After 111 years, SF finally moving to oust PG&E and create a public-power system | Hacker News Reader

After 111 years, SF finally moving to oust PG&E and create a public-power system

48hills.org

29 pointsmikhael13 comments

I'll take any opportunity to rant positively about how great living in Chattanooga, Tennessee is: our local city-owned electric board provides (up to, customer's choice) 20gbps synchronous fiber optic to every single address it delivers power.

The reason coporations pay so much money fighting against electric co-ops (and unionized labor) is because it costs more money to offer better services — it's WORTH IT.

Congrats, SF, for finally escaping the clutches of Pacific Gas & Electric.

We don't have full Internet, but Massena, NY also has some amazingly cheap power rates and one of the highest reliability rates in the state if not the nation thanks to public power.

Less than 4 cents a kWh a month.

https://www.massenaelectric.com/residential

A good read: https://nysfocus.com/2023/06/21/public-power-utility-massena...

Don't forget the Tennessee Valley Authority.

TVA's CEO is the highest-compensated federal employee (by a significant margin) and it's because his position is worth it! We are grateful, every day, for the miracle of hydro and nuclear electric.

Yeah, the current line from the PG&E shills is that the rate hikes are justified because rural (and green) power is so expensive. It just beggars belief that anyone can say that with a straight face.

Considering how SF manages other stuff, where is the optimism coming from that they will manage this well? Genuine question.

Seems like the first prima facie good idea in a while, I'm wondering how they will screw it up.

SF is probably the second worst managed organization I interact with on a daily basis.

PGE is the worst.

Building a dam in Yosemite National Park sounds like it will be unpopular

The dam already exists. It was built in the Hetch Hetchy Valley, completed in 1934.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hetch_Hetchy

I believe it also supplies most of the water to the area?

Yep. And it's run by the SF PUC.

And it’s pretty popular.

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