Actually, I think it's correct. public utility companies (telephone, electricity, water, etc.) are guaranteed their profit. In return, they accept supervision by a public utility commission. The commission sets the rate and the profit, which allows the company to offer shares and dividends to investors. If all of us were to cut our energy use substantially, the public energy companies would indeed petition to increase the rates, and this would be given to them.
There are other reasons why energy efficiency doesn't really matter to them. What's more prestigious and rewarding for a major career: build a new zigawatt powerplant or handing out broshures on how to lower a light bill? Energy conservation is good, but it's seen in the same bucket as do-good civic morals.
We all know perfectly well that the USA should get off oil, but it ain't gonna happen: the oil companies protect their profits by sabotaging any political movement to reduce the use of oil.
yrs, andreas www.andreas.com----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Paul" <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 8:50 PM Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Energy efficiency
Utility companies hate energy efficiency. It reduces their income. If enough people cut back on their use of energy, the companies will up your rates so that their income doesn't drop. Either way, the consumer loses. It's the American way!This is a thoughtless remark. My son works for Pacificorp, a very large energy company with headquarters in Portland. His job consists entirely in showing Pacificorp customers—both commercial and residential, but mostly commercial—how to conserve, and to reduce their energy use. He travels frequently to nearby states served by the company. Why does Pacificorp want its customers to conserve? Capitalism with a twist: if a company can't afford to pay the cost of the energy needed to keep on doing what it's doing (let alone expand) it will reduce its operations, outsource them, or go out of business. Pacificorp wants its customers to stay in business and to buy their energy from them.Robert Paul, typing by candlelight ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
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