Simple as a Decision. Fun as an Engineering Challenge :)

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 All we must truly do is make this a priority, and with the will comes the way. More specifically, all we do is redirect the money we already pay into Austin Energy and allocate a portion of the budget (increased over time) to the localized and strategic installation of renewable materials on eligible rooftops and land space. This is the smartest way of implementing distributed generation and transmission with renewables. This method is also the most equitable, because ALL people can participate clean energy ownership regardless of their personal financial means or roof's eligibility.

We are recalibrating our concept of land-use and collective energy ownership.

 All you do as the consumer is pay your electric bill like normal, which will NEVER go up, and it will steadily decrease over time to eventually become FREE. 

 

Residential Solar vs. Utility-Scale Solar 

Currently when we buy solar for our homes, we pay between $2.50-$4.00 per watt, with an average size install of around 9 kW per home, whereas utility-scale projects cost at or under $1.00 per watt. It's time to think smarter and buy together, and with the People's Power Plant this becomes possible. Why would we not want the best pricing available?

 

Bulk Prices, Wholesale Negotiation

When you are buying solar, wind, or geothermal as a single individual, your leverage is very low. When we band together and buy as a collective group of nearly 1,000,000 people, we suddenly have a lot more bargaining power. This empowers us with the opportunity to work with the best installation partners and get the best technology available, at the best bulk prices. Manufacturers and installers will be eager for a chance to work with the People of Austin on this transformational project, and we will choose the best option together. 

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Discounts For Early Adopters

If you have already made the switch to clean energy, THANK YOU! You are a leader in the community and we appreciate your vision. You will have option of joining your system to the PPP in exchange for fairly appropriated incentives and buybacks, or you can remain grandfathered into the current model of net-metering. The choice is yours to make.

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PPP Property-Use Leases

If you allow the PPP to utilize your available roof space or property for an installation, you will see an immediate reduction in your electricity costs without any upfront investment. This is a tremendous opportunity for business owners and homeowners to see an instantaneous net-benefit to your bottom line, without needing to spend a dime of your own money.

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Most Equitable

Although solar prices have fallen in recent years, the majority of people simply don't have the financial means to invest, due to lack of liquid capital or poor credit history. This inequity is eliminated with the PPP, as ALL people are included in this transition simply by being a consumer of electricity. Families can lower their bills immediately and no one has to take a burdensome personal loan to do it. In addition to this, not everyone has sunshine on their property, so instead of pitting neighbors against each other, all available community space can be utilized efficiently to benefit everyone.

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More Accelerated than Tesla

Tesla has been a truly groundbreaking leader in the field of renewable energy, and Elon Musk has raised our consciousness to many possibilities on Earth and beyond. The People's Power Plant builds on the shoulders of Tesla by fulfilling their mission statement dramatically faster than their current operational capacity. If they truly stand by their declared mission statement, Elon and the wonderful people at Tesla will embrace this more accelerated model and assist us in this people-driven and transition to sustainable energy. 

 

Distributed Local Generation and Transmission

This refers to the engineering logistics of producing energy locally, how it flows and keeps reliable power constantly available to the people. This is different than the old model of transmitting power from many miles away into the city, which is obviously less efficient than creating and using it onsite. Distributed Local Generation requires innovation, many infrastructure enhancements and will increase our demand for new and advanced engineering solutions.

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Storage

Battery technology is a crucial piece of the puzzle when it comes to the PPP, since specifically with solar energy, it obviously isn't created at night, so excess during the day must be stored to be used at night. Currently, lithium-ion batteries are the industry standard, but probably not the most ecologically responsible or sustainable. Many people are creating potentially better solutions, and it's incumbent upon us to invite to our team for this transition. 

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Efficiency & Conservation

If you were to set out to design the least efficient construction possible, this would sadly comprise of 90% of our buildings. We leak, we overuse, we forget to turn the lights off, and our design is counterintuitive to human health and environmental stewardship. We MUST determine the best ways to build smarter in the future, using ecologically responsible and energy-efficient materials, but also limit our consumption in pre-built buildings. Especially as our city grows, it's imperative we explore every avenue to save energy. 

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Advancements in Technology

We don't know what we don't know. This means that by simply declaring that Austin will become 100% renewable by 2023 latest, our demand and conviction accelerates the supply of new and innovative technologies. We cannot predict what genius will be awakened by announcing our intention publicly and with profound authority. The act of stating our goals is in itself manifesting a new reality. When new technologies surface, it's crucial we support, protect, and elevate their creators, so we do not miss an opportunity to achieve greatness.

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Nikola Tesla

If you don't know who this man is, please educate yourself. Likely one of the most misunderstood characters of the industrial age, Nikola Tesla died with much mystery surrounding his true accomplishments and the results of his research and inventions. What we do know is that he was somehow able to harness 'free energy' from an infinite source ever-present in 'the field', tapping into a 'radiant' source of electricity more powerful than anything we use today. We also know he had discovered the possibility of wireless electricity transmission, meaning we would never need a charging cable or transmission line.  Tragically, many believe this is why JP Morgan defunded his work and sought to defame Tesla, and J Edgar Hoover and the FBI labeled him as an enemy of the state: because with Tesla's technology, the possibility for metering and charging people for power was not possible, meaning the wealthy elite could not build profitable industries around energy transmission. Regardless of what you believe, and despite this shady interpretation of speculated history, we must face the challenge of revitalizing his work and exploring the possibility of radiant wireless electricity. One thing we know for sure: Nikola Tesla was a man of great heart and passion for the well-being of all people, and we are grateful for his soul and contribution to humanity. 

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Grid of the Future

Whether it's Nikola Tesla's wireless tech, something completely new, or a spin on the conventional system, we know we need to re-approach the way we design and manage our electric grid. Cataclysmic weather events are accentuating our imperative to strengthen our resiliency and preparedness for any situation, so we can always be powered reliably and with utmost safety. With the Peoples Power Plant, the ownership base expands to everyone, increasing our stake and interest in the absolute success of this goal. 

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Maintenance & Expansion

Over time, as the city grows and technology advances, we will obviously require grid updates, infrastructure expansion, and maintenance. This will initially come with some cost, but it will be prudent of us to seek methods of automating this system as much as possible, so the need for spending money diminishes and cost can truly become zero. There is no good reason not to pursue this ultimate objective. 

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Jobs & Training

The PPP will become the oasis for energy jobs. We will employ thousands of people in this transition, and we have a profound opportunity to use this system as a means of training experts to then become professional ambassadors in the world beyond Austin. Our model will enhance the lives of those who participate in the labor force. An important consideration is that we want to be careful and make the distinction between purpose-driven labor verses a long-term career. We do not want to create a new generation of workers dependent on an antiquated and failed grid-management system, but rather generously employ a motivated group of talented people to execute a world-changing system that eliminates the need for an energy industry in the context we know it today. We must consider the holistic impacts of this, and realize the greater benefit to the whole of humanity rather than the potential career implications of a limited and specialized group in the short-term.

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Fossil Fuel and Current Energy Sector Workers

We promise that no one will be hurt by this transition. If you currently work in fossil fuels, you will lose your job one way or another. This is an inevitably, not a matter of speculation. HOW you lose your job and WHAT happens next is the real question. The beauty is that with the People's Power Plant, your skills and experience are needed for the transition, so you will be first in line for the team we assemble. We value all of you, and we do not hold anything personal against you, nor do we judge you for joining the 'fossil fuel' industry; you were simply feeding your family. With our holistic approach to the new economy of purpose and people-empowerment, all aspects of your quality of life will increase, and you will be given a life-affirming opportunity to become trained and employed by the newest wave of technological advancements in the energy sector.  

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Engineering & Innovation

There will be a special need for new thinking and extreme creativity in the field of engineering. Austin will become the epicenter of the clean energy movement, ground-zero for the grid of the future, the arena for the best and brightest to show us what they are made of. We will push beyond any perceived limitations with strong and determined leadership, we will defy the laws of conventional physics, we will rediscover what it means to innovate, and we are inviting you to participate in this groundbreaking movement. 

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Export to the World

Austin does not exist in a vacuum, so it is likely most important that during this transition we open-source our knowledge and discoveries, rigorously document the process, train ambassadors and consultants to travel the world and replicate our successes, and become an open hub for welcoming talented visitors to learn in our city. Our entire planet shares this challenge as One, so we must find comfort and purpose in the realization we are not alone. Austin's advancements in technology could literally mean saving billions of lives across the planet. Don't underestimate the power of our community making bold decisions as a collective, then sharing them with the world.

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True Liberation

The result of all of this? Absolute energy freedom. A new economy where we don't spend our available capital paying electric bills, but rather investing our time in our families, entrepreneurial ventures, creative pursuits, and anything imaginable, all within a beautiful and clean planet expressed with humanity in resonance with Mother Earth and her infinite abundance. The time is NOW for us to initiate this process and realize the power of re-calibrating our power.