Page 36 - May 2017 Edition

aps pUsHes smart meters BY CINDY COLE
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Some observers see the $6 surcharge as an “easy grab” from ratepayers, who ultimately bear the burden of corporate bonuses and annual stock dividends to APS’ board of inves- tors. In 2016, with net income of $442 million, Pinnacle West/APS increased “shareholder value” by $1.8 billion, paying dividends of 25% to individuals who own stock in the compa- ny (in an industry where a 12-16% return is the norm). According to annual reports [http:// www.pinnaclewest.com/investors/reports/annual-report/], in the past five years, APS has in- creased its “projected value” by $7 billion, all the while slashing its payroll of meter readers and consistently asking for additional surcharges on every electric customer’s bill.
The Sedona City Council took action on April 11 to reiterate concerns specifically related to smart meters. After meeting with concerned citizens, the council decided to file a letter with the ACC [Docket #E-01345A-16-0036 | http://docket.images.azcc.gov/0000179133.pdf ] to take a stand against the removal of analog meters, the commercial and solar opt-out exclu- sions, and fees for smart meter refusal.
On the issue of analog meters, the city’s letter states “APS has indicated that analog me- ters are inaccurate, are inefficient to maintain, and will eventually fail altogether. Despite those assertions, there has been no evidence provided in support of the claim that all ana- log meters need to be replaced immediately.”
On behalf of businesses, the city argued that “commercial customers may have the same concerns that residential customers have and the right of both customer classes to opt-out ought to be preserved.” It also advocated for the same treatment of solar customers who wish to opt out of smart meters. “It appears,” the letter states, “as though the system is rea- sonably managed currently while solar customers are allowed to opt-out. APS customers who generate solar energy and opt out of smart meters constitute a very small portion of the overall APS customer base. Hence, the significance of identifying this class of customer for differential treatment appears to have little, if any, operational impact to APS.”
The city also took a stand on opt out fees. “The City’s position upon filing its Applica- tion for Intervention in this Rate Case was that customers choosing to opt-out of the smart meter program should not have to incur any fees for simply maintaining their analog or digital meter as it currently exists, or for removing a smart meter and replacing it with a non- standard meter. There was, and continues to be, strong opposition within the community toward the requirement for any fees to be assessed on customers simply for choosing to opt-out of smart meters.” The letter continues stating “it remains the City’s current position that, while a $5 opt-out fee is less of a burden on APS customers and more desirable than a $15 opt-out fee, no opt-out fee should be charged.”
The rate case is not over yet. The settlement agreement still needs to be reviewed by an administrative law judge and then it will be voted on by the five-member ACC. Of course, there has been a great deal of controversy over the last few years regarding “dark money” contributions from APS and its parent company Pinnacle West to the elections of sitting commissioners. Commissioner Bob Burns has been embroiled in a power struggle with APS CEO Don Brandt to publically release information on the extent to which APS garnered influence to elect commissioners favorable to the company’s goals.
Said one observer who wished to remain anonymous for fear of his electric bill going up: “The dilemma is that unlike other for-profit capitalistic companies, APS is not beholden to competitive forces and is essentially a state-mandated entity; consumers cannot ‘shop around’ for better electricity and are required to maintain service in most municipalities. Yet APS in recent years has treated itself like a Fortune 500 Company, paying bonsues and divi- dends remniscent of a Savings & Loan scheme from the mid-1990s, all the while reducing its payroll, and obligating ratepayers to ‘pick up the tab’ for questionable infrastructure im- provements, dubious political campaigns, and corporate branding disguised as ‘community giving.’ No utility-monopoly should have this kind of leverage and get away with asking for more, especially when its bottom-line is already so flush.”
Gas Company meters, too
Recently, Unisource Energy began replacing gas meters for customers throughout its terri- tories which include Yavapai and Coconino Counties. UNS is an arm of Tucson Electric Power (TEP), the large electric utility that serves southern Arizona; which together are owned by For- tis Inc., a Canadian power company that also services New York and the Caribbean.
While the meters being installed by UNS are not smart meters — they are transmitting only and do not receive communications — they still emit RF radiation. Mr. Woodward is- sued an email alert to let people know that they can — and should — refuse these meters as well.“UNS has told some people the meters transmit every 6 minutes but that’s not true,” Mr. Woodward said, “at least with the meters that have been measured. UNS has also said the meters transmit only once a month. That’s not true either. I have video of one transmit- ting every minute.” [youtube.com/watch?v=NxBD7s1Rt8U]
“What’s missing is someone sniffing for gas around the meter once a month,” noted Mr. Woodward. “A UNS meter reader told me years ago that they actually had their sense of smell tested yearly. That safety precaution is now gone for customers who have the transmitting meter.”
Mr. Woodward said there is currently no fee for refusing a transmitting gas meter but the company has indicated there may be one in the future. He said the simplest way to have a transmitting meter removed and replaced with an analog one is to call Cara at UNS at 520-884-3651.
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step in safeguarding its water resources.
Kathleen Ferris, Senior Research Fellow at the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University, who also produced the film, will moderate the post-screening audience discussion. Ms. Ferris was involved in the GMA’s negotiations, supervised its drafting, and is featured in the film. She previously served as Executive Director of the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association and Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
Quad-City community members are invited to bring any and all questions to this spe- cial event, such as: How can the Quad Cities and surrounding communities reach water supply security? What could happen to monthly water bills in the future? How can Arizona and local communities protect water for the environment, such as the Verde River? What measures should the state legislature be considering to update the GMA? These issues impact quality of life, as well as the health of local economies.
Distinguished panelists include: Tom Buschatzke, Director, Arizona Department of Water Resources; Greg Kornrumph, Manager-Water Rights, Salt River Project (SRP); Sarah Porter, Director, Kyl Center for Water Policy; Thomas Thurman, Chairman, Yavapai County Board of Supervisors; Doug Von Gausig, Director, Verde River Institute and Mayor, Town of Clarkdale; Michael Schiffer, Trustee Professor, Dodge School of Film and Media Arts, Chapman University
Sponsors of this event are Salt River Project (SRP), El Gato Azul World Bistro, Citizens Water Ad- vocacy Group, Page Springs Cellars, SpringHill Suites Marriott, Central Arizona Land Trust, Iron- clad Bicycles, Jay’s Bird Barn, Partners in Health Care, Naturally & Nature’s Medicinary, Prescott Audubon Society, Granite Mountain Brewing, and Robert Israel - Prescott’s Green Realtor.
For tickets, PrescottElksTheater.com. For more information: facebook.com/Groundwater- FilmScreeningandDiscussion. For questions, please contact groundwaterfilm@gmail.com.
Save the WaveS
On May 18, Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival will host a night of ocean activism at the Orpheum Theater by bringing Save The Waves Film Festival to this high desert. Save The Waves Coalition is a nonprofit who protects and preserves coastal resources by working in partnership with communities globally, and the film festival is an international film tour and fundraiser for their environmental programs and campaigns.
Flagstaff will be the first truly landlocked city in the world to host this film festival, and because of this we will be holding a number of free satellite events celebrating the vastness of our oceans and the stories within. Free and open to the public.
Student Film FeStival
UTV62, NAU student-run television station and production studio, will be hosting the annual NAU Student Film Festival Sunday, May 7 at 7PM at the Historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Flagstaff, 15 West Aspen Avenue.
The Festival allows students to showcase film projects they have completed as part of their studies, and receive recognition for creating outstanding films. The films shown will be eligible to compete for jury awards, and two audience choice awards. Come celebrate the hard work and creativity of NAU’s filmmakers, storytellers, and rising stars!
april recap
April had the wonderful Phoenix Film Festival, celebrating its 17th year in the Valley at the Scottsdale Harkins 101. Parties, panels and workshops in the Pavilion kept the festival moving all week long, in between eclectic independent films from around the world. The festival com- bines an International Horror and SciFi film festival as well, so, there’s something for everyone!
Independent films, selected from all over the world competed for prizes given out at an awards show on the last Sunday of the festival. The block of independent films from Ari- zona was quite impressive. Two blocks of Arizona Shorts, showcased 15 films from all over the state, and many local favorites got to screen their gems.
Former NAU student Marteen Cleary presented her film MISSing about three grieving mothers whose lives were destroyed when their children died and the deep grief and re- covery process that entails. The MISS foundation helps mothers survive through a healthy support group with other suffering mothers, healing each other.
The film One Hundred Thousand Beating Hearts won the best Arizona shorts award. This documentary shows a pioneering farmer from Georgia as he shares his transition from in- dustrialized beef production to sustainable environmental stewardship. Flagstaff local Jus- tin Clifton showed his documentary Leche y Miel (Milk and Honey) where he presents the people who work in the fields around Yuma, and how the Colorado River represents more than just their livelihood, but a deep spiritual connection to the land. It played at the Flag- staff Mountain Film Festival in February to a hometown crowd.
The filmmaker Kyla Simone Bruce told four interweaving tales in her narrative feature Undocument. The four stories explore immigration and identity in Iran, Greece and England. Mostly, they’re tales of love and longing for the missing persons in the disconnected situa- tions. The ones who stay at home often have it as hard as the ones who must immigrate to help sustain loved ones at home. Told from a different angle, the beauty of the film is that it could be applied to any immigrant situation, including our own here in Arizona. People don’t leave their loved ones on dangerous journeys on a whim. Climate change, drought, war and famine combine to force people to migrate, just in order to live. It’s a wonderful tale of the love that evaporates in the ether as people struggle to survive. Mark your calendar and visit Phoenix next April, if you can! And check out: phxfilm.com for next year’s dates.
36 • MAY 2017 | the NOISE arts & news | www.thenoise.us