The Iroquois Flag

The five shapes, often called "devices" represent the five original tribes. From left to right they represent the Seneca, the keepers of the Western Door; the Cayugas, the "people of the marsh" and "keepers of the Great Pipe"; The Onondaga, who were the "name bearers" who kept the wampum belt that contained the history of the Iroquois; the Oneida, the "stone people" symbolized by the Great Tree; and lastly the Mohawk, the "keepers of the eastern door".

Utility Companies Slow to Embrace LED Savings

Utility Control of Street Lighting Costing Communities Millions

While some utility companies like Duke Energy in South Carolina and the NH Electric Cooperative here in NH have aggressively gotten into the energy conservation business, many utility companies nationally have really only tinkered at the edges on energy conservation issues and there remain substantial existing conflicts of interest that drive higher utility costs for consumers, particularly municipal and business consumers.

Top among these existing conflicts are high energy consuming outdoor lighting sources, especially streetlights and parking area lights.

Most citizens are unaware that the cost of streetlights and municipal parking areas in their communities are paid for in their town budget, but that control of the lights themselves, in most cases, remains in the hands of utility companies. This despite the fact that the technology now exists to affordably shave 80-90% of these operational costs.

The average 400 Watt incandescent streetlight today - costs between $170 - $250 per year for electricity, and another $100 for maintenance. An LED street light, producing the same amount of light costs less than $50 for combined electricity and maintenance.

Of course the big challenge of the LED transformation is the cost of LED technology. However, with the new retrofit patent from Best LED now the cost of LED technology has been cut dramatically.

Utility companies would be wise to begin making the switch because when consumers realize that their taxes are millions of dollars higher because of this it won't be long before they begin to demand that the change be made.

Download LED Retrofit PDF



Flower and Vase in Window Light
Image by Wayne D. King


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Cap and Trade Postponement Will Shift Emphasis to Conservation

While all of the goals of President Obama's budget have been honored by the Democrats in the House and the Senate appears to be poised to offer similar support, it is clear that the important structural aspects of Cap and Trade policy will not be a part of the budget.

This means that the lions share of Green funding within the budget and in any subsequent stimulus will focus on conservation.

While some may be disappointed with this, in actuality, it is probably the best approach anyway. A lot of savings and carbon reduction can be achieved through conservation measures which, in point of fact, are usually the most cost effective ways to go green.

Sadly, the Republicans remain "the party of no" - irrelevant to efforts to stimulate the economy or reposition the country to compete in the global economy. For those who are hard core partisans, this will come as good news. The further isolation of the Republican party will extend their period wandering in the wilderness.

We don't subscribe to this notion. We believe that a strong two party system is the engine of innovation in government and a dramatically weakened Republican party is bad for the country in the long run. In the short run however, given the level of intransigence from the Republican Leadership, it is essential to the success of the Green agenda that the Republicans remain weak until a core of them realize that it is time to desert the party for the good of the country and Obama can begin to try once again to build a post partisan majority.