How the Left Wing Energy Scam Works... 
By Rob Roper

How do you succeed in business in Vermont? Create a superior product and deliver it at a lower price? Pshaw! You buy off the politicians and hire a bunch of thugs to "whack" your competition.

As we have noted on this page, Democrats in the House voted to increase the electric rates on hard-working Vermonters and Vermont businesses by $19 million (H.446). Under this new law, should it pass, Vermont's utilities would be forced to pay the above market rates of 20 cents a kilowatt hour for wind power and 30 cents a kilowatt hour for solar. These are opposed to the 4.5 cents per kilowatt Vermonters currently pay for power generated by Vermont Yankee and the 7 cents per kilowatt hour we pay Hydro-Quebec.

The question is why on earth would anyone in their right mind make such an obviously bad deal that will be both painful and job killing at a time like this? (More on the detrimental effect on rate-payers in David O'Brien's article below)

The answer is ugly. Democrats are using Vermonter's heart-felt concern for our environment as cover for a massive, tax-payer-funded pay-off to their own big donors. David Blittersdorf, CEO of Earth Turbines and Founder of NRG Systems, and his wife Jan have given the Vermont Democrat Party over $75,000 since 2003 (This number does not include donations to individual politicians). This seems pretty generous... until you juxtapose it to the 20 cent a kilowatt guarantee for their product. Then it looks like a pretty sweetheart investment. A small price to pay for a slice of that $19 million pie.

But buying preferential legal treatment and gobs of our tax money for dimes on the dollar under Vermont law isn't enough for these Bosses. They don't just want a leg up on the competition. They want the competition (primarily Vermont Yankee) dead.

Who's the hit man? VPIRG. The Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

Although VPIRG bills itself as "Vermont's Voice," it is really just a non-transparent lobbying firm for these same big dollar Democrat donors pumping their special interests. In fact, the same David Blittersdorf who gave the Democrats $40-plus grand is also, not coincidentally, a trustee of VPIRG. VPIRG's treasurer is Mathew Rubin, the President of East Haven Windfarm. Leigh Seddon, founder of Solar Works is also a board member. (Jeffrey Wolfe of groSolar has given $4,000 to the Vermont Democratic Party since 2007). All of these folks stand to gain significantly under this new legislation.

Another VPIRG board member, Crea Lintilhac has donated over $32,000 to the Vermont Democrat party since 2000, and Democrat state senator, Ed Flanagan - the inside man - also serves on VPIRG's board.

Under current law, VPIRG does not need to disclose how who and how much individuals donate to their organization, so we have no idea how much the gang above is paying to have VPIRG attack Vermont Yankee on the radio, in the press, in the State House, and on the streets. But, we do know there are no limits on these donations, and VPIRG has the resources to employ seven registered lobbyists, and outsource one more. Their total annual operating budget is about $1 million.

As Rep Rick Hube of the Ways & Means Committee points out, "The problem with H.446 lies in how these rates were determined. According to testimony on the House floor, the rate for solar generated electricity was based on testimony by various "stake holders." That testimony sounded like all those stakeholders had a vested interest in pushing these so-called "standard offering" rates as high as possible. It did not sound like the "stakeholders" included advocates for ratepayers who must foot the bill." Of course not. Look at how the system works.

All combined, this is a recipe for how a government "by the people and for the people" get bought an bullied by a handful of elite, wealthy special interests.  The result is that they have turned the state treasury into their own personal ATM machine.

Rob Roper is the Chairman of the Vermont Republican Party