Background-Shoe-2110 t1_j3wn0gt wrote on January 11, 2023 at 4:05 PM

Actually, (speaking in the know here...) It's because VT has a "Investor Owned Utility (IOU)" that runs the electricity (a public good). (i.e. GMP exec compensation packages, a rotating door on the Public Utility Commission for past industry execs, and public officials, a subsidized "efficiency fund"... it goes on an on) Anyways, there are plenty of research papers on the performance of state IoU electricity models. And it becomes clear very quickly how the small state has blurred the lines on private vs public, and is one of the last IoUs standing. One result is "un-burried power lines" because, "it is too expensive" (we'd have to cut our CEO compensation and earnings per share).

stillwaters23 t1_j3xko5e wrote on January 11, 2023 at 7:29 PM

California has that too though.

Background-Shoe-2110 t1_j41bb1b wrote on January 12, 2023 at 2:21 PM

indeed.. and there are other states.. which brings up rich context discussions... but the point is there are undoubtedly ways to better insulate the public good from corporate appetite in monopolistic Vt, and the PUC is just not up to it. https://www.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=ffa0b6dce36249c78369a27f541af97c

CA has many more IOUs so one, say PG&E does not dominate legislature.

btw, PG&E w/ 67,000 sq. miles, 5.5M electricity customers & 4.5M Natgas customers, Over 20,000 employees, and serious annual disasters... VT / GMP is 150 employees.

PG&E CEO 2021 annual salar = $1.3M (ignore stock comp, etc) : and GMP CEO 2019 annual pay was $1.4M when she retired.

When PUCs, or towns, mandate IOUs to bury the power lines for safety, it gets done. Unfortunately, GMP effectively writes their own legislation.

Convince me I am wrong.

stillwaters23 t1_j41cb13 wrote on January 12, 2023 at 2:28 PM

Out of curiosity, what do folks in VT pay for power? In CA I’m at around 25 cents off peak up to about 60 cents per kWh peak. Every time PG&E gets asked to do something, they do it, and raise our rates accordingly.

Background-Shoe-2110 t1_j41lf7v wrote on January 12, 2023 at 3:30 PM

not that adaptive a pay rate here. Generally we pay around $.21 /kWh.. but there are many many add ons, efficiency charges, etc.. so in teh end, the effective rate cab be about twice that.

also, your net metering is like $.35 for feed in (though may change)... ours is nonesense.. a kWh credit with a $.03 add on. ..