One of the best people i know, @gruberte.bsky.social came on this podcast to talk about the work she is doing with two of the other best people i know, @jmijin.bsky.social and @jlappen1.bsky.social.
One big takeaway for me is this...
Today on Volts: for the next few decades, we'll be in the "mid-transition," with clean energy systems growing as FF systems decline. Those FF systems will not decline smoothly -- there will be thresholds, "cliffs," where they suddenly crumble -- so maybe we should, I dunno, plan for it?
Great article from Benjy Sachs on the fight for public power and the strategy from below in Hudson Valley with @sarahana.bsky.social representing @mhvdsa.bsky.social and her community in the legislature!
Features @lucyhoch.bsky.social of @publicgrids.org & Winston Yau of @cplusc.bsky.social!
Of course - read our report here: climateandcommunity.org/research/end...
But it also gives working people the ability to pose the question: who are we building and owning the grid for?
Anyway: read the article here heatmap.news/energy/hudso...
With data center demand, along with home, industry and transportation electrification coming - the question of who should pay for it is certainly top of mind for folks, and public power offers an immediate lower cost alternative to it.
What's also clear is just how much smarter and strategic this new wave of public power movement is getting - folks are learning from one another, and really focusing on what *democratic* control looks like beyond being just a state-held asset or administrative authority. @sevier.io @publicgrids.org
They are right to think so - the fact that private utilities get such a high guarantee rate of return should really be read as a profit guarantee. The public deserves better, and essential services like electricity should not be tethered to the profit motive.
Indeed - in our report, organizers like @lucyhoch.bsky.social found costs were a huge issue in motivating support for the Maine initiative even before the new political salience of affordability
As Sandeep puts it in the piece - public power even when not nationwide, functions as a 'birch rod' to motivate still private utilities to offer better and cheaper services
Electric utilities are all the rage right now, because of costs, decarb needs and new demand, but I see many energy wonks often conflate ownership and regulatory structure with what constitutes a public utility, and how much publicly owned utilities can lower costs.
Benjy Sachs from Heatmap News had a great piece out yesterday about how the #public #power fight in Mid-Hudson Valley is learning from the experiences of the Public Power referendum in Maine, citing our @cplusc.bsky.social report in November (and a small quote from yours truly)!
During last night's SOTU, we heard that Dems and the "Green New Scam" are making working people's lives worse. But Trump's plans and promises are *actually* what's making life more expensive and more dangerous. Here are three reasons why:👇
"Green New Scam":The right blames the GND for everything from immigration to trade as an excuse to go all in on FFs, which will keep polluting the planet and destabilizing the economy. An agenda that tackles affordability and climate can win: climatecommunityinstitute.substack.com/p/affordabil...
"Ratepayer Pledge": Trump admitted that the US grid can't power data centers as is, so they'll bring their own energy. But an uncoordinated, market-based approach makes people pay higher utility bills for private benefit: dataforclimateprogress.substack.com/cp/177588181
If the left doesn't adopt online sports gambling, online sports gambling will be entirely defined by the right.
I really need the energy community here to grow up out of the YIMBY/NIMBY frame
LinkedIn Bluesky cross posting?!
Diva down!!!!!!!
Woofff
Also whey protein tastes horrible?!
Are u super swole now
At the same time what can we build to advance that authority towards that if a national grid for many reasons may not be on the agenda tmr?
There is obv a gaping hole in that idea, which is ‘obligation to serve’ (which is itself under contention), but also lack of any central coordinating authority who can deny access to power based on social utility + ensure the load doesn’t just go to the nearest territory - a national grid, if u will
If access to power is the biggest obstacle to a data center going online and thus further ballooning of the bubble, shouldn’t enviros and big greens who hate AI see the choke point there instead of just asks for ratepayer protections/use RE?
it feels like even the most aggressive proposals against AI are just some variation of 'if a data center [hires union/uses renewables/does specific accomodatory thing], we will let them carry on their project of destroying the world'
Should I organize a tenants union in my bourgeois apartment building
You can get a 'light' case of measles with minor symptoms, and then 7 to 11 years later, your brain can swell up for no reason and you will die because there's no cure. OR! You can develop a Parkinsons-like neurological disorder and die slower over 1-3 years while your brain just.. fails.
Operation condor type stuff
Hahahaa
