Re: power to the internet

[Mike Bolitho <mikebolitho () gmail com>]

I'm pretty sure political bickering is well beyond the scope of the mailing
list. Is anyone moderating this?

- Mike Bolitho

On Thu, Dec 26, 2019, 7:20 AM Tom Beecher <beecher () beecher cc> wrote:

> Same story again different colors. PG&E making a mint while people get
> > screwed
>
> I'm not quite sure that's an accurate statement.
>
> In 2000-2001, PG&E got screwed by Enron's market manipulation. ( Good job
> those who pushed so hard for deregulation of public utility services! )
>
> PG&E is currently in bankruptcy proceedings, largely as a result of
> liabilities from wildfires in 2017 and 2018. Under California's
> application of inverse condemnation, a power utility is responsible for any
> damage caused by a wildfire if it was determined that their equipment was
> part of the cause. This applies even if the utility was in 100% compliance
> with all laws and regulations.
>
> So you have a terrible combination where housing prices in the state are
> driving more and more people to build in wildfire prone areas, climate
> change is increasing the frequency of weather conditions favorable to
> wildfire ignition, and the utility company that is being held financially
> liable for damages while at the same time not being allowed by the PUC to
> raise capital for infrastructure changes to reduce the chances of
> electrical equipment starting such things.
>
> The answer is easy. Money. If people want a power grid that is safe and
> reliable, then the utility should be given the funds to do it via rates and
> appropriate tax revenues. They should not be expected to turn profits like
> private enterprise. The power grid is for the benefit of all, not just the
> financial benefit of those who have equity stakes.
>
> This situation is the logical extension of 40+ years of America's only
> real product ; financial engineering.
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 25, 2019 at 9:18 PM Michael Loftis <mloftis () wgops com> wrote:
>
> > On Wed, Dec 25, 2019 at 19:00 Constantine A. Murenin <mureninc () gmail com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > On Wed, 25 Dec 2019 at 19:32, Michael Thomas <mike () mtcc com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > On the dark side, this is probably coming to a lot more states and
> > > > countries due to climate change. Australia. Sigh.
> > >
> > > Do you have a source for this?  It would seem that these power issues
> > > are rather unique to California not because of some "climate change"
> > > bogeyman, but rather because of a failed public policy at the state level.
> > >
> > > It would also seem that these issues of rolling blackouts aren't even
> > > new to California, either, as, apparently, it's already been the norm
> > > during 2000/2001:
> >
> >
> > Having lived through the blackouts that was entirely different. 90% Enron
> > manipulating the markets. There was plenty of capacity both in transmission
> > and generation, but Enron manipulated prices and apparent supply to make
> > money and screwed the whole state over. There was just about 2x the
> > generating capacity, no real shortage.
> >
> > This time it’s PG&E all alone, but still fallout from back then. Too much
> > liability and they’ve not maintained the infrastructure and so they decided
> > that to reduce the liability costs it’s cheaper to blackout. Same story
> > again different colors. PG&E making a mint while people get screwed (PG&E
> > was mostly at the getting screwed end in 2000-2001)
> >
> > > * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_electricity_crisis
> > >
> > > C.
> > --
> >
> > "Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its
> > possessors
> > into trouble of all kinds."
> > -- Samuel Butler