power to the internet

Fri Dec 27 00:21:42 UTC 2019

On 12/26/19 4:06 PM, John Levine wrote:
> In article <c0c79349-2a6c-4874-b4d9-8013532687c8 at mtcc.com> you write:
>>> run but are now showing their long term consequences, notably land use
>>> that encourages sprawl and construction in ill-suited areas
>> If we stopped construction in all of the ill-suited areas, we'd stop
>> construction all together, and tear down much more. We have it all here:
>> earthquakes, floods, fires; often the trifecta.  We could certainly be
>> smarter, but the nature of the geography here is both a blessing and a
>> curse.
> Among California's many problems is a bizarre terror of upzoning and
> infill construction, hence the sprawl.  Here in my rustic bit of
> upstate New York you can build a two-family anywhere you can build a
> single family and the world has not come to an end.

NIMBYism. My previous state senator (Scott Wiener) has been trying all 
he can to make headway on that front. But NIMBY's are a strong force and 
don't cleave down party lines whatsoever.

>
>> PG&E is especially egregious as it has extremely high rates and
>> piss-poor maintenance. Where does all of that money go? Execs and
>> shareholders.
> Evidently not since they've been through bankruptcy a few times.  I
> think they're just institutionally incompetent as well as having an
> unusually environmentally hostile territory to serve.  (Around here when
> the power company screws up, the power fails but the county does not
> catch fire.)
Well that was true here until about 10-20 years ago too. Fire seasons 
are about 2 months longer, iirc. From beginning of May into first part 
of December. We almost never had fires in June but now they're fairly 
common. That's true for a lot of western US now.
>
>> I don't know what the ultimate solution is, but
>> whatever it is cannot have those perverse incentives.
> The LA DWP seems to do OK.

As does Sacramento's SMUD. Part of the problem is that they are just so 
large. San Jose and SF are thinking very seriously about splitting off. 
Which would probably create yet another death spiral for PG&E because it 
would leave all of the expensive distribution (= out in the boonies, 
etc) and allow cities to cherry pick the cheaper distribution areas when 
it makes sense. The entire thing is a shitshow.

Mike