co. has finished installing close to 500,000 smart meters across its territory in Idaho and Oregon, finishing a three-year project intended to increase energy efficiency.

The new meters come with a digital display to make it easier for customers to see how much electricity they use. Company officials also say smart meters provide more-precise billing and shorten repair time on power outages.”

This ignores the real intent of the Smart Meters which is to move to time of use metering and billing to remotely monitor and control peoples’ access to and use of energy.

Reporter Kimberlee Kruesi goes on to quote an Idaho Power Co., spokesperson: “Davis is the company’s only customer who resisted the meters to the extent that local authorities became involved, said Idaho Power spokeswoman Lynette Berriochoa.”

At least two Twin Falls residents objected to the installation of the Smart Meters on their homes, and both had armed law enforcement show up with the Idaho Power installers.  (See the prior two OK-SAFE posts on this issue for details.)

The Idaho Power Co. rep went on to say, “We’ve gotten a positive response from our customers,” she said. “For the most part, people love (the meters).”

Kind of like how the Korean Central News  Agency reports the reaction to the death of their “Dear Leader” Kim Jong Il.

The statements attributed to Vicky Davis in the Kruesi article are imaginary.  Davis was said to have concerns about the Smart Meters and “hacking,” but as she reports, “I never said that.”

What Davis is objecting to is the dual-use technology incorporated in the Smart Meters – they are both a surveillance tool and a reporting tool. (See her letter to the editor at the bottom of this post.)

See diagram below for the Smart Meter wiring:

PLCC (Power Line Carrier Communication) diagram from Engineers Garage.

This site goes on to explain that Smart Meters send a report hourly, not 4 times a day as Idaho Power Co. is quoted as saying.

How PLCC technology is used in meter reading?

Automatic Meter Reading using PLCC technology is quite useful as it saves a lot of human efforts and also makes the whole system more efficient. The automatic meter reading system consists of three components, namely, Multifunction Node (MFN), Concentrator & Communication Node (CCN) and Operation & Management System (OMS). Different components and their inter-connections are shown in the figure.

“MFN is a unit installed in household meters, either incorporated in the meter itself or externally connected to it. Its function is to take reading of the meter on an hourly basis and store it in a memory chip. CNN is another part which manages all MFNs within a particular area and collects meter readings from all MFNs. It is generally installed on substations and needs a computer. The computer is installed with Operation and Management System (OMS) which further manages all the data and meter readings from CNNs.”

There are real reasons to object to the installation of these spying Smart Meters and concerns are growing daily.

Too bad the local Idaho paper isn’t interested in doing real investigative journalism and reporting the truth about what is going on in Idaho with Idaho Power Co. and the Smart Meters.

Vicky Davis Letter to the Editor in response the lack of reporting on the Smart Meter issue:

Editor:

I spent somewhere between 10-15 minutes on the phone with your reporter, Ms. Kruesi explaining the issues with the Smart Meters.  In her re-written Idaho Power press release that included the local twist that mentioned me, she not only got the issue wrong, she made up a quote.  Please inform her that when she quotes someone, she must use their exact words and not her own contrived interpretation of what is said.

My issue with the Smart Meters is that they don’t just record usage of electricity.  The Smart Meter is a two-way communications device that records and reports second by second power usage within your home.  The communications signal rides on the AC current, which means that it travels throughout the circuit in your home.  Devices – appliances, lighting, etc. that have installed circuit boards will be controllable remotely.    Even if you haven’t bought any new appliances lately, the data collected on your personal habits as recorded, transmitted and stored in a database can be analyzed to discern your patterns of activity and habits.  This data once collected can be sold and used for marketing and other purposes.  Data is a valuable commodity and the data collected by the Smart Meters will no doubt become a profit center for Idaho Power.

The Smart Meter is a communications, data collection and control device.  Idaho Power is deceiving the public by pretending that “meter” is the same as “Smart Meter”. I was in the process of challenging their demand to be able to install such a device on my premises when they inappropriately called law enforcement to force the installation under the color of law.  The Times-News does a disservice to the community and discredits itself by publishing Idaho Power happy talk and then inaccurately reports opposition.

Media Blackout on Idaho Power Smart Meter Incidents Involving Guns

Seems like Idaho Power can squash any evidence about their use of force in installing those unwanted spy-meters (Smart Meters) on folks’ homes in Idaho.  The local media has not reported a word about the resistance to the installation of these meters in Idaho.

A search for articles on Smart Meters on the The Twin Falls Times-News (MagicValley.com) website results in mostly letters to the editor and a few spin stories about smarter this or that, and the federal grants to fund the smart grid.

Nothing about Idaho Power bringing armed law enforcement with them to force the installation of Smart Meters on those homes whose owners did not want them.

Vicky Davis, the subject of an OK-SAFE post dated 12/14/11, entitled “Smart Meter Battle Escalating – Idaho Power Brings Guns to the Battle“, was contacted by a reporter from the Times-News and interviewed for 15 minutes about the Idaho Power incident.

After several days there is no story in the paper – anywhere.

Vicky has written about this media black out here – the beginning of the article is below:

No News is Suppressed News, by Vicky Davis

“After OK-SAFE wrote an article titled, Smart Meter Battle Escalating – Idaho Power Brings Guns to the Fight, I sent a link to it out to my email list.  Somebody must have forwarded a link to the article to the Times-News newspaper in Twin Falls because a reporter called and asked me for an interview.  We spent probably 15 minutes or so on the phone talking about the issue of the Smart Meter, the Smart Grid and my objections to it.  We also talked about the implications of it for the future and the fact that most people have no understanding of that.  They only understand the happy talk about energy efficiency.  The reporter said she was going to talk to the Editor to see if she could write the story.  That was several days ago but there has been no story so apparently, the Editor squashed it.

I searched the online edition of Times-News for articles on Smart Meters and found only this cheerleading article titled: Smarter homes in Magic Valley as energy meter overhaul reaches south-central Idaho .  Notice the quote from Idaho Power’s representative Mark Heintzelman:

“We would never force someone to use a different pay system, but late down the road we want to give the option for customers to choose to either pay for time of use or continue using the current tiered system in place now,” Heintzelman said.

Of course Idaho Power would NEVER force anyone.   They would just ask their buddies at the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to give them an Order to implement time of day pricing because the objective of the entire Smart Grid System is to control usage of electricity under the guise of conserving natural resources.  Idaho Power has primarily hydroelectric but truth doesn’t matter.  There is an agenda and they are moving forward with it up to and including bringing badges and guns to granny’s house in a show of force to prove that she can’t get away with Just Saying No.

I stopped by the Sheriff’s office today to make an appointment to talk to him about Idaho Power’s use of armed reinforcements.  I didn’t get to talk to the Sheriff.  I guess he’s too important to be bothered with a trivial issue of misuse of police power.  I spoke with a lieutenant.   He told me that they are at Idaho Power’s beck and call.  Anytime Idaho Power calls for armed escort, the Sheriff’s office accommodates with no questions asked and no paperwork filed. ”

The rest of Vicky Davis’ article is here.

Smart Meter Battle Escalating – Idaho Power Brings Guns to the Fight

In the ongoing battle against the seriously flawed Smart Meter program (which is not mandatory, by the way, despite what your utility company may be telling you), Idaho Power has shown just how far they’ll go  to get their spy meters installed on homes in Idaho.

They’ll bring guns to the fight.

On Tuesday, December 13, 2011 Idaho Power showed up at Vicky Davis’ Twin  Falls home with declaratory order and a Deputy Sheriff  from Twin Falls County, to forceably remove the analog meter and replace it with a Smart Meter.

Sheriff Tom Carter –“Upon taking office, I knew one of the things I wanted to emphasize was our service to the community in a capacity that goes beyond police work.”

Davis, an independent researcher and long-time resident of Idaho, has been resisting the installation of the Smart Meter since last year, knowing that their installation was not mandated, and that technology that makes the digital meter works is dual use – serving both as a surveillance device and a reporting system.

(See the earlier OK-SAFE post on the Smart Grid here.)

Another Twin falls resident, Bonnie Menthe, had a similar incident at her home.  She openly opposed the installation of the Smart Meter on her home, but Idaho Power installed the new meter while she was away.  A neighbor watching her home challenged the Idaho Power company representative when he showed up at the Menthe home accompanied by an officer from the Twin Falls city police.

The representative told the neighbor nothing was going on and proceeded with the installation. The city police officer declined to answer the woman’s questions.

Davis received written notification of the forced installation a few days earlier.  Menthe states she received no such written notice.

“Nothing like that was given to me, not stuck in my door.  I wasn’t home and they clearly knew that I didn’t want one. I have a notice posted on my meter stating my objection to the smart meter being installed.”  Menthe went on to say, “I have a six foot fence, and the meter is on the side of my house, with a metal bar to prevent the door swinging opened.  My neighbor says they (Idaho Power) had a step-stool like thing and climbed over the fence on that.”

Below is a reverse order timeline of events leading up to the installation of the Smart Meter on Vicky’s home.  She has also devoted a new webpage on her website Channeling Reality (www.channelingreality.com) called Smart Meter Drama.

From Vicky Davis-

12-13-11 “Idaho Power went to the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to get a declaratory order to replace my analog meter with a Smart Meter.  They were accompanied by a Deputy Sheriff of Twin Falls County to enforce the order.

I’ll be on Deanna Spingola’s radio talk show on RBN on Thursday and Friday (12/15 and 12/16) of this week to talk about the Smart Meters and my research into energy legislation and the means by which America’s energy will be choked off in the name of efficiency.  Technology is dual use.   It’s a weapon as well as a tool.   It all depends on who is using it and for what purpose.

Deanna’s program is on from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm central time.

In some places you can listen live on the radio but for most of us, we have to listen on the internet. Listen live links can be found here:

Republic Broadcasting

http://republicbroadcasting.org/

Call in number for the program is 800-313-9443

__________________________________________

12/6/11 – Vicky’s Response  to Idaho Power

December 6, 2011
Idaho Power

Dear Mr. Rick Astley,

On December 3, 2011, I received two duplicate letters from Mr. Rick Astley with Mr. Bell and Ms. Nordstrom listed as recipients of carbon copies. I intend to hand deliver this response letter to Mr. Chris Bell at the Idaho Power office in Twin Falls with the expectation that it will be faxed to the recipients who are located in Boise. I will however, mail a copy to Mr. Astley and Ms. Nordstrom via regular mail.

This letter is the response to Mr. Astley’s letter dated December 1, 2011 concerning my refusal to allow an Idaho Power employee/contractor access to my property to replace my current power meter with an AMI Smart Meter. I have never refused to allow the Idaho Power meter reader access to the property to read my meter nor have I ever refused access to any other Idaho Power employee/representative who made a request for access for any purpose other than for exchange of the meter. It was misleading to imply otherwise.

As I made clear in conversations with the Tru-Check contractor and Idaho Power Customer Service Representatives both verbally and in writing, I do not want a smart meter installed. Smart Meter technology – regardless of the method of communications, is a surveillance, detection, monitoring, data collection, and communications and control device. Those capabilities are outside the scope of a public utility chartered to provide electric service. If your charter has been changed to Idaho de-Power and Spy, then please advise me of the law that requires me to submit so that I can verify it with the Sheriff’s office and my attorney.

Rest of letter here.

___________________________________________

12/1/11 – Letter from Idaho Power to Vicky Davis –

Dear Ms. Vicky Davis,

As previously explained in my letter to you dated 9/19/2011 Idaho Power must replace existing meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure pursuant to Idaho Public Utilities Commission Order Nos. 29362, 30102, and 30726. Once installed, this infrastructure will enable Idaho Power to provide enhanced customer services and reduce its operating expenses to keep customer rates as low as possible.

Idaho Power personnel or its exchange contractor, Tru-Check, recently attempted to exchange the meter at *****, Twin Falls, ID on 8/31/2011; however, you refused the Company access to its meter. Under the terms of service outlined in Utility Customer Relations Rule 302.05 (IDAPA 31.21.01.302.05), a utility may terminate service to a customer that denied or willfully prevented the utility’s access to the meter.” Although Idaho Power does not wish to terminate your electric service or take legal action against you, Idaho Power cannot ignore the lawful order of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to exchange the meter. Idaho Power anticipates it will need only five minutes to exchange the meter and that your power will be interrupted for just a few minutes at most. You need not be present at the time the exchange occurs.

Rest of letter here.

__________________________________

Vicky’s article on this subject is entitled The Heart of Darkness in the Power of Light and is available on her research website Channeling Reality here.

People in Oklahoma are fighting the installation of the Smart Meters as well.  We’ll post more on the Oklahoma resistance effort later.