July 30, 2002

GENI at the Extremes:

Regional Transmission Organizations in the US, and a light bulb in Mali

Dear GENI Friend,

Our world is a study of extremes, the most critical is the growing divide between the "haves" and "have-nots". Whether you look at resource consumption, income or computer use, the gap is unhealthy. Yet, while the attached two reports offer vastly different solutions, they both move us towards a more sustainable world for all.

The utility industry is going through tremendous change from deregulation and privatization — and the process has not always been successful, e.g. California in 2000. This failure has caused many governments to reexamine the process of opening markets to new energy producers. In order to allow all generation companies access to sell their electricity, large RTOs (Regional Transmission Organizations) are being formed to move electricity across multiple jurisdictions. Along with competition, open access should make the entire system more efficient. This is exactly what Bucky Fuller envisioned three decades ago.

By comparison, in Mali, most families struggle each day to survive. The majority have no electricity, refrigeration or clean water. We cannot even relate. This encouraging report from Mali focuses on the labor intensive task of making peanut butter. With a diesel grinder, women can accomplish in 15 minutes a job that previously took three days! By adding a generator, a network of lights now illuminates the darkness. Children are learning to read and women are getting treatment at the health clinic. Bucky Fuller stated that electricity is the fundamental requirement to elevate living standards — and Mineta Keita concurs that "it is changing our lives."

The GENI Initiative attempts to show how these two extreme examples are key parts of a similar solution. Ultimately, the linking of renewable energy resources around the world is a strategy that meets the sustainable development goals of both. You help us to make the world aware of this relationship. Thank you for that — and your commitment to narrow the gap.

In partnership for the planet,

Peter Meisen

p.s. The Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development runs from Aug. 26 - Sept. 4th. You can follow the daily activities through an excellent global media group. www.earthtimes.org