Do you know the Only State to Bring Everyone Power From a Public Grid

[ivwshane]

This was news to me. Could more populous states do the same?

http://truth-out.org/news/item/2883...te-to-bring-everyone-power-from-a-public-grid

In Nebraska, 121 publicly owned utilities, ten cooperatives, and 30 public power districts provide electricity to a population of around 1.8 million people. Public and cooperative ownership keeps costs low for the state's consumers. Nebraskans pay one of the lowest rates for electricity in the nation and revenues are reinvested in infrastructure to ensure reliable and cheap service for years to come.

Regularly scheduled meetings of power boards and councils are open to public involvement and comment. Should they so wish, every Nebraskan has the opportunity to become involved in the decisionmaking of their local electricity provider.

One such example relates to the increasing use and proliferation of renewable energy facilities. While the state remains heavily reliant on coal and nuclear sources to provide low-cost energy to consumers, interest in renewable energy—primarily wind—has taken off in recent years. In 2003, electricity consumers, many of whom drove more than 100 miles for the event, participated in an eight-hour deliberative polling survey for the Nebraska Public Power District (NPDD)—a public corporation owned by the state of Nebraska that supplies energy to 600,000 people via local, publicly owned utilities and cooperatives.

Here are rates by states:

http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_5_6_a

 

[JEDIYoda]

seems very "static" to me...

 

[norseamd]

State utilities are something I have been promoting for some years now since they are basic necessities and not conspicuous consumption.

 

[sMiLeYz]

*Everyone* knows that private companies are WAAAY more efficient and cheaper than these public utilities.

Are you a commie?

 

[DrPizza]

*Everyone* knows that private companies are WAAAY more efficient and cheaper than these public utilities.

Are you a commie?

My sister had a public utility provider for electric in some town near Rochester, NY. Her rates were a fraction of what I pay. A small fraction. Like the decimal place is moved over one.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Disconnect their tie to the national (east coast) grid and see how well they do.

They also produce quite a bit of power from coal and we know where that's heading.


http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NE

 

[Matt1970]

My sister had a public utility provider for electric in some town near Rochester, NY. Her rates were a fraction of what I pay. A small fraction. Like the decimal place is moved over one.

I assume you are on National Grid like I am. The way it was explained to me was National Grid has to purchase a good chunk of their power off other suppliers at a set rate. The state regulates that. There is a little town right down the road that produces a lot more power than they can use, so they sell the rest to national grid and pass those savings on to their customers. Their rates are somewhere around 3.5 cents per kilowatt-hour.

 

[ivwshane]

Disconnect their tie to the national (east coast) grid and see how well they do.

They also produce quite a bit of power from coal and we know where that's heading.


http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NE

A smart energy policy is one that doesn't rely on one source, is it surprising for you to know that they get their energy from multiple sources including, nuclear and wind?

 

[DCal430]

What is funny is here electricity is done through a municipal district, but water is completely controlled by private companies. The local government here doesn't provide water nor does it have anything to do with who gets it.

 

[OverVolt]

Has more to do with Nebraska not being a bastion of corruption like Chicago or NYC than anything else.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

A smart energy policy is one that doesn't rely on one source, is it surprising for you to know that they get their energy from multiple sources including, nuclear and wind?

I know more about the US electrical grid/power plants than you'll ever know as I have been involved with many genset installations and upgrades over the last 25 years.

 

[CPA]

I prefer choice. Thank you Texas.

BTW, OP, I'm not sure what your point is with this thread. Per your link, Nebraska doesn't have the lowest rates, Nebraskans have no choice other than cast a vote, and as Londo states, Nebraskans, just like any other state, are limited based on what the Federal government deems is worthy of being used for electricity production. Coal is on it's way out. Nuclear is at a standstill. Natural Gas prices are still relatively low, but all states enjoy that.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I know more about the US electrical grid/power plants than you'll ever know as I have been involved with many genset installations and upgrades over the last 25 years.

Thank You for making our lives that much richer, by sharing your vast amount of knowledge with us!!

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Thank You for making our lives that much richer, by sharing your vast amount of knowledge with us!!

And did it without using a hate filled wall of text too.

 

[DCal430]

Private electric companies are terrified of municipalization, a few years ago the county near us tried to use immanent domain to seize the private electric companies assets in the county. The bonds used required voter approval, and the private company spent tens of millions to defeat it.

 

[ivwshane]

I know more about the US electrical grid/power plants than you'll ever know as I have been involved with many genset installations and upgrades over the last 25 years.

Were you responding to my post or just telling us a fact that no one cares about?

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Were you responding to my post or just telling us a fact that no one cares about?

I was replying to your smart ass know it all reply concerning other sources of power. If you actually looked at the link it showed all the different sources of power feeding the grid, coal power being 65%.

 

[ivwshane]

I prefer choice. Thank you Texas.

BTW, OP, I'm not sure what your point is with this thread. Per your link, Nebraska doesn't have the lowest rates, Nebraskans have no choice other than cast a vote, and as Londo states, Nebraskans, just like any other state, are limited based on what the Federal government deems is worthy of being used for electricity production. Coal is on it's way out. Nuclear is at a standstill. Natural Gas prices are still relatively low, but all states enjoy that.

You are right, they don't have the lowest but they are pretty low are they not? Did you read the part about how the money that pays for the electricity also pays for other things like infrastructure and education?

The point was, you can have a publicly ran utility and still have public input and that input pushes for new, better, and a smarter energy policy than one would get with a private system or the normal government sanctioned monopoly.

The question was, which no one has tried answering, was can this be done in more states, as in, what are the downsides?

 

[ivwshane]

I was replying to your smart ass know it all reply concerning other sources of power. If you actually looked at the link it showed all the different sources of power feeding the grid, coal power being 65%.

And? 65% and shrinking doesn't equal 100% now does it? So exactly what about my statement do you have a problem with? Or are you doing your usual trolling?

 

[Londo_Jowo]

So what are they going to do when the coal plants are either pushed offline or have to spend multi-millions to met EPA standards? Do you not think those costs will be passed on to the end users or will the state take the losses?

 

[DCal430]

In California areas with municipal power on average have around 20 to 30% cheaper electricity than area with private power. Not only that but areas with public power have greener electric production, and rely less on pollutive power productions such as coal.

Municipal power is both greener and cheaper.

 

[norseamd]

government sanctioned monopoly

This is the de facto standard for America and you get the worst of both pure private and pure government type control of utilities. And not sure many "private advocates" seem to care about that. All in all it is nothing about privatization of the economy and society and everything to do with only profits and as has been shown around the world capitalism believes that private organizations and businesses do not have any right to provide services for free even if they are only using their own money and resources especially if they are conflicting with other organizations and businesses seeking to exploit profits out of any situation.

 

[ivwshane]

So what are they going to do when the coal plants are either pushed offline or have to spend multi-millions to met EPA standards? Do you not think those costs will be passed on to the end users or will the state take the losses?

I'd imagine they'd be doing what every other coal plant in America would be doing when that happens. The only thing they'd be doing different is investing in alternative energy and that's exactly what they are doing. Like I said, smart energy policy is not putting all your eggs in one basket and that's exactly what they are doing and I see this as a direct result of their energy being publicly ran with a the public having a vested interest in current and future plans.

What's the down side?

 

[ivwshane]

This is the de facto standard for America and you get the worst of both pure private and pure government type control of utilities. And not sure many "private advocates" seem to care about that. All in all it is nothing about privatization of the economy and society and everything to do with only profits and as has been shown around the world capitalism believes that private organizations and businesses do not have any right to provide services for free even if they are only using their own money and resources especially if they are conflicting with other organizations and businesses seeking to exploit profits out of any situation.

I don't think it's the worst but it's certainly not the best. What do you think the ideal setup should be ?

 

[K1052]

So what are they going to do when the coal plants are either pushed offline or have to spend multi-millions to met EPA standards? Do you not think those costs will be passed on to the end users or will the state take the losses?

The underlying argument in the case for old coal plants not to be withdrawn from service is that their power is "cheap". Considering their effects on health and the environment it is demonstrably anything but...the cost just isn't up front.