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evluv

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Feb 16, 2011
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28
http://www.mlive.com/business/mid-michigan/index.ssf/2011/05/from_the_comments_are_incentiv.html

This article is talking about whether or not incentives are needed to help people get into solar, wind and more renewable type power sources.

Suprise to some, the utility companies are starting to drop their rebate offers. Here's a great quote:
What do people expect when you have the company that benefits the most from people being dependent on electric utilities running alternative energy incentives? It's like having GM and Ford running a program to get people to use mass transit.
 
I love that quote - it doesn't make sense that the utility companies are running the incentive programs, as they're the ones that make the money. But who would run the incentives? That's why the goverment feels they need to mandate new legislation that forces companies to make products more energy efficient.

Take the Ford Focus Electric and other Electric Vehicles - why is it that only once the government starts putting pressure on do companies start making electric vehicles? I think Ford could've sold tons of Electric Focus vehicles years ago. People interested in saving money is not a new trend!
 
If you take the side that the oil companies/government/auto manufacturers are all in bed, then it's easy to see why Ford is only making the Ford Focus Electric now.

It waits until there seems to be enough outcry in the general public before people change. Ford saw that all these no-name companies, like Tesla, Fiskar etc are working on electric vehicles and realize that if they don't move fast, they would lose some market share. It's all about competition. When there are only 3 companies and none are making electric vehicles, there's no incentive. Add some small companies that are willing to go the distance (which means there's enough market they think they can make a profit) and voila the Ford Focus Electric is born!
 
I am pretty sure the ford focus electric was backed by heavy government funding. If the government is going to give you millions/billions of dollars to help develop and ev I am not sure how you would pass that up. I think the biggest reasons people need incentives is because the prices for renewable energy and other environmentally friendly products are simply still too high for the general public. Just look at the price tag on the focus electric as a prime example. Without the current rebates and incentives probably almost nobody would consider getting one except for very rich socially conscience people (seem to be a dying breed).

"What do people expect when you have the company that benefits the most from people being dependent on electric utilities running alternative energy incentives? It's like having GM and Ford running a program to get people to use mass transit."

Not sure how this makes sense. If your an energy provider and you start offering customers a greener alternative in addition to your current offerings (most likely putting huge amounts of government funding in your pocket - as is the case with Ford and the focus ev) and then sell that energy at a profit how is this killing your business or going against it? Its actually creating more business with higher profits and this does not even begin to go into all the tangibles and intangibles that go into protecting the environment for big companies and society as a whole.
 
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