tech

Google ups ante, nearly doubles bet on renewable energy

4 Comments
By MICHAEL LIEDTKE

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4 Comments
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Good on Google, especially if this reduces to any degree the demand for hydrocarbons.

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Paranoid much? Many governments are strapped for cash. So, why not have private companies fill the gaps?

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Look. Paranoia is a diagnosis, not an insult. Are you a doctor? No. Didn't think so. So that is just ad hominem. That needs to be rejected. By the way, this matter does not affect me as it does Jeff, and most readers here. I am approaching it as a purely academic matter. I am... ahead of the curve... you might say.

It seems clear to me that Jeff does not understand the problem. Governments strapped for cash? That makes no sense. We are talking about utilities here and large companies. My thesis is that large companies are able to REDUCE their reliance on public grids to the detriment of grid users. Please refute that, sir.

I will grant that Japan is doing a much better job with energy policy than most countries, but if you look at your electricity bill, you will see that you are paying probably a 3--5% surcharge for people who are installing solar on their rooftops. That money goes to support the feed in tariff system, and the grid. Larger companies, which also happen to be larger customers, will install renewable energy within or without the feed in tariff system. Either way, the result will be that YOU will pay a higher amount for electricity. It might be more than 20% over what you are paying now. Large corporations will pay less and less to support the grid.

This can be an example of "disruptive" technologies, which people seem to enjoy, until they figure out that they have to foot the bill for the huge inefficiencies they entail. Jeff seems ready to ignore that and pay the price. How about everyone else?

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It is unbelievable that something like this could be controversial, but it is, and this kind of thing, if left unchecked, can split society in half.

Anybody paying attention? Google/Alphabet, Apple, Walmart, Toyota.... all of these large companies are setting up their own power generation facilities or contracting with companies buy cheap power, or less-taxed power, or less-regulated power, etc. That forces utilities, and you, and me... well not me really.... but you other schmucks... to pay higher rates and have a smaller base of utility consumers to work with. In effect, the PUBLIC infrastructure is shrinking and getting older, more decrepit, and more expensive, while the PRIVATE infrastructure is new, untaxed, and entirely unregulated. Deregulation, which is happening quickly now, is going to make this worse. Some people will be getting electrical power essentially for free, and others will be paying double what they pay now.

The green agenda will push forward at full steam until someone figures out that a lot of what is going on is making rich people richer, and sticking poor people, taxpayers, utility users, and developing countries with a hefty bill. But hey, you know, let's all protest against nuclear plants even though we have to pay to keep them running and decommission them eventually. It is all for a good cause, right?

Well, there you go. You won't read that perspective anywhere anytime soon. Only here in JapanToday comments. Submitted for your approval.

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