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At first I didn't really understand but then I realized this is America. Funding and maintaining infrastructure is not exactly a priority...

nojito 5y ago
Because infrastructure is extraordinarily expensive because of how large America is. Go to any small/wealthy town and you’ll see them invest tons into their infrastructure.
- endianswap 5y ago
  "how large America is" doesn't make sense here when the subject of the discussion is literally New York City
  - b9a2cab5 5y ago
    Most NIMBY cities (like NYC and SF) today no longer allow industrial buildings (like for example power plants or refineries) in their city limits. So yes, "how large America is" does end up mattering because electricity and gas and everything else ends up shipped 1-2 hours' drive away.
    - CameronNemo 5y ago
      Los Angeles gets a good portion of their power from a coal fired power plant in Utah. They are looking to change that by 2025 though. https://www.ladwpnews.com/ladwp-accelerates-coal-power-reduction-with-full-divestment-from-navajo-generating-plant-3-5-years-ahead-of-schedule/ https://www.ladwpnews.com/ladwp-accelerates-coal-power-reduc...
      - sitkack 5y ago
        I'd love to see LA get a GWHr++ energy storage battery inside the city limits. They could trickle charge at will and supply cheap power 24/7. LA could have the cheapest power in the NA this way. It would revitalize manufacturing.
        landemva 5y ago
        Los Angeles kicked out their manufacturing a couple decades ago. They literally refused to issue electrical permits to upgrade manufacturing lines. After some years the plants became noncompetitive and employers left town.
    - Dylan16807 5y ago
      Sending gas 100 miles is cheap, and sending electricity 100 miles is extra cheap.
  - teawrecks 5y ago
    > At first I didn't really understand but then I realized this is America. Funding and maintaining infrastructure is not exactly a priority... In the context of this sub-thread, we are talking about America.
adventured 5y ago
> At first I didn't really understand but then I realized this is America. Funding and maintaining infrastructure is not exactly a priority As opposed to where? Asia? The US typically spends between as much or slightly more of its GDP on funding infrastructure vs what either the EU or Eurozone do. European spending on infrastructure has been mediocre for decades. 2017 "Europe’s spending on infrastructure at ‘chronic’ low level ... Spending at 20-year low threatens region’s prosperity, EIB report warns" https://www.ft.com/content/51524ab4-cf77-11e7-9dbb-291a884dd8c6 https://www.ft.com/content/51524ab4-cf77-11e7-9dbb-291a884dd... 2017 "Germany’s low investment rate leaves its infrastructure creaking ... The country with Europe’s strongest economy faces potholed roads and crumbling schools" https://www.economist.com/europe/2017/06/17/germanys-low-investment-rate-leaves-its-infrastructure-creaking https://www.economist.com/europe/2017/06/17/germanys-low-inv... https://www.cpr-am.fr/institutionals/Local-content/Actualites-Presse-Recompenses/Decoding-The-European-infrastructure-plan https://www.cpr-am.fr/institutionals/Local-content/Actualite... 2014 "EU Infrastructure Cutbacks Worry Economists" https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-infrastructure-cutbacks-worry-economists-1405886120 https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-infrastructure-cutbacks-worr...
- gibolt 5y ago
  Spending doesn't equal spending efficiency. It also doesn't account for added costs due to age of infra/retrofitting vs new infrastructure. I have no point to make, other than direct comparison misses a lot of nuance.

nojito 5y ago

Because infrastructure is extraordinarily expensive because of how large America is. Go to any small/wealthy town and you’ll see them invest tons into their infrastructure.

endianswap 5y ago
"how large America is" doesn't make sense here when the subject of the discussion is literally New York City
- b9a2cab5 5y ago
  Most NIMBY cities (like NYC and SF) today no longer allow industrial buildings (like for example power plants or refineries) in their city limits. So yes, "how large America is" does end up mattering because electricity and gas and everything else ends up shipped 1-2 hours' drive away.
  - CameronNemo 5y ago
    Los Angeles gets a good portion of their power from a coal fired power plant in Utah. They are looking to change that by 2025 though. https://www.ladwpnews.com/ladwp-accelerates-coal-power-reduction-with-full-divestment-from-navajo-generating-plant-3-5-years-ahead-of-schedule/ https://www.ladwpnews.com/ladwp-accelerates-coal-power-reduc...
    - sitkack 5y ago
      I'd love to see LA get a GWHr++ energy storage battery inside the city limits. They could trickle charge at will and supply cheap power 24/7. LA could have the cheapest power in the NA this way. It would revitalize manufacturing.
      - landemva 5y ago
        Los Angeles kicked out their manufacturing a couple decades ago. They literally refused to issue electrical permits to upgrade manufacturing lines. After some years the plants became noncompetitive and employers left town.
  - Dylan16807 5y ago
    Sending gas 100 miles is cheap, and sending electricity 100 miles is extra cheap.
- teawrecks 5y ago
  > At first I didn't really understand but then I realized this is America. Funding and maintaining infrastructure is not exactly a priority... In the context of this sub-thread, we are talking about America.

adventured 5y ago

> At first I didn't really understand but then I realized this is America. Funding and maintaining infrastructure is not exactly a priority As opposed to where? Asia? The US typically spends between as much or slightly more of its GDP on funding infrastructure vs what either the EU or Eurozone do. European spending on infrastructure has been mediocre for decades. 2017 "Europe’s spending on infrastructure at ‘chronic’ low level ... Spending at 20-year low threatens region’s prosperity, EIB report warns" https://www.ft.com/content/51524ab4-cf77-11e7-9dbb-291a884dd8c6 https://www.ft.com/content/51524ab4-cf77-11e7-9dbb-291a884dd... 2017 "Germany’s low investment rate leaves its infrastructure creaking ... The country with Europe’s strongest economy faces potholed roads and crumbling schools" https://www.economist.com/europe/2017/06/17/germanys-low-investment-rate-leaves-its-infrastructure-creaking https://www.economist.com/europe/2017/06/17/germanys-low-inv... https://www.cpr-am.fr/institutionals/Local-content/Actualites-Presse-Recompenses/Decoding-The-European-infrastructure-plan https://www.cpr-am.fr/institutionals/Local-content/Actualite... 2014 "EU Infrastructure Cutbacks Worry Economists" https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-infrastructure-cutbacks-worry-economists-1405886120 https://www.wsj.com/articles/eu-infrastructure-cutbacks-worr...

gibolt 5y ago
Spending doesn't equal spending efficiency. It also doesn't account for added costs due to age of infra/retrofitting vs new infrastructure. I have no point to make, other than direct comparison misses a lot of nuance.