If you can read this, don't thank Dubya.

[athelind]

The Deregulation Scam and the Biggest Blackout in History

What? Spend money on proper equipment maintenance? That's perfectly good money that could be going to our CEOs!

Comments

[pathia.livejournal.com]

There's a slight problem with blaming it on deregulation.

The power grid was not deregulated, it is still wholly government controlled, all improvements, new construction must pass through the government.

Which part failed?

The power grid.

(Note, I'm not saying they're innocent either, Ken Lay should be in jail. It's just, it's a CF and there's no one person to blame, some may share more burden than others though)

BZZZT! Wrong answer.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

From the reading I've done, the utilities were responsible for the upkeep of the power lines.

The government may be responsible for APPROVING construction and improvements, but they can't DICTATE them. If the power companies don't submit anything for approval, then nothing gets done.

Re: BZZZT! Wrong answer.

[pathia.livejournal.com]

They gave up on submitting anything decades ago because everything single anything they ever wanted to do has been shot down due to NIMBY.

Re: BZZZT! Wrong answer.

[pathia.livejournal.com]

Ontop of this, there is no economic incentive. Prices are still controlled by the government, thus the power companies are unable to fund any improvements, because any rate raises are proclaimed to be price gouging and then are promptly forced by the government to reverse their prices, then undoing any funding of improvements.

They have to get the money from somewhere, they have no incentive to make money, because if they ever do make too much money, the government forces them to cut rates before they can do anything with it. Any overhaul of the power grid is going to cost _billions_. It's not something a company can cough up in seconds, very little of the uber corps are like M$ with hoardes of cash in the banks.

[hydra-velsen.livejournal.com]

I'm not gonna point fingers. I just want it fixed so we arent so completely vulnerable. That's just a recipe for invasion or terrorism when the other guys see what a gaping weak spot we have.

[chrissawyer.livejournal.com]

Between all that, and the election fraud stuff, and just the general "get all you can while you can" attitude that exists in Government, we are so heading toward banana republic status.

You guys wanna move to Norway? :)