SILVER SPRING NETWORKS SCORES OVER $700 MILLION IN SMART-GRID GREEN STIMULUS FUNDS –– RIGGING THE BIDDING PROCESS? 
One of the most contentious of Obama Green Stimulus money awards comes out of the ashes of the $4 billion smart-grid grants, with some of the nation’s largest providers of electricity meters “crying foul” over the smart-grid standards in the stimulus bill, according to a report by USA TODAY in February 2009. Additionally, they said that the economic stimulus bill "could put them out of business and wreak havoc in the new market for smart-grid technology by favoring certain computer network standards.”
Itron, Landis+Gyr, Elster and Aclara even wrote a letter to U.S. Senators to voice their concerns regarding the “protocols and standards” that were placed into the House version of the legislation for all smart-grid projects, which states that "utilities receiving funding must use Internet-based or other open protocols and standards if available and appropriate." Ed Gray, vice president of regulatory affairs for smart-meter provider Elster, said "the bill gives a leg up to Silver Spring at the expense of other providers."
Interestingly, in March 2009, a month after the stimulus bill had already passed, Jeff St. John from GreenTechMedia.com, quoted a statement made by Stuart Bush, an alternative energy analyst for RBC Capital Markets, "both Trilliant and Silver Spring (both smart-grid communications companies) could benefit from the way the stimulus plan was structured to require open standards." Bush also added, "Clearly the West Coast VC guys had a lot of lobby pull getting that in there."
Clearly the "West Coast VC guys" –– Kleiner Perkins (Gore and Doerr), have more than "lobby pull." In fact, Silver Spring Networks, as revealed in Troxler and Browns book, is one of Kleiner Perkins shining “green” companies –– their 2008, $75-million investment has scored over $700 million! Since August of 2009 when the DOE started dishing out the $4-billion from the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program (part of the stimulus plan) –– awarded to selected utility companies for particular smart-grid projects –– close to sixty percent of Silver Spring “customers” were winners.
- American Electric Power (AEP) received $75 million for AEP Ohio gridSMARTSM Demonstration Project, announces earth2tech.com in August 2009. It should be noted here that Richard Sandor is on the AEP board. Sandor, Chairman and founder of the Chicago Climate Exchange, who is connected to President Obama and Al Gore, is another key "player" in this Climate Scan, which will be exposed later.
- Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative got $18.8 million for a general smart- grid build out in Texas as reported in August 2009 by earth2tech.com. Additionally, in November 2009 Austin’s Pecan Street Project won $10.4 million in federal stimulus money to create a smart-grid demonstration project, which includes Bluebonnet as part or their Technology Review and Advisory Committee.
- In October 2009 Florida Power & Electric was awarded $200 milllion for Energy Smart Florida –– posted by earth2tech.com.
- In April 2010 Pepco Holdings Inc. signed contracts for three ARRA grants totaling $168.1 million to advance smart-grid projects, reported by the Washington Business Journal. Additionally in April 2010, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced $100 million from the stimulus will go for Smart Grid Workforce Training and Development, of which Florida Power & Light got $5 million and Pepco got just over $4.3 million.
- In October 2009, "the U.S. Department of Energy announced that Modesto Irrigation District (MID) was one of only six California utilities selected to receive a $1.5 million federal stimulus grant to support MID’s efforts to install smart control equipment throughout its electric infrastructure" –– published in an Oracle Press Release.
- Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. received a $130 million stimulus grant for a 771,000 smart meter deployment, as reported in October 2009 by GreenTechGrid.com.
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District got a $127.5 million stimulus grant for a comprehensive regional smart-grid system, announced in October 2009 by GreenTechGrid.com.
- According to an August 2009 article by earth2tech.com, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) –– another Silver Spring customer –– "applied for $42.5 million government grant for home area networks in conjunction with the city of San Jose and Stanford University," yet it is unclear whether or not they received it. However, in May 2010, the DOE awarded PG&E a $25 million stimulus grant to develop compressed air storage for electricity" –– writes the San Francisco Business Times.
But the "government bucks" don’t stop at Silver Spring Networks...
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Zedd
Now what is the scam?
Is it who got the loan?
Why they got the loan?
That the product that they rcvd the load for didn't work?
That they spent the money on something that does't exist?
Trying to understand the scam.
Thanks
2 - Arch Conservative
It's all the rage and perfectably acceptable to not only question but impugn the motives of anyone who disagrees with AGW as an ignorant, uneducated nutcase. Any climatologist or other scientist, regardless of their breadth of experience with the subject, is immediately and summarily labelled as a shill for the oil industry.
On the other hand we're not allowed to examine Al Gore's motives. Apparently in addition to inventing the internet, Mr. Gore has some kind of telepathic sixth sense that allows him to commune with mother earth so that he knows with absolute certainty the affects that all human activity have on the ecosystem right down to the most minute.
Not only that but since Mr. Gore was cut from god's own cloth this very morning he's completely altruistic and is incapable of seeking to deceive or mislead others.
When I was back in college I used to have to inhale the smoke of burning flora to believe such things. Liberals walk around in their natural state believing such things. How lucky they are.
When it's all said and done Al Gore is going to go down as a huge joke. Nothing more.
3 - Zedd
Arch
You went to college?
4 - Arch Conservative
mmmm..yes and I got accepted to grad school at Boston University.
5 - handyguy
This looong article, which has Dave Nalle's fingerprints all over it, makes attention-getting claims about 'left wing extemists' [Al Gore, centrist Southern Democrat? an extremist? really? only when measured by a warped yardstick] and global domination by progressives. Oooh, scary!
Christine never explains why large grants involving people whose politics are to the left of hers [i.e., most of the world] are any more ominous or illegal than the gigantic back-scratching deals by right-wing businessmen and politicians that have been going on for decades. [Two sets of brothers as examples: Koch and Wyly.]
Gigantic conspiracy theories are a big draw here on the interwebs. But Brown and Troxler, esteemed authors of Obama Unmasked: Did Slick Hollywood Handlers Create the Perfect Candidate?, have a partisan agenda to push, and facts are secondary. [So does the author of this article.] Facts are almost always casualties of dumb conspiracy theories.
6 - handyguy
And OMG, it's only Part One.
7 - handyguy
The Brown/Troxler book is published by WND Books, as in WorldNetDaily, the birther/conspiracy-mongering site whose own description brags about "aggressive investigative reporting and gossip." Grreeat! Don't forget to include the gossip!
8 - jeannie danna
Christine,
I'll have to read this when I have more time...bye
9 - Christine
Handy; FYI. I am not a "birther", or even a global warming denier. However, I don't buy into it hook, line and sinker either. I also believe we should be "greening" our planet and protecting our animals.
That said, since I have spent tons of time observing and researching the "climate change movement," there is a lot more at play than "saving the planet," and on many fronts. That is not to say that there are not honorable environmentalists in the mix. However, there is a shit load of hype, greed, corruption, and "non-honorable" agenda's that have taken over.
Even some on the left like, Matt Taibbi, (Rolling Stone Magazine) can see one of the motives at play. And if you can stand it, I will cover briefly in part two.
The Great American Bubble Machine
BUBBLE #6 Global Warming
10 - John Wilson
I read this article with great interest, but discovered that it really doesn't intimate any real scandal. There are a lot of contracts, relatively small, across a wide range of 'green' projects, which mostly sound pretty worthwhile.
I eagerly await a more solid expose'.
But just repeating the knee-jerk slams against Al Gore and Global Warming seems to serve no purpose other than re-enforce the ire of The Faithful.
If you're looking for a real scandal in progress, take a look at the "clean Coal" scam, which absorbs billions every year and yet produces no results. Oh, and it's bi-partisan backed by both Bush and Obama administrations, so attacking the waste and corruption puts one on the Side Of the Angels.
But so far this is pretty insipid. Lots of promise but pitty-pat blows.
11 - Christine
John, appreciate your candor, however, if you think these government contracts are a coincidence then maybe you'll believe "there is a shrimp sale in the Gulf of Mexico going on right now!"
By the way, not disputing that green is good and many of Gore and Doerr's projects are worthwhile. Even love that Karma!
12 - handyguy
Christine, your sort-of conciliatory #11 does not in any way match the doomy portentous nonsense of the first sentence of your article: "alarmingly, hijacked, greed, radical agenda..."
Say what? Dave has taught you well about the methodology of web propaganda. That is not a compliment.
13 - jeannie danna
What is your problem here?
"The Recovery Bill is Breakthrough on Clean Energy, Good Jobs."
No-bid contracts for Haliburton, OK?
Taxpayer money for the banks who won't loan our money back to us, OK?
Top 1% takes in over 90% of this nations' wealth, OK?
So, basically, Christine if there was a Republican President in the white House, then you probably would not have written this article...
:( Anonymous source?
14 - Christine
#13. Bullshit, yes I would have.
15 - Cindy
15 Dear God, Please forgive Christine for saying the 'B' word. Thank you and goodnight. xo
16 - handyguy
BS right back atcha. From its title to the authors you draw on , this is an attack on the president.
You outline case after case of ... nothing. No crime, no wrongdoing, just allegations of a conspiracy by those scary Progressives.
I guess I'm a progressive. I don't think I'm particularly scary.
17 - Cannonshop
#16 Because...(Drum ROLLL...) "It's not a crime when the President Does It."
Richard M. Nixon
18 - zingzing
also, it's cool when your political party does it. WELCOME TO POLITICS!
19 - jeannie danna
Who wrote this?
20 - Zedd
Christine, came of age (politically, I assume) during a time when Republicans state minor facts and blow them up to be whatever they choose them to be for propaganda purposes, thus doesn't see this article (or most of her articles) as thin, and irresponsible. I believe she views the cries for more substance as some sort of left wing tit for tat attack and not a legitimate request for more substance.
21 - jeannie danna
"Every day, the conservative noise machine -- Fox News, Beck, Limbaugh, and other prominent conservative talk radio hosts and bloggers -- hurl false accusations with the hopes of damaging the Obama administration, Democrats, and progressives politically. Make no mistake: this is the primary motivation for the majority of the stories they promote. Pesky things like "facts" and "reality" are, at best, a trivial concern.
Often, these attacks are baseless, easily debunked, and laughably absurd -- yet conservative media outlets rarely (if ever) offer corrections when they are proven wrong. Instead they either double down on their attacks or simply ignore that they were wrong in the first place and move on to the next overhyped bit of nonsense." - Media Matters
22 - Arch Conservative
I guess conservative news outlets should hold themselves to the same high standards that are employed by liberals huh jeannie...
What's the term........
"fake but accurate"
23 - jeannie danna
Arch,
Are you calling Media Matters fake?
I will agree with you on one point, they certainly are accurate.
:)check em out!
24 - Zedd
jeannie,
I think what sustains the farce is little or no public outcry. We complain among ourselves but we obviously don't make enough noise.
We need to have conversations on how to turn this destructive machine around. The tactics and personalities that you posted about are destroying this nation.
These forces are impeding progress both socially and economically. Their rhetoric made the crisis that we are in, possible. They are stealing independent thought and in essence, liberty from the American people, through trickery. The intentional dissemination of disinformation for personal gain is beyond dishonorable. What is most despicable is that it is done under the guise of love for liberty and all of the symbols of this great land.
So where do we go from here?
25 - jeannie danna
When is the GOP going to tell us all to go eat cake? low-fat and healthy
I believe that we are all accidents of birth. The quality of our lives is determined by many factors, but the largest factor is...Were you lucky enough to be born into the lucky-sperm club?
That is exactly how I see the utter greed and callousness to those without displayed by those who lament for their money the loudest.
Even Fox is finally calling some on the carpet:
Wallace hammers Boehner, McConnell on own their ethics problems, those of their caucuses.