listener--re renewable power in California, there is another BIG factor in California that seems to go almost universally unremarked. WAAAAY back during Jerry Brown's first governorship, California was faced with an impending need for another big nuclear power plant, followed by several more. This was back before the deregulators messed things up so bad, and the big private electrical utilities (there are two or three plus some municipal ones) were regulated monopolies, and their profits went up the more electricity they sold--so energy efficiency was their enemy. I don't recall the details, but profits and energy production were decoupled, so the electrical companies would be rewarded for increasing efficiency throughout their systems--generation, distribution and use. They could, if they played their cards right, make more money while producing less electricity. Household and appliances energy efficiency standards were also put into place. I remember the right-wing punditocracy going on and on about how Californians were going to freeze in the dark. It didn't work out that way...our GDP is exceeded only by the US, China, Japan and Germany, and our per capita electricity use is comparable to western Europe--far less than the rest of the US. I don't think any other state has decoupled profits and production as we have, but I think all of them ought to. But boy, the deregulation fanatics sure did a job on us; our great grandparents knew what they were doing when they made electric companies regulated monopolies.
Alan
P.S.: Thanks for the kudos, puddle; we have a select crew all around.
" our great grandparents knew what they were doing when they made electric companies regulated monopolies." Speaking from Illinois, I *strongly* disagree. I believe there are major advantages in being able to choose which of a score or so of companies will supply the electricity I use. Including several that supply only renewable energy.
This is quite different from what California called "deregulation," of course. IIRC, in California it was the distribution utility, not the consumer, that chose the electric supply company.
Hallo! 🌻 Mah*Sweetie and I are on vacation June 28th thru July 4th, celebrating our 43rd Anniversary 🕯💙💙🕯, gardening 🌿, maybe checking out a few museums 🏛, taking on a few projects 🔨, maybe a theatre production 🎭, moseying 🍭, muddling along ☕️, sleeping in 😴 and generally doing very little slowly 😎. I will not be doing social media 💻, but will post photos afterward. 📷 The photos out front will change as usual! 👍 I hope you all have a gentle week! 🌹
listener--re renewable power in California, there is another BIG factor in California that seems to go almost universally unremarked. WAAAAY back during Jerry Brown's first governorship, California was faced with an impending need for another big nuclear power plant, followed by several more. This was back before the deregulators messed things up so bad, and the big private electrical utilities (there are two or three plus some municipal ones) were regulated monopolies, and their profits went up the more electricity they sold--so energy efficiency was their enemy. I don't recall the details, but profits and energy production were decoupled, so the electrical companies would be rewarded for increasing efficiency throughout their systems--generation, distribution and use. They could, if they played their cards right, make more money while producing less electricity. Household and appliances energy efficiency standards were also put into place. I remember the right-wing punditocracy going on and on about how Californians were going to freeze in the dark. It didn't work out that way...our GDP is exceeded only by the US, China, Japan and Germany, and our per capita electricity use is comparable to western Europe--far less than the rest of the US. I don't think any other state has decoupled profits and production as we have, but I think all of them ought to. But boy, the deregulation fanatics sure did a job on us; our great grandparents knew what they were doing when they made electric companies regulated monopolies.
ReplyDeleteAlan
P.S.: Thanks for the kudos, puddle; we have a select crew all around.
P.S.: None of those big nuclear power plants were built--we were spared at least four of them.
Delete--Alan
" our great grandparents knew what they were doing when they made electric companies regulated monopolies." Speaking from Illinois, I *strongly* disagree. I believe there are major advantages in being able to choose which of a score or so of companies will supply the electricity I use. Including several that supply only renewable energy.
DeleteThis is quite different from what California called "deregulation," of course. IIRC, in California it was the distribution utility, not the consumer, that chose the electric supply company.
DeleteHallo! 🌻 Mah*Sweetie and I are on vacation June 28th thru July 4th, celebrating our 43rd Anniversary 🕯💙💙🕯, gardening 🌿, maybe checking out a few museums 🏛, taking on a few projects 🔨, maybe a theatre production 🎭, moseying 🍭, muddling along ☕️, sleeping in 😴 and generally doing very little slowly 😎. I will not be doing social media 💻, but will post photos afterward. 📷 The photos out front will change as usual! 👍 I hope you all have a gentle week! 🌹
ReplyDelete