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Easy-to-use solar panels are coming, but utilities are trying to delay them (www.npr.org)
submitted 8 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 51 points 8 months ago (9 children)

If your business is critical for modern human living, it should be non-profit. It should be guided by the best management plan of the time, debated and approved by the majority of shareholders. It should open its books and stay open.

Really, it should be government.

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  • [–] 22 points 8 months ago (4 children)

    May I introduce you to the concept of 'natural monopoly'.

    Basically most natural monopolies (power, phone lines, roads etc) in most places were historically run by governments (because it's bloody sensible) until the neoliberal movement in the 80s privatized them because 'private enterprise is more efficient' (at extracting tax dollars as it turned out) and to balance a few budgets.

    Should definitely be ruled a failed experiment and rolled back.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    Hold on! You're telling me every common utility is run by corpos in America? I thought it was limited to only telecom.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    The "natural monopoly" of electrical power is only on the distribution, not the generation of that power. It is reasonable for various generators to compete against each other to meet grid demand.

    You should be able to push power back onto the grid. You should not be limited only to taking it off the grid. If you can put more on than you remove, you should be compensated for your generation at the market rate.

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  • [–] 20 points 8 months ago*

    My power company is a co-op. They have long term contracts with various providers, so my power bill doesn't fluctuate much on short term news.

    At the end of every year, we get a dividend check in the mail for any excess profit.

    Pretty sure all utilities should work that way.

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  • [–] -1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

    Are you saying that electrical power should only be provided by government entities?

    Should you be allowed to plug in a solar panel and provide power back to the grid?

    Are you a government entity?

    If you think you should be allowed to backfeed your own meter, you are calling for the grid to be operated as some sort of market. A regulated market, sure. But a market nonetheless.

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