Mayor Winnecke Announces Partnership between City of Evansville and Earthcare Energy

1. WOW, HERE’S THE REAL NEWS:

   C&P runs this entire story, and the name “Vectren” is not mentioned whatsoever. Yet, CCO runs this “press release” from the Mayor, and Vectren is all over the story ! Is this shaping up to be an Austin Powers-type movie where the Frau scream out ” Send In the Clones !!!” What is really going on behind-the-scenes with Earthcare Energy and Vectren ?

   I was happy to read about the new jobs in C&P and dismayed now that we find it is Son of Vectren coming to town. Very poorly handled by C & P, kudos CCO for getting all the facts in play.

   • Check out today’s C&P article in the Opinion section (page 10A) titled “Column misses on synthetic gas”. Note top 4th column “…get to the bottom of how Vectren has sold itself coal from its own coal mines at a $68 per ton while selling identical coal from the same mine to Indianapolis Power & Light for $36 per ton. For 2009 and 2010, the price differentials between coal sold to itself and coal sold to other utilities cost Vectren electric consumers $87 million — pure profit to Vectren at the consumer’s expense.” WOW!

     • goldentoe, thanks for the heads-up. C & P put it in the Opinion column, but this still redeems its big whiff yesterday re: omitting Vectren’s involvement with the new company coming to town in the Whirlpool building.

2. It is great news that a new start-up business is locating in Evansville that brings with it 100 jobs. Bad news: “The City of Evansville plans to provide a start-up loan and grant..”. Any start-up business is high risk and a renewable energy project using Total Flow Gas Letdown Generator is very high risk. Evansville should not be involved in loaning money and providing grant money to a start-up company.

3. The Second Coming of Weinzapfel……

   Sitting with some friends, drinking a few beers, smoking a few cigars (while we still can) and talking some politics. We are all absolutely amazed and stunned that it has not even taken Mayor Winnecke 3 months to show his appreciation towards Vectren, Vectren executives, PAC committee, and Vectren family members for all of their major contributions to the Winnecke for Mayor campaign. My poker buddies and I are really disappointed in the C&P and the CCO for not doing a more in-depth analysis of the campaign funds that he received and compared those results to contracts and positions being currently awarded by Mayor Winnecke.

   • Winnecke was on the GAGE board of directors and an executive committee member with Weinzapfel when, under their leadership, the Freedom Festival lost $600k. They also borrowed aprox $250k in unsecured, no interest loans from the city while Winnecke was a member of the GAGE board and that debt has still never been re-paid. Why is anyone shocked that this administration is quickly beginning to eerily resemble the past administration?

4. Maddog is spot on. But let’s go one step further. It is common knowledge that just before Winnecke vacated his county commissioner seat to become mayor, he and his political puppet Marsha Abell pushed for and voted to renew a 5 year contract for the Info & Tech dept. As mayor he is now trying to keep councilman Friend from requesting a proper audit of that department. It’s time for the local media to step up and follow the money.

   • You are wrong to assume County Commissioner Able is a puppet to anybody.

     I agree an audit should be done. There are 8 Democrats on the City Council. They have the power to have an audit performed and require people to testify in front of them about any subject regarding the City with or without the Mayor’s support. Where are they at on this issue?

   • Whoh, TPR. Ms. Abell is nobodys puppet. Period. She and former Commissioner Winnecke had some major disagreements, but they had a workable professional relationship. As for Vectren, if Goldentoe is correct (and I bet he is) that we pay Vectren $33 more per ton of coal from their subsidiary than their subsidiary charges IPALCO, then the Bidens are steaming mad after their huge Vectren bills during this very mild winter. Vectren better not be playing games with this startup. Mr. Winnecke appears very able and he should not stumble and fall flat on his face with this first effort.

5. So Mayor Winnecke obviously has past financial and political history with GAGE and will fight to save it no matter the consequences. His commissioner buddy Marsha Abell said during her race against Troy Tornatta that GAGE should be dissolved. Now she is not only a board member but also one of the biggest advocates for keeping it. Somebody needs to look at her campaign contribution list and find out why. Follow the money!

6. I find it a little strange that all of a sudden GAGE should be dismantled and shuttered for good. Let’s not forget that GAGE’s predecessor, the Small Business Incubator (located in Orr Iron Building) was also a loser, and that it folded like a cheap deck of cards.

   The only thing fishy about this Total Flow Gas Letdown Generator (TFG) project that I can find in this article is the reporter’s inability to transparently describe what it does and how it does it. Right now we might as well call it a perpetual motion machine. Given the sensitivities of the electorate in the post-Whiny-zapple era, if Winnecke wants to stake his political future on this gizmo then let him have a go at it. And if the damned thing blows up in his face he can always return to the banking business, or that great graveyard for ruined politicians, Vectren Corporation.

7. EARTHCARE ENERGY (founded in 2009)

   Executive Team:

   Ken Haney- Chairman

   Ken Haney founded Earthcare Energy in 2009 with the goal of bringing clean, efficient energy and jobs to the United States, a mission inspired by his lengthy military career and his time as President of The Haney Group, an L.E.E.D. certified custom home builder based in Houston, Texas. Ken has extensive Executive level management experience in military, airline and private industry where his leadership role has consistently led to growth and profitability.

   Ken’s highly decorated military background involves 14 years in the United States Army where he accelerated through the ranks, holding both tactical and management positions of increasing responsibility, including an appointment by Congress as a Warrant Officer III. With extensive flying experience as pilot of several military aircraft including Apache and Cobra helicopters, Ken managed large scale deployment operations, flew multiple combat missions and was selected from the top 1% of all officers to train on the RC12 Spy Aircraft in Korea. He also managed several military decommission projects netting the government several million dollars in unexpected profit. Ken’s excellent flying record quickly earned him the title of Captain with United Airlines upon retirement from the military.

   Ken graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Organizational Behavior from the University of Maryland Europe and a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

   A rather non typical background for a “green” merchant.

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   • Ken Haney is a pilot for United Airlines. He has not yet demonstrated he is a successful businessman. His Company Earthcare have “a”prototype. Oh well–what is $5 millon?

     • Today’s planes are pretty good at flying themselves. Sounds like Winnecke is loaning $5 Million to a modern day bus driver with no business background so Vectren can make a few bucks buying cheap power to sell to us poor schmucks at a huge markup.

       • Vectren will ask for a rate increase if their partership/investment goes south. Either way, they will see a profit out of this.

       • RevJermemiah:

         You are out of bounds with the “planes flying themselves” comment. Suggest removal.

8. I would be curious to know whether or not this $500k loan would have been approved by 5/3rd when Winnecke was there. For some reason I seriously doubt it. There would have been someone to hold him accountable for his actions, the same someone signing the paychecks. Apparently when you are only held accountable by silly voters it is easier to justify risking large amounts money that doesn’t belong to you. Sigh, four more years of the same….

   Maybe we can sue our former mayor for the $800k that we lost in the McCurdy deal, which is mysteriously close to the amount in his war chest turned PAC, in order to make up for what looks like will be another massive unnecessary loss to the hard working taxpayers of Evansville.

   • It is $5 Million Floodgate not $500k.

     • Eh, what’s a couple extra zeros when it comes to spending what you don’t have to begin with….

9. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)

   This explains it in terms you can understand. The process has been around for some time, with high volume natural gas users taking advantage of the process to lower the cost of their electricity consumption. This is not a new or revolutionary process and I am not sure what, if any, exclusive patents Earthcare Energy LLC holds.

   http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6131407/description.html

   It would seem sound policy for Vectren to take advantage of the “step down” process for the natural gas pipelines coming into their generating facilities. If Earthcare can supply the equipment to make that happen, and beat out the other competitors in that field, then why not go for it?

   One wonders what the equipment cost would be to take advantage of the natural gas stepdown going on at say, A B Brown Generation Station.

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   • As you can tell by the above patent, there are several uses for natural gas expansion. Earthcare Energy LLC is apparently involved in the process of using the Natural Gas Expansion to power a generator that produces electricity.

     I should have made that plainer in the above post.

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   • They should definitely take advantage of it, should it prove feasible. They have tried several cutting edge projects that turned out not to work as advertised. I just wish they were gambling with their money, not my taxes.

10. I thought United Pilot Ken Haney was part of Earthcare Energy LLC. Ken Haney is involved with Convicted Felon Aaron keiter of Houston who is currently under investigation by FBI and Law Enforcement.Google Aaron Keiter of houston. There is a Crime Ring and I believe Haney is involved.

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