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The 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 iss

by AJ007 3y ago

The 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 ago
Yes, 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 ago
  Government 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 ago
    How 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.

by AJ007 3y ago

downrightmike 3y ago

Yes, 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 ago
Government 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 ago
  How 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.