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The last paragraph isn't about cost, and I think is quite important: > “I think the United States is heading for a very catastrophic situation in terms of reli
by abeppu 3y ago
The last paragraph isn't about cost, and I think is quite important:
> “I think the United States is heading for a very catastrophic situation in terms of reliability,” said Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioner Mark Christie during a May 4 Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. “The core of the problem is actually very simple. We are retiring dispatchable generating resources at a pace and in an amount that is far too fast and far too great and is threatening our ability to keep the lights on.”
In California, we're on track to move to a new electricity pricing scheme, one major goal of which is to make the marginal cost of electricity cheaper (by moving a lot of costs to a fixed-rate fee to be connected to the grid), with the idea that lower marginal costs will encourage everyone to use more electricity, convert appliances to electric, switch to EVs etc. But we _already_ get warnings to not use our AC too much during peak hours in heat waves. It's not obvious that the grid will handle everyone trying to electrify everything. The pace at which we add capacity and demand need to be at least somewhat in sync. Combine this with intentional power shutoffs to reduce wildfire risks, and just accidental outages (tree branches etc), and I think it's fair to ask whether "basic" services will be less reliable.
- gaptoothclan 3y agoI use AC because I am hot, electricity for AC generates CO2 as a bi product, everyone gets hotter?
- AJ007 3y agoThe financials of electric utilities don't make sense to me. Most of them (like PG&E) have been massively cash flow negative over the past 10-20 years. They issues shares and debt to, literally and figuratively, keep the lights on. For PG&E, they emerged from bankruptcy with even more debt and outstanding shares than they entered in with. Margins exist on paper but it isn't clear what that really means. From an infrastructure standpoint the US is clearly we are a very long way (many trillions of dollars) from a grid that will support a fleet of passenger EVs.
- downrightmike 3y agoYes, public goods should not be run by private interests. They are a service and a cost, both get cut by private interests trying to make a buck and shirking their responsibility. Power is no different than roads, almost all are public goods and supported like that. If you want your own road, you can. Shit like Enron and PG&E fires shouldn't have been possible, but private interests buy off governments.
- landemva 3y agoGovernment owned roads are not necessary. I live in a town with roads that appear typical yet each property lot line meets, so the 'roads' are reciprocal easements to all other property owners. The town maintains the 'roads' so they look consistent, but the people have control and ownership. It's great, and there are zero parking issues on the 'roads' - just call towing company because it's private property. > shouldn't have been possible And Silicon Valley Bank shouldn't have been allowed to chase yield by going into long term Treasury debt creating a redemption glitch. But the regulator Federal Reserve allowed it and allowed mark-to-maturity accounting. Many industry regulators are captured by the industry.
- Obscurity4340 3y agoHow does that work in terms of DWI laws usually applying to public roads rather than private?
- landemva 3y ago> a grid that will support a fleet of passenger EVs. A neighbor got a Tesla last year. Some months later he got a green transformer in the yard from electric company. He told me he paid a small portion of that cost. Now I'm paying part of electric infrastructure cost so my neighbor can charge at high speed. People should pay for their own toys instead of spreading the costs to other rate payers.