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Are you saying you think it would be a good idea to deregulate the infrastructure surrounding utilities? As in, you believe it would be beneficial to let privat

Are you saying you think it would be a good idea to deregulate the infrastructure surrounding utilities? As in, you believe it would be beneficial to let private parties setup their own high-voltage transmission lines and power networks and allow them to interface with the larger grid system, without strong oversight?

vel0city 3y ago
Generally I don't think that's necessarily a good idea. It's hard for there to be real competition in transmission markets, so trying to apply free market principles to an inherently monopolistic market is probably not going to yield good results. Maybe for a narrow part like connecting HVDC lines between the hubs, but traditional transmission lines and actual lines to consumers should definitely be well regulated utilities. There aren't multiple sewer lines or multiple water lines running to my house, and it doesn't make sense for there to be multiple power lines to my house. Plus, those transmission companies are probably going to have a lot of eminient domain which I'm not a huge fan of the government using eminent domain to benefit a small slice of private corporations which theoretically operate in a "free market" and less refulated. I'm overall more accepting of eminent domain for a regulated utility compared to a far less regulated free market corporation. I'm just acknowledging that such organizations tend to move a lot slower, and it's those slow movements that are leading to the bottlenecks of attachments. But theoretically one could push those utilities to be faster at doing so and allowing them to better position themselves financially to respond to these market forces faster. But if they're going to have to come up with billions today that they have not already budgeted for, it's hard to convince them to expand rapidly when their payoff is in decades.
- Eisenstein 3y ago
  Thanks for clarifying your position. I think I am a bit more informed now after having read it. Though I may not agree with the broad notion that Texas has of 'deregulation' (having lived in California through the Enron debacle), especially as that term is used dogmatically, I can't honestly say that I am knowledgeable enough about the specifics to make more than a broad critique. Unfortunately your politicians are doing you no favors amongst the critics with their rhetoric.
  - vel0city 3y ago
    It's definitely a complicated system that the vast majority of people don't really interface with or understand. I don't completely blame people for not immediately understanding it, but I do get frustrated with the massive amount of misinformation which gets spread by journalists which spread FUD about it (see: TFA). I do agree about the politicians. I'm no fan of a lot of those clowns. I'm pretty happy to see Ken Paxton finally having his crimes tried. Not everyone in Texas is a nutcase, 44% voted for an anti-gun candidate against Abbot. Imagine if the D's ran someone who never directly said they'd take away guns, they might actually win some at large state elections. And yeah, as someone who understands what Enron did they really did California dirty. Deregulation doesn't have to look like that. Free market principles can do good things, when you actually have safe and efficient free markets. Watts are Watts, if we do it right they can be pretty dang fungible.
    - Eisenstein 3y ago
      I'd love to have someone to converse with outside of the 'echo chambers' that we tend to end up in who can present their points with clarity, while eschewing emotional appeals and ideological escape hatches. If this sounds appealing feel free to send me a message on reddit (same username) and we can continue this conversation. HN is not conducive to long form discussions.

vel0city 3y ago

Generally I don't think that's necessarily a good idea. It's hard for there to be real competition in transmission markets, so trying to apply free market principles to an inherently monopolistic market is probably not going to yield good results. Maybe for a narrow part like connecting HVDC lines between the hubs, but traditional transmission lines and actual lines to consumers should definitely be well regulated utilities. There aren't multiple sewer lines or multiple water lines running to my house, and it doesn't make sense for there to be multiple power lines to my house. Plus, those transmission companies are probably going to have a lot of eminient domain which I'm not a huge fan of the government using eminent domain to benefit a small slice of private corporations which theoretically operate in a "free market" and less refulated. I'm overall more accepting of eminent domain for a regulated utility compared to a far less regulated free market corporation. I'm just acknowledging that such organizations tend to move a lot slower, and it's those slow movements that are leading to the bottlenecks of attachments. But theoretically one could push those utilities to be faster at doing so and allowing them to better position themselves financially to respond to these market forces faster. But if they're going to have to come up with billions today that they have not already budgeted for, it's hard to convince them to expand rapidly when their payoff is in decades.

Eisenstein 3y ago
Thanks for clarifying your position. I think I am a bit more informed now after having read it. Though I may not agree with the broad notion that Texas has of 'deregulation' (having lived in California through the Enron debacle), especially as that term is used dogmatically, I can't honestly say that I am knowledgeable enough about the specifics to make more than a broad critique. Unfortunately your politicians are doing you no favors amongst the critics with their rhetoric.
- vel0city 3y ago
  It's definitely a complicated system that the vast majority of people don't really interface with or understand. I don't completely blame people for not immediately understanding it, but I do get frustrated with the massive amount of misinformation which gets spread by journalists which spread FUD about it (see: TFA). I do agree about the politicians. I'm no fan of a lot of those clowns. I'm pretty happy to see Ken Paxton finally having his crimes tried. Not everyone in Texas is a nutcase, 44% voted for an anti-gun candidate against Abbot. Imagine if the D's ran someone who never directly said they'd take away guns, they might actually win some at large state elections. And yeah, as someone who understands what Enron did they really did California dirty. Deregulation doesn't have to look like that. Free market principles can do good things, when you actually have safe and efficient free markets. Watts are Watts, if we do it right they can be pretty dang fungible.
  - Eisenstein 3y ago
    I'd love to have someone to converse with outside of the 'echo chambers' that we tend to end up in who can present their points with clarity, while eschewing emotional appeals and ideological escape hatches. If this sounds appealing feel free to send me a message on reddit (same username) and we can continue this conversation. HN is not conducive to long form discussions.