| This is a fascinating story on whether building power lines out of the state is good for Montana or not.
Some of this is that we really did all sorts of stupid by deregulating and selling off some of the biggest assets in the state, meaning that our rates went up and Montanans aren't making the profits from jacked up rates.
The flip side is, as someone concerned about global warming, I'm not clear how we really use Montana's wind and solar potential to make a significant dent in fossil fuel usage without building out the grid. And wind and solar can generate, at least, some royalties for land owners in affected areas.
But what does that mean for in-state rates? Good question. They might very well go up. Without the grid, Montana also can't take advantage of innovations that may lower prices nationally.
My gut, honestly, is that once deregulated, we might as well build out the technology that makes all the effects real.
Bleh. Tell me why I'm wrong. |
