Electric Vehicles, the Grid, and Glasgow

 Like so many discussions about electric power, carbon footprint, energy costs, and generation sources, much of what is said rains down from clouds of those without any real understanding of any of these elements. The “studies” and information dumps about electric vehicles (EVs) is no exception to this truth.

First, lets back up a few steps and look at the electric grid itself before we dive off into an analysis of EVs and their true costs and values. The grid is a conglomeration of generation resources which convert some kind of fuel (hydro, coal, natural gas, nuclear, fuel oil) into a resource which can spin a generator to produce commercial electric power. These generators are connected to each other, and to your local utility, by a variety of transmission lines. Taken all together, they make up the grid.

The generators are turned on and off each day (well except for the very large baseload plants) as demand rises and declines for electricity. Therein lies one of the biggest problems with operating the grid. Certain times of the day there is barely enough generation to satisfy the demand (peak times) and other times of the day there is so little demand (mainly at night and on weekends) that generators must be shut down, only to be restarted at very great expense, a few hours later. The physics which govern the electric power industry have been demanding a more efficient, flatter demand for electricity for the last one hundred years. However, nearly all electric utilities price electricity in a flat cost per kWh fashion, which suggests that the cost of generating electricity is the same around the clock. Of course, that is not true, but flat volumetric pricing of electricity sends that erroneous signal.

There are many ways to flatten peak demand and encourage more energy usage which can be satisfied with the clean energy provided by hydro and nuclear plants. One of the simplest ways, as discovered in Glasgow, Kentucky, is to price electric power at the actual hourly cost of generating that energy. Glasgow learned that real cost-based pricing did a good job of flattening demand, and since Glasgow gets its electric power from TVA, a large utility that still produces most of its power by burning fossil fuels like coal and natural gas (40% nuclear, 45% coal and natural gas, 11% hydro, the rest solar-wind-misc.), reducing peak demand means that fossil fuels fired generation is reduced. That also means that greenhouse gas emissions are dramatically reduced. Of course, widespread misinformation acceptance halted Glasgow’s progress on this front, but other utilities will continue down this path, and EVs will carry them there even more quickly.

Many discussions about the cost of operating an EV are fully dependent upon what that study uses as the cost of a kWh. Most 2021 EV battery systems have a capacity of about 25 kWh. Since the charging systems have some inherent losses, one should likely figure it will take about 30 kWh to fully charge an EV. If that charging is done at one’s home, using flat kWh rates, the present cost to accomplish this charge, in the TVA region, is about $3.40. But there is a lot more to the story. If that charging takes place during peak hours, then the cost to the utility might be more like $100 when they pay their wholesale energy provider. Local utilities would not be able to survive a lot of that! That is why cost-based retail rates must come. Further, if that charging occurs during peak hours, it is certain that the status quo methods employed by the utilities would produce just as much greenhouse gas production as burning regular gas in a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. So, regardless of the simple economics, EVs cannot help us reduce our carbon footprint if they are simply introduced into the present electric grid system. The grid, the retail rates, and the thinking about electric power must all evolve too.

A central element of an evolved electric gid must be storage of electric energy when an excess is available. Solar can harvest energy from the sun and, if equipped with battery systems, can store that energy for use during peak hours. EVs can become a huge part of that evolution. While Glasgow EPB learned how to implement battery energy storage, using 11kWh battery systems attached to homes, the units were expensive and clunky. Tomorrow we can use EVs to accomplish that same storage with the added benefit of being able to drive them around! None of the studies or economic analysis of EVs (at least none that this author has read) discuss this exciting possibility. If a local electric utility implements cost-based rates and net metering as EVs come to town, then the technology is available to combine those elements into an evolved electric power ecosystem that will drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the overall cost of electric power, and rewrite the rules for our locomotion.

An integrated grid, incorporating modernized rates and EVs would work something like this. When an EV is parked at home and connected to the grid, EV control software will recognize the vehicle and its state of charge. Charging will be provided to suit the owner’s desire for cost savings, most commonly during off-peak hours when the utility needs more load so they will not need to shut down a generation plant. As a result, the cost of this energy will be practically zero. Once charging is complete, that same EV will be recognized as an energy asset by the utility. Should that energy be needed to help support the grid, with the owner’s agreement, this stored energy will be purchased by the local utility and used to meet peak demand. For some EV users, it is not beyond imagination that this revenue producing asset would largely pay for the vehicle’s cost! These things, and many more, will come to pass as progress and understanding replace complacency and fear in the operation of the electric power grid.

Now is the Time for All Good Men to Come to the Aid of their Country

Many folks in a certain age group, were first exposed to that phrase in a high school typing class. Since it was several years ago, we can all immediately see that, while it might have been good at forcing us to learn how to use all of our fingers to type, it wasn't properly gender-neutral. That sentence really ought to say that now is the time for all good citizens to come to the aid of our country -- especially our city.

It really is time for Glasgow citizens to step up, get in the game, and stop talking about rampant dissatisfaction with our incumbent slate of elected officials. Enough with the outrage and ranting. It is time to put yourselves out there and run to replace the problems! Here we are in October, and that means that the rest of the year will be a blur of holidays, events, family, and too many tasks. Then it will suddenly be January 2022, and that is when papers must be filed for those who are willing to run for the Glasgow Common Council and Glasgow Mayor. It is time for you to get your game face on, and prepare to give back to the community by offering yourself up to provide the wisdom and leadership Glasgow sorely needs. 

The community is blessed with smart, experienced folks who love Glasgow. Although many might find themselves too committed to family and career at this time, and many who have labored long to make Glasgow a better place, have thrown in the towel and left town; there still are plenty out there who are qualified and ready to give back to a place that has been everything to them. This message is for you!

Although the January deadline for filing will be here in a flash, the process is very simple. Still, if you have never before made the leap into candidacy, it can be a little daunting. Luckily there is help readily available from organizations like Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. They have upcoming training available, and you can learn more about that training at https://www.mobilize.us/kftc/event/418624/?emci=42fb6b19-e426-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&emdi=860e2538-4428-ec11-981f-c896653b9208&ceid=1811153 

Before the holiday season takes up all of your time, PLEASE look into this opportunity, which is really more of a responsibility. One must only commit to watching any regular meeting of the Glasgow Common Council to become cognizant of Glasgow's dearth of leadership, and it is hoped that such realization will provide the motivation needed. Indeed, now is the time for all good persons to come to the aid of their community.

Glasgow and the Illusion of Knowledge

Recently, a few neighbors in Williamson County, Tennessee, learned that the beautiful sidewalks in front of their homes had to be removed so they could be rebuilt two more feet away from the street. The houses are new. The sidewalks are new, beautiful, and separated from the street by meticulously maintained six-foot grass strip between the curb and the sidewalk. “What could be the reason for this?”, asked a growing neighborhood assembly of affected homeowners. “What about all the work we have done on our yards and landscaping this summer?’, they exclaimed. The answer – the Public Works Department of Williamson County determined that the separation between the sidewalk and the curb, on a street with the traffic volume of this one, is stipulated to be eight feet instead of the existing six feet. The response – pretty much what you would expect, and exactly the response one would get in Glasgow. The government regulations are choking businesses and making it impossible for growth! No one elected these government employees, and they should not have such power! Fire the engineers! We all know that strict regulations on development stop business from investing and halts growth, right?

Wrong. Many developers and neighborhood groups certainly think those feelings are accurate but let us examine how often that illusion of knowledge is that which is responsible for holding back progress. The sidewalk issue in Williamson County happened in a moderate sized housing development, one that presently has over 50 houses under construction. Developments of this size are common in Williamson County, even in the face of these strict construction standards. The development standards are thoughtfully derived and rigidly enforced. The result is a variety of breath-takingly beautiful places to live, and growth beyond what can normally be imagined. Building safe, attractive housing delivers results. Williamson County is the fastest growing in Tennessee and one of the fastest growing counties in the United States! Contrary to popular thought, strong governments, and well-designed rules, ignite growth instead of snuffing it out. Instead, strong rules (and persistent enforcement thereof) snuff out the weak, corrupt, and unskilled businesses that seek profit before excellence.

Daniel Boorstin, the former Librarian of Congress and award-winning author and historian, summed up this truth relative to the discoveries of Christopher Columbus, long before the errant sidewalks were discovered in Williamson County. Boorstin said, “The greatest obstacle to discovering the shape of the earth, the continents, and the oceans was not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge.” He was right, of course, Christopher Columbus and his team of discoverers proved common “knowledge” wrong. That same equation has been proven again and again over the years. Our problem is that we cannot seem to learn from it.

The story of the CEO of a medium-sized company in Seattle also echoes the discoveries that can be made when one ventures away from “known” truths. Dan Price managed his company in Seattle, where he had an idea to pay each of his 120 employees a minimum of $70,000 per year! In 2015 he wasn’t sure how he could afford this decision, and he immediately was faced with the firm illusions of knowledge espoused by television talking heads and Harvard Business School graduate-types, that this move would immediately bankrupt the company and turn his team into sloths. “This is socialism!”, many pundits exclaimed. But that isn’t what happened. So far, he has begun fulfilling that promise by giving 20% annual salary increases to his employees and promising to reach the $70,000 minimum within three years. “I just decided I’m gonna do $70,000. I don’t care if I have to stop paying myself or I have to work 20 hours as day. I’m going to do it.”, said Price. Guess who was right, Price or the know-nothing pundits and keyboard junkies?

Instead of spiraling into financial failure and socialism, that corporation has since doubled its number of employees, their gross revenue doubled, and ten times as many of the employees were able to start families and purchase homes. Once again, the illusion of knowledge was dispelled, and new knowledge was revealed. These events are not flukes. Rather, they are new worlds awaiting discovery by those possessing the grit to explore.

Back in Glasgow, discoverers are in short supply. Whether it be an idea to create new rules to eradicate litter and dilapidated property, a proposal to construct a new downtown park, or improved taxing methods to generate revenue for personnel and infrastructure, the knee-jerk reactions from internet pundits and amateur journalists, is the same. You must not do that! It cannot work! Everyone is already taxed to their limits! But these examples of ignoring those responses prove otherwise, and they illuminate the route from where Glasgow is today, to where it wants to be. Daniel Boorstin summed up the history of these discoveries this way, “We must abandon the prevalent belief in the superior wisdom of the ignorant.” 

Glasgow Does Not Need Another Broadband Provider

 At the Glasgow Common Council meeting on July 12, 2021, discussion was held, even though the matter was not on the approved agenda, about granting a franchise to OpenFiber Kentucky, to build and operate another broadband network in Glasgow. It is assumed that none of the elected Council Members had heard anything about this before the matter was brought up, since it was not on the agenda as an item to be discussed. But the skids seemed to be greased for the franchise to be granted already. City Attorney, Danny Basil, invited the Council to read the material he promised to distribute that would be provided by the OpenFiber folks, suggesting that such reading would help when the matter was considered “when we award them a franchise.” Councilperson Joe Trigg interjected that perhaps Glasgow EPB should be heard from on the matter, but Mayor Armstrong deflected that suggestion by stating that the EPB interest would be only related to allowing attachments to its poles. Armstrong also echoed Basil’s suggestion that the franchise would be hastily awarded because, “it is pretty hard to turn people down” on such a request. But perhaps a bit more examination of this issue is appropriate. It is also certain that Glasgow EPB and SCRTC have a lot more concerns about this proposal than those relating to space on their poles. They have concerns about competing against an entity that seems to have unlimited access to the taxes paid by the citizens of the Commonwealth.

A franchise is an authorization granted by a company or a government to an individual or a company enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities, e.g., providing a service using city property, or acting as an agent for a company's products (like opening a Papa John’s or even a new Chevrolet dealership). Before a franchise is granted, it is customary and advisable for an array of due-diligence research be done on the company seeking the franchise, and the need for the new agency or product in a community. Has any of this due diligence been performed by local officials? From what we heard at the July 12 meeting, that seems very doubtful.

On the issue of ascertaining the need for another broadband provider in Glasgow, the City should consider the networks already constructed and maintained by Glasgow EPB and SCRTC, and the exceedingly low rates and reliable services they provide. These networks have been in place and delivering services to residences and businesses in Glasgow for thirty years. Due diligence on the matter of need would reveal that customers are being served by both entities and those customers are getting speed, reliability, and customer care from both entities. Research would reveal that the market is mature and there are not unserved, nor under-served customers in the Glasgow city limits. Since there is stability and virtual market saturation, a new provider could only destabilize the economics of the incumbent providers by taking away customers and revenue necessary to cover their costs. It seems there is no new need to be addressed by granting a franchise to a new provider. It also seems clear that there are a lot of reasons why Glasgow does not need another fiber broadband network provider.

It is not hard to see examples of why another broadband network, strung along poles in Glasgow, is a bad idea. Glasgow already knows how an out-of-town network operator (Windstream) disrupts the aesthetics and safety of the poles and networks owned by EPB and SCRTC. On virtually every street in Glasgow one finds two or three poles sitting within inches of each other and cluttering yards and sidewalks. This happens when EPB or SCRTC changes out a bad pole, transfers their cables to the new pole and then awaits the same transfer by Windstream crews such that the old pole can finally be removed. As all can see from these pictures, an out-of-town network operator is often just not motivated to perform the work – sometimes for years.

Yet another out-of-town broadband provider in Glasgow will surely cause more of these problems. There is also the matter of emergency pole replacements. These often come in the wee hours of the morning after an accident wherein a vehicle breaks a pole. For local utilities like EPB and SCRTC, on-call personnel are dispatched by 911 and those utilities respond to restore service and safety – except when their efforts are hampered by cable belonging to Windstream. Those situations create a variety of very real issues, because there is no local office nor presence of Windstream technicians to aid in these emergencies. These are problems that Glasgow does not want to increase.

Should the Glasgow officials perform their analysis of the market and the issues addressed herein and still reach the conclusion that another broadband provider would be good for the community, then the normal next step would be to draft a bid specification (including the ground rules, expectations, and requirements of local government applicable to a successful bidder) and advertise for proposals/bids from all companies wishing to enter the Glasgow broadband market. Obviously, that process would take a lot longer than the two weeks suggested at the July 12 meeting.

Now, should the Glasgow officials ignore due diligence, or if they perform due diligence and still recommend that a franchise be granted to KentuckyWired/OpenFiber Kentucky/Accelecom (they are all really just alter-egos of Macquarie Capital, the Australian bank who is profiting from all of this mess), then the suggestion by Danny Basil that the councilpersons use their computers to study up on Kentucky Wired is a good one. In fact, all citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky ought to know more about this project, which has been labeled a “boondoggle” by many who have researched it extensively.

The whole KentuckyWired project and the far-less-than-transparent deals which are part of it, drew the attention of real journalists at the Courier Journal and ProPublica, and they spent years digging up the facts and printing the results. Click on this link to get the full story on KentuckyWired, just as Danny Basil suggested https://www.propublica.org/series/miswired If you only read one of the articles presented there, please make it this one: Kentucky’s $1.5B Information Highway to Nowhere. Once locals take in some of this excellent reporting and writing, surely everyone in Glasgow will be ready to agree that Glasgow does not want to add itself to the long freight train full of questionable dealings and unquestionable incompetence of the folks behind the KentuckyWired project.

Wyatt's Oil Company -- A South Green Street Tradition

 There is only one Courthouse in the middle of the Glasgow Square. There is only one Plaza Theatre in Glasgow. There is but one South Green Street in Glasgow, and there is only one Wyatt’s Oil on that street (or any other street in probably a 50-mile radius). Though you have likely driven by this business a million times over the years, do you realize how rare and unique it is?

Wyatt's Oil has been a permanent fixture at the corner of South Green and Seay Streets in Glasgow for over 53 years.

Doug Wyatt accepted an invitation from Gulf Oil to leave his job down the street and run their service station at the corner of South Green Street and Seay Street in 1968. The station was about 15 years old then, having been run previously by Bill Wheeler and later Frank Pirtle. The Gulf Oil station was built on prime real estate, fronting the rapidly growing neighborhoods feeding off Seay Street. It was a part of the customary neighborhood architecture of the Vietnam War era. Households were walkable and within close proximity to grocery stores, service stations, and schools. Doug was sure he and Janis could make a life there, and he was right.

A few years later in the 70s, Gulf Oil began divesting itself of many small neighborhood service stations, and that prompted Doug and Janis Wyatt to go see James Trigg Pace at Citizens Bank and Trust, to borrow the money needed to buy that station. As usual in that day, James Trigg made that happen and the station became Wyatt’s Oil. Since then, a boom in industrial development made Glasgow pop, but later that boom became a bust. Through it all, Doug and Janis have operated Wyatt’s Oil the same way for 53 years, oblivious to the way Glasgow ebbed and flowed around them.

This is not a story about Doug and Janis deciding to close Wyatt’s Oil. It is true that they are ready to hand it off to someone, preferably (one would suppose) to their son or daughter, but that is not the route chosen by many children of aging business owners these days. Rather, this is a story about the way this wonderful throwback to the 60s still operates today, and how the business will continue to operate until the right offer is made to Doug and Janis.

Although this couple is well into their 70s, they come in most every weekday. They check the fuel tanks, open the doors, pull the old wrecker out of the service bay, turn on the pumps, read the paper, and settle in for friends and customers to come in to fuel up, or just simply friend up. In colder weather, Doug might also light a fire in the old wood stove in the service bay (this writer has no idea how this old process really works given the amount of combustible fuel in the service bay, but…53 years, okay?). Doug and Janis need to be there for these activities because there is not a hint of modern automation at Wyatt’s Oil. There is no credit card slot nor screen on their pumps. You pull up and pay the old-fashioned way. Now, Janis provides some human powered automation for those that need it. She will happily come out of the office and fuel your vehicle herself, if need be. She also replaces the credit card system by running a tab for old and trusted customers. That allows folks to pull up, fuel their vehicle, then nod to Janis that you are done. She will record the sale, add it to your others purchases for the month, and send you a paper invoice just after the first of each month! This is far friendlier than the credit card company, and it is a special quirk of this unique local business. I can also testify that this system was readily and effectively exploited by my children when they were teenagers.

In addition to buying gasoline, Doug and Janis (this is a real partnership of equals, but Janis is a bit more equal because she does the books too!) can replace tires, brake pads, and change your oil. In season, you can buy tomatoes and peaches too, harvested from the daughter’s garden. That is about all they sell, except for YooHoo and Bubble gum. Everything else at Wyatt’s Oil is not revenue producing. Conversation with them, and getting to hear their opinions on local issues, is the real magic behind their 53-year run. They are accommodating to the extreme. Everyone knows that they allow anyone running for office to place their signs in the grassy island between their pumps and South Green Street. These signs do not represent candidates they endorse. These signs are allowed because Doug and Janis are part of the fabric of the community, which used to be woven with cooperation and respect rather than the fibers of hate and fear mongering which dominate our fabric today. This island of southern tradition and warmth occupies the space at the corner of South Green and Seay Streets. The other fuel outlets in Glasgow are mostly akin to franchise fast food outlets. Wyatt’s Oil is more like a Farmers’ Market -- or your Mom’s house.  

Billy's Corner anchors the Sylvan Park neighborhood in Nashville by being far more than the old service station it was.

In Nashville's trendy west side there are neighborhoods in transition from blue collar to

upscale new and renovated homes. Sylvan Park is one of those neighborhoods, and there is a lot to learn there. Sylvan Park consists of, perhaps 300 homes, and at the center of those homes is a little commercial center with some restaurants, a dry cleaner, pizza joints, a tiny little grocery store, and one of the strangest old service stations ever. Billy’s Corner was remarkably similar to Wyatt’s Oil before it evolved into the destination it is today. Billy’s still sells gasoline and does some minor automotive repair, but the thing that pulls in the neighborhood crowd is that they have a short-order cook and a griddle where you can get fantastic breakfast items. They also have beer https://www.facebook.com/billyscorner  They can fill your gas tank and you can bring your own Growler (a glass or steel jug designed for transporting and storing beer) to be filled with a wide variety of local craft beers. Heck, they even have picnic tables and  ample seating for you to while away your Saturday morning with friends at Billy’s Corner.

Across Interstate 40 from Sylvan Park is another booming neighborhood called The Nations. Like Sylvan Park, it is an old blue-collar neighborhood presently being repurposed for younger immigrants to Nashville. Also, like Sylvan Park, the community is anchored by the essential retail establishments that are necessary for a pedestrian-oriented lifestyle. And guess what -- there is an old service station in the middle of it! Daddy’s Dogs is housed in that repurposed

service station, and it looks surprisingly similar to Wyatt’s Oil. After all, didn’t all older neighborhood service stations look alike? Daddy’s Dogs no longer sells gasoline – they sell fun! The menu https://daddysdogsnash.com/menu/ is simple. Think in terms of a few gourmet hot dogs, tater tots, and ice-cold beer. Add in picnic tables under the canopy where the gas pumps used to be, also add in the occasional dose of local acoustic music, and you have the recipe for an essential element for The Nations, and likely the new Glasgow.

When one adds up these conditions: Doug and Janis are looking for what comes next for their business; the location of Wyatt’s Oil is right on the sidewalk – the busiest sidewalk in town since everyone treats South Green Street as a wonderful park with a walking trail; a new Glasgow Greenway is about to begin construction, and that greenway will run parallel to Trojan Trail and end a very short distance from Wyatt’s Oil, you have to see the potential for this place. While it is not known where the new Justice Center might be constructed, but if it is south of the Glasgow Square, the odds are that it will include some upgrades to pedestrian ways in the vicinity. People who walk and ride bikes on greenways often look for destinations…destinations that have food, maybe ice cream, and surely some liquid refreshment.

It is not hard to see how Wyatt’s Oil might transition into a new life, one that continues to build on the success and community-building efforts of Doug and Janis over the last 53 years. There has to be a modern equivalent of James Trigg Pace and Citizens Bank and Trust that is willing to help some young person continue the Wyatt’s Oil tradition at the corner of South Green Street and Seay Street, but whatever this place becomes, the heritage of service and community building that was built by Doug and Janis, shall always remain.