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A comment on PG&E claims no connection between rate increases and $2.2B jump in earnings. Parent comment

Re:PG&E claims no connection between rate increases and $2.2... by janalsncm on Monday March 04, 2024 @01:10AM (#39587484)
Power grid operators are basically a textbook example of a natural monopoly. In other words, it wouldn’t make sense to have multiple companies running power lines to houses. This isn’t like a coffee shop where it makes sense for there to be multiple in the same neighborhood competing on price.
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Re:PG&E claims no connection between rate increases and $2.2... by whatshisface on Monday March 04, 2024 @01:25AM (#39587577)
It would make sense to have public wires built the same way as roads, and private power companies that I pay to put power into the grid, that compensate for the power I draw out. If the natural monopoly is the wires, so be it, but there's no natural monopoly on solar farms.
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Re:PG&E claims no connection between rate increases and $2.2... by janalsncm on Monday March 04, 2024 @03:05PM (#39595286)
If we’re going to have a public road system I don’t see why the grid should be privatized. Why should the grid be run at a profit but roads be run at cost? Is PG&E really doing a much better job as a private company?
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Re:PG&E claims no connection between rate increases and $2.2... by jononor on Wednesday March 06, 2024 @08:03AM (#39615505)
The government can require that the lines must be available for rent to other power providers. Such that consumers can pick provider independently of whom builds or maintain the lines.
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