Oh, I agree 100%. In fact, I'm focused on the same area — with a nod to 'green' industry. As I wrote, the Big Two-and-One-Half could be easily be refitted to produce
fuel cells for homes. Just as easily, they could use some of their capacity on speeding up the development and deployment of alternative fuels, in addition to building fleets of cars that can use E85, CNG, electricity, etc.. I know GM bought such a company — Coskata (?) — that supposedly has developed a practical and inexpensive cellulosic ethanol process using bio-, and thermochemical processing.

By contrast, New Orleans to me represents a fantastic opportunity for harnessing hydropower and producing fresh water by way of an updated water management infrastructure.

Fundamentals first William.

Gas, electricity, water (and home heating oil in certain areas) are universal commodity resource dependencies. Before we think about manufacturing anything extra, IMOHO it would behoove us to interrogate our relationship to these universals as a prerequisite to any further potential activity.

Nice.

Those must ABSOLUTELY serve as the vehicle through which the economics of any project undertaken to modify our resource/energy cost-generation-consumption patterns must flow and make sense. Think about it, unless adopted and proliferated by these highly collegial intelligent agents, nothing done in this space will gain mass traction and diffusion.

Here-to-date – the utilities have not by-and-large been party to very much of the economic activity toward which Obama has committed $150 Billion in expenditures. As for the 2.5 million jobs, doing what? Making photovoltaic elements and windmills – which if ever deployed – can't sell whatever marginal energy returns they generate back to the wholesale mothership(s)? There's a question of price parity and the comparative cost of energy in different localities. This has a determinative effect on the viability of alternative energy.

So back to your question. In order for projects to be “self-sustaining” they have to do some things that make them worthwhile to the utility companies.

I'm curious Les, I know that your kids can count money and tell time. Can any of them read a utility meter and understand what it means?

When was the last time you and Mrs. Spence looked into the consumer-oriented programs and benefits being offered by your utility companies, gas/water/electric? Cause I know you payin them bills like clockwork, how literate and aware have you made yourself concerning potentially significant savings and other benefits that may already be at your fingertips?

Beyond this immediate step, what are the systemic incentives for your resource energy providers and what constraints do they operate under, market and regulatory?

If we're talking Detroit or another Rust Belt city, for example, there's an abundance of underused industrial capacity and specialized labor which can be adapted or updated for use in projects ranging from housing to energy production. There was a time when GM manufactured household appliances and satellites. It stands to reason the company's plants could be configured to make fuel cells (for private residences) and wind turbines.

One caveat: what may work in Motown may not be practical for New Orleans, however, and vice versa.

When Gore came out a couple weeks ago with his five point program – you were quick enough in recognizing what was missing from that proposal. So also with what Harvey is on about, and what the president-elect announced on Saturday.

None of this will work without what you noted then; Gore doesn't address changes in our lifestyle here…perhaps his plan should not. But if oil is the thing that creates the product we consume (in addition to delivering them) then we've more to do.

Those lifestyle changes are worth HUGE $$$ to the utility companies. Both electrical and water suppliers need for folks to make major changes and have tangible incentives to offer, not least of which is cost savings.

It's about picking the specific project.

What specific project can people get on tomorrow in every city across the country given a modicum of awareness, interest, and capability? (and that's all folks have, a modicum)

Until somebody tells me that, this is all just conversation.

Hint: If I were approaching a new network infrastructure to hack, what's the first thing I would look for? Now then, since we're talking about resource infrastructures, and figuring out a way in to exploit (for the good), what should we be looking for in the electrical utility, the gas utility, the water services utility that we could leverage in order to get the ball rolling?