Former GRU General Manager releases book telling the story of how the GRU biomass contract led to Clemons’ bill

Press release from Ed Bielarski

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Former GRU General Manager Ed Bielarski’s new book, The City that lost control, recounts the unbelievable real-life story behind the state takeover of one of Florida’s most prominent utilities – Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU).

After a decade of transforming the city-owned utility into a weapon against climate change and a vehicle for social good, the City of Gainesville was on the verge of imploding. The last spark was a contract for biomass power, negotiated under a veil of secrecy, which would cost utility customers over $2 billion. In response, an unconventional general manager is enlisted to salvage the fiscal wreckage and get out from under the onerous contract. What ensues is an epic negotiation and spectacular political brawl that reaches far beyond the contract and outside the city limits – from Wall Street to the Florida State Capital.

Written in the style of a novel, The City that lost control will take you behind closed doors as it re-creates the drama behind today’s headlines. The story will attract non-fiction readers and is worthy of being required reading at every business school in America. If you enjoy cheering for the underdog, fighting city hall, or speaking truth to power, you’ll love this book.

First-time author Ed Bielarski spent his 45-year business career in pursuit of equitable solutions for startups, turnarounds, and transitional organizations. He’s a former CPA, with a BA in Accounting and an MBA in Strategic Management. For the past thirty years, Ed has focused solely on the utility industry, serving in multiple capacities but always as a Wartime Consigliere to an industry in transition.

The Kindle edition of the book is now available at Amazon, and the paperback edition will be available shortly.

    • Read the Book, Clueless. The Crimes against humanity ane this Community by Gainesville Leaders past and present is no joke. Hopefully this will enlighten a full audit of the whole bunch responsible for Gainesvilles demise and and GRU’s insolvency .

      • Crimes against nature, too (tree haters cutting down and burning up our trees).

  • Ed Bierlarski will be a guest on The Ward Scott Files Tuesday, July 11, at 9am EDT.

  • SO ONE DOCTOR COMMITS INSURANCE FRAUD IN South Florida AND THOUSANDS IMMEDIATELY NEED NATIONAL BACKGROUND CHECKS AND FINGERPRINTING IN ORDER TO RENEW THEIR LICENSE, BUT THIS GANG CAN COMMIT INTENTIONAL FRAUD, ABUSE AND WASTE AND YEARS LATER SOMETHING HAPPENS. TAKE AWAY THEIR PERKS, SEND THE INFO TO THE GRAND JURY AND INVESTIGATE THEM ALL…IMPRISONMENT AT LEAST. COME ON REPUBLICANS LETS PRODUCE A CONTENDER TO THE LIBERAL COMMIES.

    • Seems like when a Republican does run, a whole mess of identical clones show up out of nowhere and dilute the vote. Just a coincidence, I’m sure.

  • So far it is an interesting, personal take on events so poorly reported by the Gainesville Sun at the time.

    I read Ed’s account as something he must do for personal closure as it does nothing to heal the battle wounds the community has suffered since the biomass idea became an albatross leading to the greater sins of leadership.

    From the start, Ed does assert a simple – if long winded – universal truth; any profits from any enterprise are potential targets for diversion to political coffers in the name of ‘the people.’ Some call that taxes while others call them fees.

    Rarely, if ever, is it for ‘the people.’

  • It was Hanrahan implementing Kyoto Proticol locally that ruined GRU? Where is she now?

    • Did they can sh!tcan that climate czar position? What about net zero by 2050?

      • Stay Tuned!! Fat Harvey and Crutches lawsuit have changed the stakes and consequences of being fired. The city commission could and should be removed period and pay back any funds deemed illegal.
        It could be Epic.

  • Let’s pitch in and send copies to commsioners and make summer reading for schools.

    • The Book is heading to the Big Screen. The Biomass 8 , PoePoe and minions debacle is going viral nationally . The Utilities near and far are being scrutinize in a more intense way because of GRU and Gainesville Leaders past and present . When Billions of Dollars are wasted and a town and utility is bankrupted , there is a money trail to be investigated. Surely fellow Utilities despise Gainesville’s decisions and demise .It may take a couple of years but guess who is not sleeping well? And they launch a countersuit ? WOKE for sure.

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