A one-way market

Idiot / Savant

Idiot/Savant is an anonymous blogger living in exile.  He blogs about human rights, international affairs, and politics from a left - liberal perspective. Check out his blog

Fears of winter electricity shortages are growing, meaning that ordinary residential users will soon face a campaign to get us to switch off in the name of "conservation". They have to call it that, because if they told us that it was really in the name of higher profits for generators (who can sell every joule we hedged residentials don't use to someone else for much more money) and major electricity users (who will benefit from lower spot prices), then we would rightly tell them to fuck off (or pay us, which amounts to the same thing).

But that's not all: the government is also planning to spend $40 million subsidising the Whirinaki power plant, allowing it to sell its electricity to the market at a loss, thus artificially lowering spot prices. That's a direct transfer from the taxpayer to the (mostly foreign) shareholders of our largest, greediest users (I'll leave the sanity of subsidising usage during a shortage to speak for itself).

So, when times are good, those major electricity users pay significantly lower prices due to the market. When times are bad, the government bails them out with our money, while telling us to shiver in the dark. This game is rigged. So why do we put up with it?

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  • Chris says
    We put up with it cos we are as a nation too fucking apathetic to get off our asses to take a stand.

    Its much easier to bitch and moan about energy prices and how hard life is cos of it.. than tell the goverment to shove a pylon up there jacksies.

    Why does it matter.. Global warming will stop winter.. wont it?

    I'm selling my skis and beachouse now.. cos the sea level rise will fuck my bach.. and the heats gonna screw the ski season.

    But at least I can feel secure that the pesticides wont get me.. I'm enjoing a lunch of organic bacon and eggs. $45 but I wont die....

    I was talking to my mate in Irag on Sunday. As he was dodging the suicide bombers and extreamists he told me he is really worried for his family about climate change.

    I said I know. This climate change is a new thing. Before man discovered oil. The world temperature was the same every day. We have fucked the world.

    Leave your lights on.. as we only have a few years left anyway.. dont we?

    Reply
  • Al says
    This is the exact reason I bought a generator for home, this is not some third world country, as a consumer I am going to use all the power i need.
    Reply

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