Support State Rep Gary Glenn on his energy policy
Realgy Supports State Rep. Gary Glenn position on Michigan Energy Policy
Glenn is the majority vice chair of the House Energy Policy Committee who observers say has taken a strong interest in energy issues this session. His current positions that Realgy support include:
- Lift the current 1 percent cap on net metering for solar projects (the opposite direction Senate Republicans are headed)
- Restructure the 10 percent limit on customers who can participate in Retail Open Access that would allow customers to choose an alternative energy supplier if it is for renewable energy.
We hope Representative Glenn, continues his interest towards energy matters including expanding customer choice beyond the 10% cap to allow Customer Choice for all customers and not just a few.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include; Guaranteed SavingsTM, MangedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article:
http://midwestenergynews.com/2015/08/26/michigan-tea-party-legislator-pushing-for-more-clean-energy/
DC Regulators reject Exelon; no public benefit
A public utility actions (expenses) must benefit the public; simple right but so often this is not the focus of the utility executives or the regulators.
Reviewing the cost vs. benefits the regulators in Washington, DC rejected Exelon’s bid for BGE citing that Exelon’s takeover did not demonstrate benefits to its customers. Bravo!
As previously cited, there is little reason for a public utility to acquire another utility, especially one that does not share a border.
Putting the focus on customer benefits verse stockholders the DC regulators did their job. Applause.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include; Guaranteed SavingsTM, MangedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article:
http://realgyenergyservices.com/comed-parent-company-pay-6800000000-east-coast-utility/
http://www.energybiz.com/article/15/08/dc-regulators-reject-proposed-merger-exelon-pepco?utm_source=2015_08_26&utm_medium=eNL&utm_campaign=EB_DAILY&utm_content=4521
Communications take effort, does yours?
6 Common Communication Mistakes that You May be Making by Ann Meacham
Communication can make or break our world. Bad communication leads to broken relationships: with the people who work for you, with you, your clients or customers, your family, your at-large community.
6 Common Communication Mistakes that you might be making:
1. Not using “we” language.
Newsflash: Relationships are not a competition. Or at least they shouldn’t be. When you start to think in terms of “me” and “you”, it’s time re-frame the conversation and think of yourselves as a team. Work to solve a problem, not to be victorious.
2. Not giving eye contact.
When people are not looking at you when you talk, how does that make you feel? Not good. Right? So try living by the golden rule and give other people the same courtesy that you want to be given.
3. Interrupting.
What does it say to someone when you interrupt them? It says, “What I have to say is more important than what you have to say.” This can be a result of excitement or a desire for power. Either way, it still says, “I’m more important than you.”
4. Making assumptions before you hear the whole message.
You have probably had the thought, “Oh I don’t even have to hear the rest of this – I already know what they’re going to say!” Well, maybe you do, and maybe you don’t. Don’t do that. We don’t like when people make assumptions about what we are saying, so don’t do that to other people either.
5. Not asking probing questions of other people.
Saying things like, “Tell me more about that” or “So how did that make you feel?” lets the other person know that you care about them enough to ask for more information. That’s called a probing question. Ask people to elaborate. It makes them feel good and shows that you’re interested. (Always open-ended questions. Never ask “why.”
6. Needing to “win” an argument.
I repeat… Relationships are not a competition. Admitting that you’re wrong is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of maturity. No one is right all of the time. Don’t think you have to “win.” Acknowledging your mistakes will not give away your power. It shows that you are the better person because you can be honest.
Being a good communicator takes effort. It’s like being a good athlete – you have to practice if you want to be good at your craft!
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings. Service Plans include; Guaranteed SavingsTM, MangedPriceTM, ManagedGreenTM and Index, Fixed pricing.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article: http://blogs.detroitnews.com/politics/2015/08/11/charged-dte-misses-point-choice-works/
Weekly Basis Report
DEFINITION of ‘Futures Market’
An auction market in which participants buy and sell commodity/future contracts for delivery on a specified future date. Trading is carried on through open yelling and hand signals in a trading pit.
Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/futuresmarket.asp#ixzz3in48jxPn
Is DTE afraid of competition?
Michigan utilities lobbied hard to reduce the Michigan Customer Choice program to no more than 10%. That is; only 10% of Michigan customers can chose an energy supplier (all customers still get energy delivered by the utility). The result; those that are in the 10% are enjoying savings compared to their utility. One example in Michigan, 400 public schools saved over $40 MILLION last year. On average, states without competition through energy choice pay 25% more than states with customer choice.
Examples of two different states: one with customer choice and one without:
In Illinois (with customer choice), competition saved over $37 BILLION: http://realgyenergyservices.com/competition-work-tune-37-billion/
In Indiana (without customer choice), ranking on lowest states for electricity costs went from 5th lowest in the Nation in 2003 to 26th in 2014 (electric rates went up)! http://realgyenergyservices.com/indianas-electric-rate-hurts-competitiveness/
So why not expand Customer Choice for 100% of customers? According to DTE their reasons are:
- There will be a shortage of energy supply
- We do it in Ohio and elsewhere and that different
These reasons are throwback to the 1950s. DTE is not responsible for energy supply in the state this ended long ago. A larger regional entity called MISO is. DTE supports customer choice in Ohio and elsewhere. The apparent reason Michigan does not having a robust customer choice market; incumbent utilities donate/lobby legislators that in turn support the utilities.
Realgy supports customer choice for energy. Our experience has demonstrated that it saves consumers time and money in energy use and decisions.
Realgy Energy Services is a registered Retail Energy Marketer in the states of Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. We offer Service Plans that will provide electric and natural gas at wholesale pricing direct to customers without any utility markup. Our Service Plans work with the local utility to provide seamless service and annual energy savings.
Additional information: www.realgyenergyservices.com
Supporting Article: http://blogs.detroitnews.com/politics/2015/08/11/charged-dte-misses-point-choice-works/
Chicago Weekly Basis Report
Here is exert from a finance book about Derivatives securities which correlates to the basis market because it can generate a higher rate of returns in the future.
Derivative securities (also called derivatives) are financial contracts whose values are derived from the values of underlying financial assets (such as securities). Each derivative security’s value tends to be related to the value of the underlying security in a manner that is understood by firms and investors. Consequently, derivative securities allow firms and investors to take positions in the securities on the basis of their expectations of movements in the underlying financial assets. In particular, investors commonly speculate on expected movements in the value of the underlying financial asset without having to purchase the financial asset. In many cases, a speculative investment in the derivative position can generate a much higher return than the same investment in the underlying financial asset. However, such an investment will also result in a much higher level of risk for the investors. Derivative securities are used not only to take speculative positions but also to hedge, or reduce exposure to risk. For example, firms that are adversely affected by interest rate movements can take a particular position in derivative securities that can offset the effects of interest rate movements. By reducing a firm’s exposure to some external force, derivative securities can reduce its risk
