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Ryan Bailey · 05-07-2008, 19:16 PM

Thanks for these excellent tips. Unfortunately the problem is Communism and the loss of free markets in power.

Not only do most utility companies have government enforced monopolies, in many places solar panels, wind mills, hydro-electric power and other alternatives are actually illegal or otherwise restricted.

For our international friends this is the US not the USSR that I'm writing about, much to my dismay.

I also should point out that due to the government-industrial bureacracy that sets utility rates in most of the country there's nothing that can be done to "lower rates" at the individual level since you are actually paying not only for your grid extraction but for the aggregate debt service of the utility company. This is particularly true if your utility company is obligated in coupons or bonds. In this way each household is liable for a percentage of the utility company's overhead & debt service, like it or not.

In this way the green movement lightens the burdens on the utility monopolies who have no motivation whatsoever to lower rates. Instead of investing in lower energy usage I recommend investment in Independence.

This brief overview is a rough look at how some utilities operate their grids. Does anyone here have differences or more specific information on such details in their neighbourhoods ?

As you might notice this is a great argument against Communism.

05-07-2008, 19:16 PM	#13 (permalink)
Ryan Bailey *Military Professional* Join Date: 09-25-07 Location: Megalopolis, US Posts: 140 Country:	Thanks for these excellent tips. Unfortunately the problem is Communism and the loss of free markets in power. Not only do most utility companies have government enforced monopolies, in many places solar panels, wind mills, hydro-electric power and other alternatives are actually illegal or otherwise restricted. For our international friends this is the US not the USSR that I'm writing about, much to my dismay. I also should point out that due to the government-industrial bureacracy that sets utility rates in most of the country there's nothing that can be done to "lower rates" at the individual level since you are actually paying not only for your grid extraction but for the aggregate debt service of the utility company. This is particularly true if your utility company is obligated in coupons or bonds. In this way each household is liable for a percentage of the utility company's overhead & debt service, like it or not. In this way the green movement lightens the burdens on the utility monopolies who have no motivation whatsoever to lower rates. Instead of investing in lower energy usage I recommend investment in Independence. This brief overview is a rough look at how some utilities operate their grids. Does anyone here have differences or more specific information on such details in their neighbourhoods ? As you might notice this is a great argument against Communism. __________________ "If we will not be governed by God then we will be ruled by tyrants" -William Penn Last edited by Ryan Bailey : 05-07-2008 at 19:18 PM.