Deregulation of the electricity industry is a slow-moving disaster. Connecticut has deregulated the generation side of electricity, and a number of independent power producers have sprung up to build plants like the one where the explosion was. Those plants don't have anything like the regulatory oversight of traditional utilities, and they don't have the years of experience. They offer lower rates to high-demand industrial plants, which are the cheapest customers to serve, leaving the traditional utilities with residential customers. Your residential rates have been subsidized by more profitable customers for years.

Deregulation of the electricity industry is a slow-moving disaster.

Plus when California deregulated, Enron set up fake brownouts so they could jack up their prices.

Plus when California deregulated, Enron set up fake brownouts so they could jack up their prices.

Yeah, I'm still kinda punch-in-the-face angry about that one.

I've moved from doing my self-evaluation to writing reviews for other people.

I'm probably not allowed to say "I like V. On sunny days, he rides a really cool motorcycle, and on rainy days he drives a very shiny muscle car", am I?

Plus when California deregulated, Enron set up fake brownouts so they could jack up their prices.

Did they fail? Because utilities are so much cheaper here than the East Coast.

I was so furious with Enron and the other companies involved in that I could hardly see straight, in part because I worked so long at a utility that, while it certainly had many faults, was working for the welfare of Georgia. A regulated utility only prospers if its service area prospers. It's easy to screw California if you work for a giant company in Texas.

This has both an awesome headline and an awesome picture!

Angry Norwegians in scuba gear chase after Google Street View car

megan, you weren't here for the brown-out and super high PG&E bills period. It sucked.

I think the goal of having consumer choice of an energy provider is a good one. Having the right regulatory structure for that is the trick. I have to admit I haven't studied the issue to see how it's worked out in the various states that are trying it, though there's not a single model appropriate for every state. If it came up as a ballot issue here, I'd have to feel really good about the model to vote for it even though I think the goal is a good one.

Edit: Clearly the way it was done in CA wasn't the right way.

Angry Norwegians in scuba gear chase after Google Street View car

Angry or drunk?