Al Gore’s Power Bill Explained
Ok, everyone seems to be in a tizzy over ‘power bill consumption’ story, I thought I’d quote Gore spokeswoman Kalee Kreider on a few important points.
1. Gore purchases enough ‘green-power’ to balance 100% of his power bill (green power which includes solar, wind, and methane gas).
2. Al participates in a utility program which sells off blocks of “green-power”, purchasing in excess of 16,200 kilowatts every month.
3. The Gore house is currently under renovation to install solar panels to help further satisfy its power consumption.
Furthermore, for every ton of carbon Gore does produce (airplane / car trips, etc.), he offsets those by investing directly in renewable energy sources.
My personal take? Yes, it’s a pretty big power bill, but if he’s offsetting those by using renewable energy, big deal… right? What’s your take?
(Don’t Agree? Voice your negative opinion in our open forum post!)
Harry C. Pedersen said,
February 28, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
Hello; Just a note, to say that it sounds like Al, is putting his pocket book, where his mouth is. This is some thing we should all be doing. And what is more, he seems to be doing it right. Now, how many of us , can say the same? If we can’t, then it is time , to get on the band wagon, some how. Any ideas, out there ? Thanks, Harry
Dan Grindstaff said,
February 28, 2007 @ 3:53 pm
I just googled a little info on Cheney. Seems it takes $15k per month to power the vice presidential residence ($186000 in 2002). Also it appears that in 2001 the GOP controlled congress transferred this expense from Deadeye Dick to the Navy. I’m not sure how much power the Gores used when they lived at the same house or if they paid their own bill, but the acqusation sure did get the righties in a tissy in the blogasphere.
The story looks pretty bad, perhaps if there are any teeth in the above angle it may take some of the wind out of the right wing gas bags sails.
Joris Prangsma said,
March 5, 2007 @ 6:41 am
Hi,
I am glad to see that there are always more vieuws to one story.
But still, it would be a good idea foor Al Gore to both use sustainable energy, and reduce his total energy consumption. If I just look at myself, am using less than 1000 kWh per year, and my over all energy bill is less than $100 per year….and I still believe I can easily use less!
Most of all, I hope Al Gore will be able to inspire as much people as possible, and giving them the information how to change to a sustainable economy!
Joris Prangsma
Drachten, The Netherlands
Prantha Trivedi said,
March 9, 2007 @ 9:46 pm
Okay. It’s a BIG house. But, doesn’t he have a bunch of staff working out of it as well? I thought that his home was his HQ for Inconvenient truth. Did I hear that, or is it my imagination???
Prantha
Brian said,
March 12, 2007 @ 11:35 am
During Ronald Reagan’s 8 years in office he only used the word AIDS once in public speaking. Those 8 years were some of the most critic years that could have reduced the spread of AIDS if the white house would have acknowledged it as a public health crisis rather than just a gay epidemic. Global Warming has become this administrations ‘AIDS’. The past 6 years have been wasted on padding the pockets of the dirty Oil Industry of which are the reason George W was able to get elected to begin with. His comments last week about reducing our Oil dependency was too little too late. We need someone in office that believes that Global Warming is an ‘earthly epidemic’ of global proportion and not just an inconvenience that can be ignored or by trying to gain some support in the political arena by occasionally mentioning it. The republicans can say what they want about Al Gore and try as hard as they want to discredit him by inflaming stories about electric bills etc, but at least Al Gore has open the eyes of some Americans to realize that the next few years are the most important in the fight to reduce Global Warming and to save our planet. I think we need Al Gore to run in 08!
Jim Pennock said,
March 20, 2007 @ 5:50 am
Hi there,
So how big is Mr Gore’s house and how big was the bill?
Why not detail that and let others decide if it is too big or
OK.
If I reported someone was eating too much food I would detail
how much they were eating and why. The fact that they were
going on a diet someday and buying food for a half-way house
would not be relevant. Neither is the purchase of carbon offsets,
or these “blocks of green power” he sells. What the heck are they?
Who cares? Please accept my appology if this has been detailed
someplace but we really, at least I do, need to have specifics instead
of these smokey explanations of what is fact.
Perhaps Mr. Gore should run for president but there is more than
the environment at stake for the short term and that –the short term - is where the vast majority of we vapid, vacuous humans heads are at.
Keith said,
March 29, 2007 @ 10:16 pm
My understanding of these “green power” blocks is that one pays a premium to one’s electricity provider under the stipulation that the power company (which is the middleman) will use or purchase an equivalent amount of power from a “green” power source like solar or wind. So if Gore uses X amount of energy to heat his pool, he would pay the power company extra, and the company would pay for X amount of its total electricity pool to be green. In aggregate. One may also purchase such credits from a power company to equal that of the emissions put forth by an airplane, a car, etc.
This practice is ultra-utilitarian in that it literally deals with aggregates. It works along the logic of “killing a life to save a life.” There’s quite a bit of room to criticize it, particularly on the grounds that it tends to imply a double standard for environmental practices based on wealth. It isn’t like selling indulgences, as some have claimed, but its impact on carbon emissions is about the same as Whole Foods’ impact on public health.
Jojo said,
April 30, 2007 @ 9:29 pm
Al Gore’s a fraud and a hypocrite.