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If it’s renewable and carbon-neutral, why isn’t it an option to consume more?
by mikeash 8y ago
If it’s renewable and carbon-neutral, why isn’t it an option to consume more?
- kccqzy 8y agoI guess an argument could be that the distribution of electricity still costs money. For example, if households use more electric power, we can either increase the electric current or the voltage. For the former we may have to replace transmission lines to be thicker; for the latter we may have to reconfigure or perhaps rebuild the local transformers. In either case, there are other costs involved that do not involve the cost of electricity itself.
- mikeash 8y agoThere’s nothing wrong with increased costs per se. If people are willing to pay it, let them! The problem is when there are substantial externalities not reflected in the price, as is the case with electricity sourced from fossil fuel.