Podcasts about public power

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Best podcasts about public power

Latest podcast episodes about public power

Macro Musings with David Beckworth
Peter Conti-Brown and Sean Vanatta on the History of Bank Supervision in America

Macro Musings with David Beckworth

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2025 63:28


 Peter Conti-Brown is a historian and legal scholar of the Federal Reserve System, and an associate professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Sean Vanatta is a senior lecturer in financial history and policy at the University of Glasgow. Peter and Sean join the show to discuss their new book titled: Private Finance, Public Power: A History of Bank Supervision in America, as well as how powerlifting can be analogized in macroeconomics, and the implications of Trump v. Wilcox. Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links. Recorded on May 27th, 2025 Subscribe to David's Substack: Macroeconomic Policy Nexus Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our Macro Musings merch! Subscribe to David's new BTS YouTube Channel  Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:02 - Powerlifting 00:06:17 - Trump v. Wilcox 00:12:27 - Private Finance, Public Power 00:15:18 - Supervision vs. Regulation 00:22:52 - Banking in the Early Republic 00:36:10 - Consolidation of Regulators 00:41:06 - Focus of the Fed 00:45:00 - The Great Depression 00:56:10 - When to Let a Bank Fail 01:02:47 - Outro

Public Power Now
APPA Blueprint Provides Elective Pay Guidance to Public Power Utilities Across a Number of Areas

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 21:07


In the latest episode of Public Power Now, John Godfrey, Senior Government Relations Director at APPA, discusses APPA's newly released Elective Pay Blueprint for Public Power, which provides guidance to public power utilities that are considering the development of projects relying on elective payment of energy tax credits. Among other things, he provides details on guidance the blueprint provides to public power utilities in a number of areas.

Public Power Now
MMEA Executive Director Katie Abraham Details Key Findings from Report on Benefits of Public Power

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 30:51


In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Katie Abraham, Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal Electric Association, discusses key findings included in a recently released report that details the positive impact of public power utilities in the state. She also describes the services that MMEA provides to its member utilities and details how MMEA is helping its members to successfully meet challenges. This episode of Public Power Now is sponsored by the Energy Authority.

TID Water & Power Podcast
Public Power in the West

TID Water & Power Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 74:52


On Episode 47 of the TID Water & Power Podcast we're joined by Northwest Public Power Association CEO and Executive Director, Kurt Miller, to discuss public power.  Much like the region TID serves, the communities served by community-owned utilities rely on lower rates, reliable service, and continued investment in their community. And these utilities – especially across the west – face more and more challenges to provide reliable and affordable service. However, organizations like the NWPPA are working hard to advocate for these public power utilities and their communities. On this episode we discuss the importance and value of public power and how NWPPA is advocating for its members.Let's get social! Facebook: @TurlockIDInstagram: @TurlockIDTwitter: @TurlockIDLinkedIn: /company/turlockid Find out more about TID at https://www.TID.org/podcast.

Public Power Now
Earning APPA Reliable Public Power Provider Program Designation Offers Many Benefits

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 9:04


In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Ji Yoon Lee, Manager, Research and Development at APPA, details how APPA members benefit from receiving an APPA Reliable Public Power Provider program designation.This episode of Public Power Now is sponsored by the Energy Authority.

Coming From Left Field (Video)
“What's Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis” with Malcolm Harris

Coming From Left Field (Video)

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 58:19


In this podcast, our guest is Malcolm Harris, the author of the national bestseller “Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World,” a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.  Today we discuss his latest book, “What's Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis,” an ambitious work that explores political strategy, alliances, and antagonisms necessary to confront existential threats like climate change and societal collapse. It critiques capitalism's role in these crises and proposes three strategic paths for a viable future: Market Craft, Public Power, and Communism.  Climate crisis demands rapid action and Harris rejects defeatism.  He offers hope that the left must organize across differences and confront the systemic obstacles built into our politics and economic system that support the status quo rather than change. In What's Left, Malcolm Harris cuts through the noise and gets real about our remaining options for saving the world.   Order the book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/malcolm-harris/whats-left/9780316577434 Website: malcolmharris.substack.com Twitter: @BigMeanInternet For those in Philadelphia, a holistic nonsectarian events calendar for the Philly Left. Book events and film screenings, organizing meetings and skill shares: https://philacal.com Greg's Blog: http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/  Pat's Substack: https://patcummings.substack.com/about   Malcolm Harris#Philacal#Kids These Days#Shit is Fucked Up and Bullshit#Santa Cruz#Philidephia#planetary crisis#public power#Verso Books#What's Left#Whats Left#Global Warming#Market Craft#Communism#Greta Thunberg#Pat Cummings#Greg Godels#ZZ Blog#Podcast#Coming FromLeftField#Coming From Left Field#zzblog#mltoday

Brownfield Ag News
Supporting Nebraska's Agricultural Economic Development through Public Power

Brownfield Ag News

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 4:00


Nebraska is consistently ranked among the top five agricultural-producing states in the nation. NPPD and its public power utilities are supporting agricultural economic development across the Cornhusker State. Learn more about NPPD's efforts in this episode.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Public Power Now
Benefits of Participating in APPA's Leadership Essentials Certificate Program Detailed by Public Power Officials

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 14:30


In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Halley Roberson, City Manager for the City of Beloit, Kansas, Amy Adamy, Public Relations and Marketing Manager for Michigan public power utility Lansing Board of Water & Light, and Ursula Schryver, Senior Vice President for Education, Training, and Events at APPA, discuss the Leadership Essentials Certificate Program including the benefits of participating in the program.

Volts
What's going on with public power in New York?

Volts

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 61:02


In this episode, I talk with Patrick Robbins of Public Power NY and Johanna Bozuwa of the Climate and Community Institute about New York's groundbreaking Build Public Renewables Act, which empowers the state's public utility to build clean energy at scale. We explore how this surprising legislative victory happened, the challenges of implementation, and why public ownership might be the key to making renewable energy both politically resilient and economically accessible. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

new york climate public power build public renewables act community institute
The Majority Report with Sam Seder
2408 - ‘Greening' Public Power; NYC Congestion Pricing Begins w/ Sandeep Vaheesan, Hayden Clarkin

The Majority Report with Sam Seder

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2025 81:30


It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! She speaks with Sandeep Vaheesan, legal director at the Open Markets Institute, to discuss his recent book Democracy In Power: A History of Electrification in the United States. Then, she speaks with Hayden Clarkin, also known as the Transit Guy on Twitter, to discuss the recent implementation of congestion pricing in New York City. Follow Sandeep on Twitter here: https://x.com/sandeepvaheesan Check out Sandeep's book here: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/D/bo238463843.html Follow Hayden on Twitter here: https://x.com/the_transit_guy Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Follow us on TikTok here!: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here!: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here!: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here!: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase! Check out today's sponsors: Liquid IV: Embrace your ritual with extraordinary hydration from Liquid I.V. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid I.V. when you go to https://LiquidIV.com and use code MAJORITYREP at checkout. That's 20% off your first order when you shop better hydration today using promo code MAJORITYREP at https://LiquidIV.com. Delete Me: Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for DeleteMe. Now at a special discount for our listeners.  Today get 20% off your DeleteMe plan by texting MAJORITY to 64000. That's MAJORITY to 64000.  Message and data rates may apply. See terms for details. Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech @BradKAlsop Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/

Beyond the Daf - Hadran
Public Power vs. Private Rights: Debating Parashat HaMelech - Gefet with Shalhevet Schwartz

Beyond the Daf - Hadran

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2025 20:57


Gefet- Gemara, Perushim, and Tosafot, an in-depth Iyun gemara shiur Rav and Shmuel debate whether the passage in Sefer Shmuel known as “parashat hamelech” really outlines the rights of a Jewish king or whether its purpose was something else entirely. What kind of authority does the Torah grant to a leader of Am Yisrael? What is the relationship between his public authority and his private rights? Join us as we see several views among the rishonim on the Torah's vision for political authority. Gefet Ep 98 for Sanhedrin 20 Gefet with Rabbanit Yael Shimoni and Shalhevet Schwartz is in collaboration with Yeshivat Drisha. Learn more on ⁠hadran.org.il

Local Energy Rules
Unions and Public Power NY Organize for Public Renewables – Episode 223 of Local Energy Rules

Local Energy Rules

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 47:52


Public Power Now
Steve Wright Details How Career as Public Power Leader Informed Decision to Write Book on Public Service

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 10:34


In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Steve Wright, who retired as General Manager of Washington State's Chelan County PUD in 2022, discussed his new book, “Inspired Public Service: A Guide to Building Pride, Purpose, and Democracy.”  Among other things, he details his career in public power and discusses how his roles as a leader in the public power community informed your decision to write this book.

Public Power Now
Kaukauna Utilities Commission President Lee Meyerhofer Discusses Role of Public Power Governing Board Members

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 18:49


In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Kaukauna Utilities Commission President Lee Meyerhofer details what he thinks is valuable for public power governing board members to do to support their communities and discusses what steps public power utility leaders can take to help utility board members be effective in their roles. He was elected in July to chair the American Public Power Association's Policy Makers Council.

Local Energy Rules
Public Power on the Ballot in Florida — Episode 221 of Local Energy Rules

Local Energy Rules

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2024 35:25


Public Power Now
Transformation of Princeton Public Power Utilities Spurred by Operational Efficiency, Transparency and Community Outreach

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 18:08


In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Keith Butcher, General Manager of Minnesota public power utility Princeton Public Utilities, provides an update on the utility's electric capital improvements plan and details how the utility has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last five years by placing a strong emphasis on operational efficiency, transparency and community outreach.

WJFF - The Local Edition
Monday, June 3, 2024 - NY Focus: Public Power Push Spreads to the Hudson Valley – Scams Targeting Seniors

WJFF - The Local Edition

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 30:11


Community News and Interviews for the Catskills & Northeast Pennsylvania

WJFF - The Local Edition
Tuesday, May 28, 2024 - NY FOCUS: Public Power Push Spreads to the Hudson Valley

WJFF - The Local Edition

Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2024 30:11


Community News and Interviews for the Catskills & Northeast Pennsylvania

Disaster Tough Podcast
Emergency Preparedness Specialist Jake Babb - Omaha Public Power District

Disaster Tough Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2024 32:57


Listen, Watch, & Support DTP: www.thereadinesslab.com/dtp-links Boost the Signal with a $5 monthly donation!   Become a TRL Insider Member with a ton of extra content! #emergencymanagement #disastertough #leadership #emergencyservices In disaster readiness and response, experience may be the most necessary, but also unfortunate attribute needed. This week's guest in the Disaster Tough Podcast, Jake Babb has recently lived this reality.As the Senior Emergency Preparedness Specialist for Omaha Public Power, Jake was responsible for ensuring safety and business continuity during the recent tornadoes in the area. In this episode, Jake shares the best practices that the Omaha Public Power District has learned for dealing with the various weather and disaster events that the state sees. He also shares how his perspective on disaster readiness and mitigations has evolved over the years as he has transitioned from the military to the local power district. Major Endorsements: L3Harris's BeOn PPT App.    Learn more about this amazing product here: www.l3harris.com  Impulse: Bleeding Control Kits by professionals for professionals:  www.dobermanemg.com/impulse Doberman Emergency Management Group provides subject matter experts in planning and training: www.dobermanemg.com

Public Power Now
Amy Zubaly Details How FMEA and Florida Public Power Utilities are Preparing for Hurricane Season

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 15:41


In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Amy Zubaly, Executive Director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association, discusses the upcoming hurricane season and details how FMEA and public power utilities in Florida are preparing for the 2024 hurricane season.

Public Power Now
Benefits Flowing from APPA Smart Energy Provider Designation Detailed by Public Power Utility Officials

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2024 16:06


In the latest episode of Public Power Now, Kyle Holmberg, Communications and Energy Programs Analyst at Middleborough Gas and Electric Department, and Sonja Britland, Sustainability and Commercial Development Manager at Taunton Municipal Lighting Plant, detail the benefits that flow to utilities that receive APPA's Smart Energy Provider designation. They also discuss the projects and activities that the two Massachusetts public power utilities have pursued to earn the Smart Energy Provider designation.

In Our Time
The Hanseatic League

In Our Time

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2024 49:01


Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Hanseatic League or Hansa which dominated North European trade in the medieval period. With a trading network that stretched from Iceland to Novgorod via London and Bruges, these German-speaking Hansa merchants benefitted from tax exemptions and monopolies. Over time, the Hansa became immensely influential as rulers felt the need to treat it well. Kings and princes sometimes relied on loans from the Hansa to finance their wars and an embargo by the Hansa could lead to famine. Eventually, though, the Hansa went into decline with the rise in the nation state's power, greater competition from other merchants and the development of trade across the Atlantic. WithJustyna Wubs-Mrozewicz Associate Professor of Medieval History at the University of AmsterdamGeorg Christ Senior Lecturer in Medieval and Early Modern History at the University of ManchesterAnd Sheilagh Ogilvie Chichele Professor of Economic History at All Souls College, University of OxfordProducer: Victoria BrignellReading list: James S. Amelang and Siegfried Beer, Public Power in Europe: Studies in Historical Transformations (Plus-Pisa University Press, 2006), especially `Trade and Politics in the Medieval Baltic: English Merchants and England's Relations to the Hanseatic League 1370–1437`Nicholas R. Amor, Late Medieval Ipswich: Trade and Industry (Boydell & Brewer, 2011)B. Ayers, The German Ocean: Medieval Europe around the North Sea (Equinox, 2016)H. Brand and P. Brood, The German Hanse in Past & Present Europe: A medieval league as a model for modern interregional cooperation? (Castel International Publishers, 2007)Wendy R. Childs, The Trade and Shipping of Hull, 1300-1500 (East Yorkshire Local History Society, 1990)Alexander Cowan, Hanseatic League: Oxford Bibliographies (Oxford University Press, 2010)Philippe Dollinger, The German Hansa (Macmillan, 1970)John D. Fudge, Cargoes, Embargoes and Emissaries: The Commercial and Political Interaction of England and the German Hanse, 1450-1510 (University of Toronto Press, 1995)Donald J. Harreld, A Companion to the Hanseatic League (Brill, 2015)T.H. Lloyd, England and the German Hanse, 1157 – 1611: A Study of their Trade and Commercial Diplomacy (first published 1991; Cambridge University Press, 2002)Giampiero Nigro (ed.), Maritime networks as a factor in European integration (Fondazione Istituto Internazionale Di Storia Economica “F. Datini” Prato, University of Firenze, 2019), especially ‘Maritime Networks and Premodern Conflict Management on Multiple Levels. The Example of Danzig and the Giese Family' by Justyna Wubs-Mrozewicz Sheilagh Ogilvie, Institutions and European Trade: Merchant Guilds, 1000-1800 (Cambridge University Press, 2011)Paul Richards (ed.), Six Essays in Hanseatic History (Poppyland Publishing, 2017)Paul Richards, King's Lynn and The German Hanse 1250-1550: A Study in Anglo-German Medieval Trade and Politics (Poppyland Publishing, 2022)Stephen H. Rigby, The Overseas Trade of Boston, 1279-1548 (Böhlau Verlag, 2023)Justyna Wubs-Mrozewicz and Stuart Jenks (eds.), The Hanse in Medieval & Early Modern Europe (Brill, 2012) Justyna Wubs-Mrozewicz, ‘The late medieval and early modern Hanse as an institution of conflict management' (Continuity and Change 32/1, Cambridge University Press, 2017)

In Our Time: History
The Hanseatic League

In Our Time: History

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2024 49:01


Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Hanseatic League or Hansa which dominated North European trade in the medieval period. With a trading network that stretched from Iceland to Novgorod via London and Bruges, these German-speaking Hansa merchants benefitted from tax exemptions and monopolies. Over time, the Hansa became immensely influential as rulers felt the need to treat it well. Kings and princes sometimes relied on loans from the Hansa to finance their wars and an embargo by the Hansa could lead to famine. Eventually, though, the Hansa went into decline with the rise in the nation state's power, greater competition from other merchants and the development of trade across the Atlantic. WithJustyna Wubs-Mrozewicz Associate Professor of Medieval History at the University of AmsterdamGeorg Christ Senior Lecturer in Medieval and Early Modern History at the University of ManchesterAnd Sheilagh Ogilvie Chichele Professor of Economic History at All Souls College, University of OxfordProducer: Victoria BrignellReading list: James S. Amelang and Siegfried Beer, Public Power in Europe: Studies in Historical Transformations (Plus-Pisa University Press, 2006), especially `Trade and Politics in the Medieval Baltic: English Merchants and England's Relations to the Hanseatic League 1370–1437`Nicholas R. Amor, Late Medieval Ipswich: Trade and Industry (Boydell & Brewer, 2011)B. Ayers, The German Ocean: Medieval Europe around the North Sea (Equinox, 2016)H. Brand and P. Brood, The German Hanse in Past & Present Europe: A medieval league as a model for modern interregional cooperation? (Castel International Publishers, 2007)Wendy R. Childs, The Trade and Shipping of Hull, 1300-1500 (East Yorkshire Local History Society, 1990)Alexander Cowan, Hanseatic League: Oxford Bibliographies (Oxford University Press, 2010)Philippe Dollinger, The German Hansa (Macmillan, 1970)John D. Fudge, Cargoes, Embargoes and Emissaries: The Commercial and Political Interaction of England and the German Hanse, 1450-1510 (University of Toronto Press, 1995)Donald J. Harreld, A Companion to the Hanseatic League (Brill, 2015)T.H. Lloyd, England and the German Hanse, 1157 – 1611: A Study of their Trade and Commercial Diplomacy (first published 1991; Cambridge University Press, 2002)Giampiero Nigro (ed.), Maritime networks as a factor in European integration (Fondazione Istituto Internazionale Di Storia Economica “F. Datini” Prato, University of Firenze, 2019), especially ‘Maritime Networks and Premodern Conflict Management on Multiple Levels. The Example of Danzig and the Giese Family' by Justyna Wubs-Mrozewicz Sheilagh Ogilvie, Institutions and European Trade: Merchant Guilds, 1000-1800 (Cambridge University Press, 2011)Paul Richards (ed.), Six Essays in Hanseatic History (Poppyland Publishing, 2017)Paul Richards, King's Lynn and The German Hanse 1250-1550: A Study in Anglo-German Medieval Trade and Politics (Poppyland Publishing, 2022)Stephen H. Rigby, The Overseas Trade of Boston, 1279-1548 (Böhlau Verlag, 2023)Justyna Wubs-Mrozewicz and Stuart Jenks (eds.), The Hanse in Medieval & Early Modern Europe (Brill, 2012) Justyna Wubs-Mrozewicz, ‘The late medieval and early modern Hanse as an institution of conflict management' (Continuity and Change 32/1, Cambridge University Press, 2017)

Hudson Mohawk Magazine
Need For More Climate Action, Environmental Spending At State Budget Hearings (Part 2)

Hudson Mohawk Magazine

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2024 9:54


The state budget hearing on the Environment on Wednesday February 7 started at 9:30 AM and lasted to the midnight hour. Hudson Mohawk Magazine has compiled the testimony of a number of the state's leading climate activists. While praising the Governor for including major parts of the NY Heat Act, there were calls for much faster action on climate as extreme weather continues to explode globally. Making Polluters Pay, converting the Capitol to 100% Renewable Energy, Public Power, and getting the State Comptroller to Divest from Exxon and other fossil fuel companies were citied. In the second part of a two-part program, we hear from Laurie Wheeler of the Public Utility Law Project and a new member of the Board of Trustees of the NY Power Authority; myself, Mark Dunlea, of the Green Education and Legal Fund; and Liz Moran of Earth Justice. For Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Hudson Mohawk Magazine
Need For More Climate Action, Environmental Spending At State Budget Hearings (Part 1)

Hudson Mohawk Magazine

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2024 9:57


The state budget hearing on the Environment on Wednesday February 7 lasted to the midnight hour. Hudson Mohawk Magazine has compiled the testimony of a number of the state's leading climate activists. While praising the Governor for including major parts of the NY Heat Act, there were calls for much faster action on climate as extreme weather continues to explode globally. Making Polluters Pay, converting the Capitol to 100% Renewable Energy, Public Power, and getting the State Comptroller to Divest from Exxon and other fossil fuel companies were cited. In the first of a two-part program, we hear from teenage Keanu Arpels-Josiah with Fridays for the Future NYC, who said young people often asked Are We Going to Die; Stephan Edel of NY Renews; and, Michael Hernandez of Rewiring America.

C19
Public power production

C19

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2024 13:27


New York lawmakers introduced a bill that would allow LIPA to become a public utility. Federal dollars will help improve rail speeds on the Northeast Corridor. Stamford schools face backlash after removing two holidays from their calendar. And Governor Hochul looks to increase New York's temporary disability leave benefit.

Revolutions Per Minute - Radio from the New York City Democratic Socialists of America
The Struggle for Public Power: Lessons from Maine DSA

Revolutions Per Minute - Radio from the New York City Democratic Socialists of America

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2024 53:42


2023 was the hottest year on record and for many people across the country being able to afford  their utility bills to cool or heat their homes during the more extreme temperatures caused by climate change is becoming a possibly deadly challenge. Last year, Maine DSA was part of a statewide coalition called Pine Tree Power that attempted to take over the two largest corporate utilities in the state through a ballot measure in November. They didn't win. But here on Revolutions Per Minute we are just as interested in talking about losses as we are victories. Tonight, we'll go to Maine and talk with Aarron and Dwight about the struggles of organizing in a rural state and the lessons they learned from their Public Power campaign. We'll also check in with Chen from the New York City EcoSocialist Working Group for an update on the state of renewable energy development in New York (spoiler alert: the private market is in shambles) and what comes next for implementing the Build Public Renewables Act. Follow Maine DSA and our guests at @DSA_Maine, @bioleera, and @dwobbsy.Follow New York City EcoSocialist Working Group at @NYCDSA_Ecosoc

Public Power Now
Public Power Utility Officials Detail Benefits of Participating in Key APPA Programs

Public Power Now

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2023 67:50


This episode of Public Power Now features a recent APPA webinar that details how APPA members can benefit from participating in three Association programs: the Demonstration of Energy & Efficiency Developments program, the Reliable Public Power Provider program and the Smart Energy Provider program. The webinar includes public power officials who detail how their utilities have engaged with these programs and the benefits that have flowed from the programs.

Factor This!
This Week in Cleantech (11/10/23) — 'Motown' for EVs, wind turbine tech, and public power's setback

Factor This!

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2023 16:26


This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less.This week's episode features The Hill energy and environment reporter Zack Budryks for a deeper look at Maine's public power referendum. This Week in Cleantech  — Nov. 10, 2023This week's Cleantecher of the Week is Karl Shinn, the Site GM at Soluna's Project Dorothy. Karl has led Soluna's operations team in the company's flagship green data center, which is helping set the foundation for renewable energy's future. Project Dorothy has already used and monetized over 4,000 GWh of green energy that would otherwise have been wasted through curtailment. Congratulations to Karl Shinn, our Cleantecher of the Week. 1. Can America's south-east unseat Detroit as ‘Motown' of the EV age? — Financial Times2. This wind turbine looks like nothing you've ever seen before — Fast Company3. Who Will Pay For All the Carbon Removal? — WSJ Climate and Energy Newsletter4. How the fossil-fuel lobby weaponized Julia Child's gas stove — Vox5. Mainers vote down ballot measure to create consumer-owned utility — The HillWatch the full video on YouTubeHelp make This Week in Cleantech the best it can be. Send feedback and story recommendations to ThisWeekInCleantech@tigercomm.us. And don't forget to leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts.Register for the GridTECH Connect Forum - Southeast event taking place in Orlando on Feb. 26 using promo code "PODCAST" to receive 10%. Take advantage of this unique opportunity for developers, utilities, and regulators to collaborate on the critical issue of interconnection. All GridTECH Connect attendees also receive complimentary access to DISTRIBUTECH International.

The Electric Wire
MEUW Celebrates with Public Power on Parade at the State Capitol

The Electric Wire

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2023 52:43


As the Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin, or MEUW, celebrated its 95th birthday on October 18, 2023, the organization brought municipal utility leaders from across the state to the State Capitol to share the benefits of public power in their communities. The celebration culminated with a parade around the Capitol Square, with 81 utility bucket trucks showing their public power pride. This podcast episode features several short interviews conducted on-site during MEUW's day at the Capitol; a quick look at some of the communities represented in the public power bucket truck parade; and, the episode concludes with a sit-down interview with Richard Heinemann, a long-time energy attorney at Boardman Clark representing municipal utilities. **Energy nerds will not want to miss the long-form interview with Richard Heinemann starting at 15:30!** Episode Special Guests • Tim Heinrich, President and CEO, Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin • Jill Weiss, Utilities Director, Stoughton Utilities • George Morrissey, Director of Public Works, Cuba City • Richard Heinemann, Attorney, Boardman & Clark LLP Links from Episode October 2023 Issue of Live Lines Newsletter (MEUW Celebrates 95th Anniversary) https://www.meuw.org//Files/Live%20Lines/2023%20October%20Live%20Lines.pdf Map of Municipal Electric Utilities in Wisconsin https://www.meuw.org/map Electric Wire, Episode 29 - Rooted in Community: Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00s1H5MNYN0&t=592s Key Moments 1:35 – Interview with Tim Heinrich (MEUW) begins 6:19 – Interview with Jill Weiss (Stoughton Utilities) begins 9:00 – Public Power on Parade at the Capitol (about 3 mins 30 seconds) 12:48 -- Interview with George Morrissey (Cuba City) begins 15:30 – Interview with Richard Heinemann (Boardman Clark) begins 19:00 – Founding of municipal utilities/service territories 23:30 – Regulatory issues specific to municipal utilities 30:00 – “Pancaking”(or, stacking) of transmission rates 32:36 – Municipal utility regulation at the local level 36:15 – What is a joint action agency? 41:26 – How are municipal utilities funded? 43:25 – Is it possible to become a public power community today? 48:58 – Richard's “All the Power” answer

Alles auf Aktien
Wiederauferstehung der Pleite-Griechen und lukrative Langeweile

Alles auf Aktien

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2023 20:48


In der heutigen Folge „Alles auf Aktien“ sprechen die Finanzjournalisten Philipp Vetter und Holger Zschäpitz über Flasche leer bei Tomra, Oktas Hacker-Problem und gute Zeiten für Krypto-Anleger. Außerdem geht es um Eurobank, National Bank of Greece, Piräus und Alpha Bank, Hellenic Telecom, Public Power, Mytilineos, Opap, Jumbo, Motor Oil (Hellas) Corinth Refineries, GEK Terna Holding Real Estate, Hellas Opportunities Fund (WKN: A1WZH5), Lyxor MSCI Greece ETF (WKN: LYX0BF), Equity-Greek Equities Fund (WKN: A1W4F3), BASF, Volkswagen, Coca Cola, LVMH, Nvidia, Tesla, Novo Nordisk, Apple, Shell, Microsoft, Nike, iShares Core MSCI World (WKN: A0RPWH), Xtrackers MSCI World Information Technology (WKN: A113FM), Vanguard FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield (WKN: A1T8FV), Xtrackers MSCI World (WKN: A1XB5U), Vanguard FTSE All-World (WKN: A1JX52), UBS MSCI World Socially Responsible (WKN: A1JA1R), iShares Global Clean Energy (WKN: A0MW0M), Amundi MSCI New Energy ESG Screened (WKN: LYX0CB). Wir freuen uns an Feedback über aaa@welt.de. Ab sofort gibt es noch mehr "Alles auf Aktien" bei WELTplus und Apple Podcasts – inklusive aller Artikel der Hosts und AAA-Newsletter. Hier bei WELT: https://www.welt.de/podcasts/alles-auf-aktien/plus247399208/Boersen-Podcast-AAA-Bonus-Folgen-Jede-Woche-noch-mehr-Antworten-auf-Eure-Boersen-Fragen.html. Mit dabei auch der in dieser Folge erwähnte WELTplus-Artikel von Daniel Eckert: https://www.welt.de/finanzen/verbraucher/plus248108400/Systematischer-Vermoegensaufbau-Diese-ETFs-machen-Sie-reich.html Und von Holger Zschäpitz alles über griechische Fonds und Aktien: https://www.welt.de/finanzen/plus248160472/14-Prozent-und-mehr-Diese-diesen-Aktien-profitieren-Sie-vom-neuen-Boersen-Star.html Disclaimer: Die im Podcast besprochenen Aktien und Fonds stellen keine spezifischen Kauf- oder Anlage-Empfehlungen dar. Die Moderatoren und der Verlag haften nicht für etwaige Verluste, die aufgrund der Umsetzung der Gedanken oder Ideen entstehen. Hörtipps: Für alle, die noch mehr wissen wollen: Holger Zschäpitz können Sie jede Woche im Finanz- und Wirtschaftspodcast "Deffner&Zschäpitz" hören. Außerdem bei WELT: Im werktäglichen Podcast „Kick-off Politik - Das bringt der Tag“ geben wir Ihnen im Gespräch mit WELT-Experten die wichtigsten Hintergrundinformationen zu einem politischen Top-Thema des Tages. Mehr auf welt.de/kickoff und überall, wo es Podcasts gibt. +++ Werbung +++ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? [**Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte!**](https://linktr.ee/alles_auf_aktien) Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutz: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html

Grace Church of the Bay Area
Public Prayer, Public Power, Part 2

Grace Church of the Bay Area

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2023 54:00


4 Reasons to Pray Evangelistic Prayers--1. The Singularity of God, v. 5-2. The Salvation of God, v. 6-3. The Sharing of God, v. 7-4. The Sanctification of God, v. 8

Grace Church of the Bay Area
Public Prayer, Public Power, Part 2

Grace Church of the Bay Area

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2023 54:00


4 Reasons to Pray Evangelistic Prayers--1. The Singularity of God, v. 5-2. The Salvation of God, v. 6-3. The Sharing of God, v. 7-4. The Sanctification of God, v. 8

Grace Church of the Bay Area
Public Prayer, Public Power, Part 2

Grace Church of the Bay Area

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2023 54:31


4 Reasons to Pray Evangelistic Prayers1. The Singularity of God, v. 52. The Salvation of God, v. 63. The Sharing of God, v. 74. The Sanctification of God, v. 8

This Day in Maine
October 16, 2023: What public power in Nebraska can teach us about Question 3 in Maine; More blue crabs are showing up in the Gulf of Maine

This Day in Maine

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 16:26


This Day in Maine for Monday, October 16th, 2023.

Grace Church of the Bay Area
Public Prayer, Public Power

Grace Church of the Bay Area

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 54:00


4 Instructions for Public Prayer--1. Public Prayer is to be Supreme, v. 1a-2. Public Prayer is to be Sweeping, vv. 1b-2a-3. Public Prayer is to be Strategic, v. 2b-4. Public Prayer is to be Salvific, vv. 3-4

Grace Church of the Bay Area
Public Prayer, Public Power

Grace Church of the Bay Area

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2023 54:00


4 Instructions for Public Prayer--1. Public Prayer is to be Supreme, v. 1a-2. Public Prayer is to be Sweeping, vv. 1b-2a-3. Public Prayer is to be Strategic, v. 2b-4. Public Prayer is to be Salvific, vv. 3-4

Grace Church of the Bay Area
Public Prayer, Public Power

Grace Church of the Bay Area

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2023 54:19


4 Instructions for Public Prayer1. Public Prayer is to be Supreme, v. 1a2. Public Prayer is to be Sweeping, vv. 1b-2a3. Public Prayer is to be Strategic, v. 2b4. Public Prayer is to be Salvific, vv. 3-4

Living in the USA
UAW victories at GM: Harold Meyerson; Public Power in Maine: Bill McKibben; "The Forgotten Girls": Katha Pollitt

Living in the USA

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2023 50:22


The UAW won a historic victory when GM agreed that workers in EV and battery factories would be covered by the union contract. Harold Meyerson comments on that, and on Israel's war with Hamas.Plus: Voters in Maine will decide next month whether to turn the state's private utilities public. If that happens, it would be a huge step toward dealing with the climate crisis, and a model for other states. Bill McKibben will explain.Also: Two girls grew up in the 1980s and '90s in a small town in Arkansas. One made it out and became a successful journalist and writer; her best friend, who had been super smart as a kid, fell into drugs, getting pregnant too young, and petty crime. How did their lives turn out to be so different? Katha Pollitt talks about the wonderful new memoir by Monica Potts, The Forgotten Girls.

TID Water & Power Podcast
Community-Owned Power

TID Water & Power Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2023 57:56


On Episode 30 of the TID Water & Power Podcast we're joined by American Public Power Association President and CEO, Scott Corwin, to discuss the public power.  Community-owned utilities across the nation, including TID, celebrated Public Power Week the first full week of October – a weeklong celebration of all things public power. Much like the region TID serves, the communities served by community-owned power rely on lower rates, more reliable service, and continued investment in their community.On this episode we discuss the importance and value of public power and APPA's role in promoting public power.Let's get social! Facebook: @TurlockIDInstagram: @TurlockIDTwitter: @TurlockIDLinkedIn: /company/turlockid Find out more about TID at https://www.TID.org/podcast.

Volts
The campaign for public power in Maine

Volts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2023 59:49


In this episode, Maine State Senator Nicole Grohoski discusses an upcoming ballot measure that gives Maine voters the opportunity to replace the state's unpopular for-profit utilities with a nonprofit public utility.(PDF transcript)(Active transcript)Text transcript:David RobertsMaine's two big investor-owned power utilities — Central Maine Power and Versant Power — are not very popular. In fact, they boast among the lowest customer satisfaction scores of any utilities in the country, perhaps because their customers face some of the nation's highest rates, suffer more and longer outages than average Americans, and pay more to connect rooftop solar than ratepayers in almost any other state. This November, Mainers will vote on a radical alternative: a ballot measure to replace the two for-profit utilities with a single nonprofit utility that would be called Pine Tree Power. Maine and many other states already have lots of small nonprofit municipal utilities, but this would mark the first time a whole state with existing private utilities decided to make them public en masse.Naturally the utilities are opposed and have dumped $27 million and counting into a campaign to crush the measure; supporters have mustered just under $1 million. To discuss this David vs. Goliath fight, I contacted one of its champions, Democratic state Senator Nicole Grohoski. We discussed why she thinks a public utility would perform better, what it would do for clean energy, how it would be governed, and what other states can learn from the effort. With no further ado, Maine State Senator Nicole Grohoski. Welcome to Volts. Thank you so much for coming.Nicole GrohoskiThank you so much for having me. I'm thrilled to be with you today.David RobertsI am super excited to talk about this issue. There's a lot of ins and outs I want to cover, but maybe let's just start with a brief history of this thing. So the idea here is, as I said in the intro, to replace Maine's two big investor-owned utilities, Central Maine Power and Versant Power, with a single publicly owned main utility called Pine Tree Power. Tell me who first had that idea? Where did it first pop up? I know it was legislation and then it got vetoed. Just tell us a little bit about how we got to where we are now.Nicole GrohoskiThe history is really interesting, and I'll try to not spend too much time on it, but I think it's really important to start with the reality here in Maine as a backdrop. So a couple of things that are important to know for listeners is that we, as Mainers, find that our electricity isn't really affordable or reliable and our utilities aren't trustworthy. So we have, for many years running now, the worst customer satisfaction in the country, some of the highest rates in the country for electricity, and those just keep going up. We have experienced a 20% increase this summer, with another increase coming in January.And we also have the most frequent outages in the country. And there are a couple of other reliability metrics that we're not doing so well on, including the length of outages and how long it takes to restore power. So basically what we see here in Maine is that the status quo of these for-profit multinational corporations is just not working for us. About a tenth of our residents in Maine received disconnection notices earlier this year because they just couldn't afford to pay their bills. And it's not working for companies or big corporations that really rely on low cost and reliable electricity to compete.So that's kind of the background. So a number of us were wondering, does it have to be this way? Is there an alternative to worst of the worst? We are Maine, we are very proud and independent, and we like to be leading, but this is not the way that we wanted to be leading. So there was a lot of grassroots pressure. In 2017 we had a big storm, and the power was out for days. But at the same time, there was a billing fiasco, which resulted in billing errors for over 100,000 customers, which is in a state of 1.3 million people, that's a very big percent.So there was a lot of pressure, a lot of phone calls to legislators, to the Public Utilities Commission, to the public advocate about these utilities. And so I think that really planted a seed for a number of folks. Specifically, Maine's first public advocate pointed out to some members of the legislature, including Representative Seth Barry at the time, myself, and a few others, that there were other options and that the financial and local control aspects of those options might be really helpful for Maine. So we started meeting in 2019 with the previous public advocate, economists, labor, legislators, people that were part of a group called CMP Ratepayers Unite.And that's when we formed this idea of creating a consumer-owned utility for Maine that would be non-profit and similar to the ten other consumer-owned utilities we have in Maine. I don't know that we had a name for it at that time, but we do now call it the Pine Tree Power Company. So those were the early days. And then to sort of fast forward, the Legislature commissioned a study which was done by London Economics International in 2019 to learn more about the economics and also legal pathway here. Then, of course, 2020, everybody knows what happened then, things kind of went on pause. And then in 2021, we wrote a bill. And that bill passed in both chambers in Maine with bipartisan support. As you mentioned, the governor did veto that bill.David RobertsAnd that bill was to create the utility or to put the question to voters.Nicole GrohoskiThat bill put the question to voters, and it's very similar to the language that we'll be voting on this November. So we did revise the language based on some feedback from the governor, and that is the language that is now in front of us to vote on this November, November 7. And in order to get the question on the ballot we had hundreds of volunteers working together to collect around 80,000 signatures in total, which is a little bit above the requirement needed to get a question on the ballot in Maine.David RobertsI'm a little curious why — this is a Democratic Governor Mills. What was her rationale? I mean, I guess I can imagine her rationale for opposing the public utility, but what was her rationale for opposing asking voters what they thought? Did she have a good rationale?Nicole GrohoskiNot in my opinion. I'm sure in her opinion it was great. But we read the veto letter for the most part. There was very little in there that was substantive. Some of those minor changes that we made are all things that we would have happily made in advance had we had outreach from her office about them. You know, the unfortunate thing with governors in Maine is that we have yet to elect one that has campaigned using our clean elections, publicly funding campaign option, which is something that most legislators use. So you can draw your own conclusions there about the — money in politics may have been at play.I can't say for certain.David RobertsYeah, we should just make a note here because a couple of podcasts we've done here on Volts are about state laws prohibiting utilities from using ratepayer money to lobby and pay off politicians. Maine does not have one of those laws.Nicole GrohoskiWell, we actually did just pass a law. We were one of four states earlier this year to be sure that ratepayer dollars are not going for lobbying. You know, industry membership, group memberships.David RobertsOh, interesting.Nicole GrohoskiYou know, Edison Electric, for instance, Chambers of Commerce, et cetera. So that is a new law. It will be in effect in about a month. So we'll see if that improves things.David RobertsJust in time or actually just a smidge too late. So the bill of particulars here then, against these two utilities, as you say, they have really low ratepayer satisfaction scores, lots of power outages, more than usual, higher rates, some of the highest rates in the country. Like every state, Maine has a Public Utility Commission that is meant to regulate its utilities. That has members appointed by the governor or elected? I'm not sure how it goes in Maine.Nicole GrohoskiIn Maine, the commissioners are appointed and then subject to Senate approval.David RobertsSo why not just use the PUC to sort of get these utilities in line? That seems like it would be the sort of first order of business.Nicole GrohoskiIt's a great question. I mean, I think everyone kind of wants to default to using the systems we have in place, but I have a couple of thoughts about that. Our Public Utilities Commission I do think is full of folks who are hardworking and really trying to get under the hood with utilities. But there's a lot of information there that the utilities really understand best. And so when you have questions, you're going to ask the utilities and there is sort of a long term back and forth relationship there. Some people might call how that turns into regulatory capture sometimes.Additionally, we do have the ability to fine the utilities if they're not performing up to snuff and that has happened. It doesn't happen that often, and the most recent fine, I think was around $10 million. At the same time they had a significant rate increase and are pulling out over $100 million in profit every year. So it's not really proportional and we could theoretically increase those fines a bit. But there is hesitance. I think the legislature has interest in doing some of that but the utilities are of course not interested and I think we would see another veto pen action is my guess.But all that being said, this effort to create a consumer utility has led to a lot of us just digging down into what is the history of utilities in this country and regulation. And what we found is that utilities are natural monopolies so it makes sense for there to be regulation because there isn't competition. But the folks who sort of started the effort to create public utilities commissions were those who were going to be regulated. And so there has been this hand in glove relationship since the start around the regulators and the regulated.David RobertsIt's not ideal.Nicole GrohoskiThat's probably a subject of a whole other podcast but —David RobertsIt doesn't work quite like you would want it to.Nicole GrohoskiExactly. And additionally, I would say I have recently been talking to folks in other states and other people have served as public advocates. And what I find remarkable is the backflips and cartwheels that we go through with regulation to try to outfox the utilities when, by no fault of their own, the investor owned utilities are created with their number one mission to be maximizing repair profit. So it's like we could keep trying to think of creative and clever ways to balance this out. But at the end of all of it, I keep coming back to the fact that we don't have our roads, which are critical to our economy and our safety and our way of life in the private sector; and nor are our schools, nor is our military.Why does it make sense for something as important as our electricity grid to be subject to for-profit motivations?David RobertsListeners will be rolling their eyes right about now because this is something I say I find a way to say it almost every episode no matter what we're talking about. But utilities, they are structured such that they make money insofar as they spend money. So all they really want to do is deploy more big infrastructure. And so as you say, like PUCs find these elaborate Rube Goldberg mechanisms to sort of beg and plead with them to do things like efficiency or distributed energy, know on and on, inter, regional transmission, name it, all of which are sort of just counter to the basic incentive.So as you say, you can spend the rest of your life coming up with more and more elaborate ways to try to trick them into doing something against their interests. But at a certain point you just got to grapple with the central issue which is that they're set up wrong, they're set up badly, they're set up to not want things that are in the public interest and at a certain point you got to just deal with the root cause. Anyway, sorry to go off on my standard canned rant there. So then a skeptic will say these two utilities, just so people are clear about this, these are not vertically integrated utilities.These are just distribution utilities. They just have wires, they just distribute power. They do not own generation. They're dealing with a certain set of supply issues, a certain set of power plants, a certain geography. Maine is very heavily forested which is a nightmare for transmission lines for all the obvious reasons. So it just has a sort of set of things that it's dealing with. And so I guess the skeptic is going to ask what reason do we have to believe that given the sort of same resources that Pine Tree, a public utility, would perform any better?Nicole GrohoskiWell I think we have a lot of evidence that it would because we already have ten consumer owned utilities in Maine. Just for an example, there is one that's called Eastern Maine Electric Co-op. That's a traditional co-op. It is more rural than most of Maine. You might find it interesting that it is serving about 1.2% of the state's load in kilowatt hours but it is in an area that's twice the size of Rhode Island. Now EMAC, which is in rural downeast Maine is directly adjacent to the territory of Versant that I live in and the cost for delivery in EMAC is nine cents and the cost for delivery in Versant is 13.1 cents per kilowatt hour.So I don't think that's just some kind of magical happenstance that when you take profit out of the equation you're just paying less. We know that together CMP and Versant are sending out about — was last year was $187 million a year in profit. So I think if Mainers are in charge of our utility we can decide do we want to use that money to lower rates? Do we want to use it to reinvest in the grid to increase reliability? And I think it would probably be a mix of both of those things.David RobertsAnd that amount of money you think is material enough that it would show up as improved performance, show up as measurably improved performance?Nicole GrohoskiI do think so. I mean I think for your listeners, while Maine is large and rural we do have 1.3 million people. So, when you sort of divide those numbers out it does make a difference. And we've had some independent economic analysis that shows us that Mainers would be saving on average $367 a month, excuse me, a year, because of the fact that we're basically going from expensive rent for the grid to a lower cost mortgage. So I think it's easy to explain it to folks in terms of, like, "What's better when you're looking for housing, dropping your money down a rent hole, black hole for the rest of your life, or swapping out to a mortgage where you've got a lower interest rate than what we see now with the guaranteed return on equity that happens for our for-profit utilities."David RobertsYeah, this was another piece I wanted to ask about. So part of why you think this will be cheaper for ratepayers is just you take that huge slice of profits that are going, as you say, out of state to the owners of these utilities and keep that in state and that alone will buy you some better service. There's also the issue of investor-owned utilities expect and want and are guaranteed relatively high rates of return on their investments and often resist making investments if the rate of return is lower than that. But as you say, a public power utility can be more patient with its capital, right?Can make investments with lower returns as long as they pay off eventually, right?Nicole GrohoskiYeah. So we see here in Maine that the utilities are getting a ROE of 8% to 12%. And we know that firstly that's kind of astounding because it's not all that risky. Most people are paying their bills.David RobertsCrazy. It's guaranteed. It's huge and it's guaranteed. It's wild what it is. This is like the safest business on the planet as being a regulated utility.Nicole GrohoskiCouldn't agree more. And on the flip side, the Pine Tree Power Company can access low-cost capital through revenue bonding at 3-5%. So when we think about paying off that debt over many years with compounding interest, when we think about the fact that our grid really isn't ready to electrify our economy and experts expect it's going to need to be, increased two to three times. Now is the right moment in time, I think, to move away from high cost, low-risk investment to low cost, low-risk investment before we literally triple our grid.David RobertsTell us a little bit about how the utility would be governed or structured and what implications you think that might have.Nicole GrohoskiI love this question. I am a public servant and so I believe in local governance and people getting to vote and go to public meetings and have a say and all that is built into the ballot question. So the Pine Tree Power Company would have elected board members and there are seven of them, one for each grouping of five Senate seats, state Senate seats. And those members then turn around and appoint six members who have specific expertise in things like utility law and management, concerns of workers, concerns of economic, environmental and social justice, things like that, that we really want to make sure those folks are at the table.And this group of 13 people, they serve six-year terms each of them. And of course, there's like a little bit of a lead-in time because they'd all be elected at once, where some of them served shorter terms at the start. But point is, they are people in our communities. They have to be living in Maine. They have open meetings that are subject to freedom of access laws. And in order to best serve the public, I think they would be doing a lot of public outreach. And that's something that in talking to managers and board members from other consumer utilities in the country, I've been really impressed with how much local engagement they have. I think Sacramento Municipal Utility District, they said they're hosting 1300 community meetings a year.David RobertsGood grief.Nicole GrohoskiA couple a day on average. But they have, I think they said 95% customer satisfaction. So people feel like they're valued, their experience matters and they also have a plan to get to 100% clean energy by 2030. So our Pine Tree power governance is very much in the spirit of "It's a public good. It should be publicly governed."David RobertsThere's a little bit of a controversy in Maine a few years ago. I don't remember all the details, but it was about a big transmission line that would have brought hydro from Canada down through the woods of Maine. It was fought and I believe killed by popular resistance. And there was a lot of, at least nationally there was a lot of talk of like here again we have environmentally minded locals blocking things for environmental reasons, but in a short-sighted way that's going to be worse for the environment overall. In the long term, they're NIMBY's. We've got to figure out a way of dealing with this problem, et cetera, et cetera.So this leads to my question, which is: if you have a governing board that is elected by local people, and it is the local people who are often the source of the NIMBYism, do you not have some fears? That this would lead to a more NIMBY rather than less NIMBY operation of the utility, which is going to be difficult when, as you say, this is the time when every state everybody needs to be increasing and bolstering their transmission systems. Do you worry that local control is going to translate into more rather than less NIMBY opposition to new lines?Nicole GrohoskiI'll put it in a way that I think makes sense to me as a person in Maine who's intimately familiar with what you laid out, which is at the root of that decision, was a fundamental lack of trust in Central Maine Power. A trust that it would be doing anything in our best interest, that it would be giving us appropriate benefits, that it was really after anything more than profits. And so I think it wouldn't be true that as soon as Pine Tree Power was created that everyone would immediately trust the company. But I do think it would be a fresh start.And on top of that, with elected and appointed leaders spending time in communities and just energy literacy, I think in general would increase because it's something we would be talking about more if we had to elect the board. I'll say I think that people's interest in energy policy has gone through the roof this year compared to where it was in the past. And people are asking just really great questions, a new curiosity around electricity that I hadn't seen before growing up here. So I think that the outcome would actually be that folks would feel like they had a say in how the transmission was cited, who was benefiting if we remove the profit motive.Imagine if that money that would have gone to profit was actually going to community benefits. That might really change how people feel. And I think that here in Maine we are sort of skeptical of what's being pushed on us by people from away, quote unquote, is a saying we have. I don't always love it, but it is accurate in this case. You've got Central Main Power, owned by Avangrid, then owned by Iberdrola, based in Spain, telling us, "Oh, we've got this great deal for you." And people are skeptical of that. So I think we have a greater chance actually of doing transmission right and in a way that people can accept if there was this broader community process and a lack of for-profit skepticism that comes naturally to us here.David RobertsOne of the criticisms of the two existing utilities is that they're kind of slow-walking clean energy in particular. So I wonder if you could just say a word about what that means and why and how we think Pine Tree would be better on that score. Because it's not obvious. These are just wires utilities, right? So they're not dealing directly with clean energy generation. So what are the issues around clean energy and how will Pine Tree be an improvement?Nicole GrohoskiSo, historically, we have seen that the utilities do spend a lot of time and money in the State House, not just behind the scenes, but also right out publicly testifying against clean energy bills. Now, that has slowed in recent years, but certainly in the previous gubernatorial administration, that was a very common practice.David RobertsIf I could just pause there, I guess I just don't fully understand why, like, if you're a company that's just running wires, what's it to you?Nicole GrohoskiRight back to the return on equity question. So, these utilities make more money when they build transmission lines than when they upgrade the distribution system. They get a higher rate of return, right? So it is in their best interest to continue with the model of large far-off generation facilities compared to local rooftop solar type solutions or microgrids or battery storage. So that's the first part of the problem, I think. And secondly, I think some of these utilities just really are not very nimble. They're sort of in the business that they've been in for a long time and thinking about how to create a dynamic grid that has time of use rates that actually work, for instance, or bidirectional power.We have had smart meters in this state for over a decade and I can't see how they're being used in any kind of smart way. I mean, people are still calling the utilities to let them know the power is out.David RobertsIt's just baffling to me. Like, if I'm in the utility business, this is like my time to be a hero, you know what I mean? After 100 years of sleepy operation in the background, all of a sudden the world is calling upon me to be cutting edge and be the hero and save the world and instead, I'm just going to "I just want to keep doing things the way I've been doing." I don't know, people are disappointing.Nicole GrohoskiNo comment.David RobertsYeah. So I read in one of the stories about this. One of the opponents of this measure said, quote, "The people behind this proposal have no actual plan to lower rates, improve reliability and enable a swifter energy transition." The implication being that the fans of this measure just think that making the utility public is going to be sort of automagically, make everything easier and cleaner and cheaper, but there's no actual plan to do so. Is there a specific plan for how Pine Tree would operate and how it would do these things? Has anyone modeled out sort of you know what I mean?Is there more than just hope that the structure will do the work for you?Nicole GrohoskiWell, I think that the person who said that spent some time cherry-picking certain things in the ballot language but missed the bigger picture here, which is we have to start by saying yes on November 7 and then at that time then we have an election for the board of directors and it goes on from there. But until that time the Maine Public Utilities Commission cannot compel the utilities to give over their very private data to do that kind of in-depth modeling that is going to be the very next task for the Pine Tree Power Board once it exists and that is spelled out in the ballot question. You know, these utilities, I'm just going to be level about it: They don't have a plan either.And I can tell you that because the legislature last year had to pass a law requiring them to do integrated grid planning and think about how is it going to work to increase renewables on the grid, to increase demand as people install more heat pumps and use electric vehicles. They're not doing that or if they are doing it they're not doing it in any kind of way that is transparent or subject to review. So I think it's like a great bait and switch tactic.David RobertsAren't they supposed to create integrated resource plans? I thought that was something that all utilities had to do.Nicole GrohoskiI think they have some planning, but it is clear from the way that the interconnection queues are looking, the very high cost they're pushing onto developers for even just what turns out to be basic grid maintenance, there isn't really — maybe they have something that says "plan" at the top, but I'm not sure that all the nuts and bolts are actually there.David RobertsYeah, I meant to hit on interconnection before because that's one of the critiques also is that they are slow-walking interconnection of distributed resources, etc. Presumably they're doing that, or at least they say they're doing that to protect the grid. Do we have reason to believe they're slow-walking that on purpose such that Pine Tree could substantially speed up the interconnection queue?Nicole GrohoskiWe do have reason to believe that specifically because of all the complaints that we've received as legislators. We did ask the Public Utilities Commission to look into this and they hired the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, or IREC, to do a study. And the IREC findings were basically especially around Versant, which is in eastern and northern Maine. These guys are some of the worst actors we've ever seen in the United States. They are requiring things that they can't justify why they're requiring them, and we can find no reason from an engineering perspective to require them. And your listeners might find it fascinating to know that for Versant customers, the average cost of interconnecting your rooftop solar to the grid is $10,000.David RobertsJesus.Nicole GrohoskiThat is not normal is what I'm told. Another great story that I've heard from a couple of constituents is that they need a transformer upgrade to interconnect their rooftop solar. Okay, that might be true, and that upgrade is going to cost you $1,000 - $1,500. But we can't get the parts for two years.David RobertsOh my goodness.Nicole GrohoskiNow the same solar installers that are working in my area are also working in CMP's area Central Maine Power. Because I live my district includes both, and the installers are saying "CMP says they can get it in two months." So then I asked my constituents "Can you file a formal complaint at the PUC using this process we had to create because this is such a rampant issue?" And when they do that and go through the whole process, then that transformer has arrived and been installed within two to three months time. So I don't know what to say about it.I can only say what I see from the outside and the experience that I have heard about from people that pick up the phone and call me. But it seems shady to go from two years to two months.David RobertsLet's grapple here with what is probably the biggest and most difficult issue around all this, which is say Maine voters say yes to this, and it goes forward. Basically, it would involve the state of Maine buying these two utilities assets from the utilities, and depending on who you believe those assets are worth anywhere from $5 to I think CMP is now saying it could get up to $13 billion. So that's a big public expense. So how's that going to get financed? Who's going to pay it? How long is it going to take to pay it? Have we thought through in any detail how that process works?Nicole GrohoskiYes, definitely. And that was a big part of what the London Economics analysis included was that legal analysis of what that purchase price process would look like. We also have been able to look at this transition as has happened in other communities in the country, and we created an expedited and refereed process to determine the purchase price. And all told, from this fall to switch over to Pine Tree Power, we expect it to take three to four years. What we know from the LEI study is that this is a completely legal and constitutional effort. It's helpful to remind folks that because these are actual monopolies, they only have the right to be doing business because we give it to them.And in the Maine statutes, it literally says the PUC can take it away.David RobertsYeah, I mean, of course, again, this drives me crazy. I'm reading articles about this and of course, just once I'd like there to be a good argument had in public instead of idiots. But all the Republicans are now saying "This is a communist takeover of private business by the state. It's Communists. Why don't we call it Chinese electricity?" I've read, some of the dumbest quotes.Nicole GrohoskiAre you in the comments section?David RobertsNo, these are legislators. This is not even I mean, there's barely a distinction anymore. But like, the Republican legislators are saying this now. So it's worth just emphasizing the point that you just made, sort of drawing a line under it, which is these businesses have been granted a monopoly by the state and granted guaranteed returns by the state. So of course the state can take that back. Of course this is legal. Like if the state grants, the state can take away if the state is granting it on the grounds that it will be of service to the state's residents and it's not anymore, then of course the state can take that monopoly back.It's just crazy viewing. It's not like Maine is going to go take over the potato chip industry.Nicole GrohoskiWe have no interest in that.David RobertsThis is not a normal business. Utilities are not normal private businesses. They are state basically state created entities. And so of course, the state can uncreate them if it wants to. Sorry, I know that will not have any effect at all on the dumb things Republicans say about this.Nicole GrohoskiWell, I do want to clarify. We do have some really strong Republican support, from certain legislators as well as just regular folks. I mean, that was the greatest thing about collecting signatures for this initiative, which I did and my family did and many other people I know was that when you remove it from a debate in a state house, regular people just get it. They get that this is really important to our economy to have an electricity grid that works for us and for our health and safety. And they also understand that maybe this is not a place for profits.And I've had folks wearing Birkenstocks and folks wearing MAGA hats sign the petition because I think Maine people are really resilient. We are proud of our ability to solve problems and I think the majority of us believe this is something that we can do and that we probably could do it better than some far-off foreign monopoly.David RobertsAnyway, I interrupted you. You were talking about how these giant bills are going to get paid. Basically you say it's going to take about four years to do all the work, to transfer everything over. Would the $5 billion or however much it turns out to be, be paid off over those four years or how will it be financed?Nicole GrohoskiNo. So we did meet with some municipal bond banks. This sort of acquisition, like in the case of Long Island, has been paid off over a long period of time. And that's how we're able to see the rate reduction. You know again, similar to renting versus owning. I was able to buy a home. My mortgage is less than my rent would be, but I am still paying it off. And even with the interest, it's still less. So we have the ability through revenue bonding to borrow that money backed by the ratepayers, not actually by the state government and the general fund, but by the ratepayers.We have the ability to borrow that money, and then pay it off over time, and borrow more as we need to build out the grid.David RobertsWould it being a public utility enable it to draw on state money? Because one of the points a few pods ago we were talking about a new offshore wind bill that would draw money from state coffers rather than from ratepayers. And one of the sort of arguments and defense of that is taking tax money from state taxpayers is much more progressive than taking it from ratepayers. Basically you're getting a much more progressive source of funding. Is there any talk of Pine Tree being able to draw on state money or would it still just operate as a utility and get all its money and revenue and stuff from ratepayers the same way a private utility would?Nicole GrohoskiThe enabling statute has it separate. I think that that is really important, especially to our union workers because they had concerns about becoming public sector workers and what that would mean for their right to strike, for instance. So we have ensured that they are private sector workers.David RobertsOh, interesting.Nicole GrohoskiWhether or not a future legislature might say we're able to maintain that and have the utility doing efficiency programs that are paid through the taxpayer dollars versus ratepayer dollars, I can't predict. To your point about regressivity, one of the things that is required in the bill language for the Pine Tree Power Company is to establish lower rates for low income residential customers in the first five year plan. So we are trying to address that challenge that you're absolutely correct. It's the regressive funding structure, unlike taxation.David RobertsAlso, one of the criticisms of these utilities is that they're sending all these cutoff notices, they're cutting off people from power, which is bad for all obvious reasons. But is Pine Tree going to pledge not to do that? And if it doesn't do that, where does that money to cover those people's rates come from? Because that would seem like an additional expense because whatever you might say about cutting people off, it does save the utilities money.Nicole GrohoskiRight. Well, we do have what's called the Arrearage Management Program here in Maine and that does help folks get out of arrears and that is ratepayer funded program. So that is a somewhat fiscally progressive approach to that. You know the details of that program are probably more than you'd want to know. But the long and short is if you get back on track then some of your debt will be just forgiven. But it's not forgiven by the utilities, it's forgiven by your neighbors.David RobertsRight. Well, would Pine Tree pledge not to cut people off? Like, is that part of the campaign here or how would it treat cutoffs ?Nicole GrohoskiYou know, it's a good question that surprisingly I don't know if anyone has posed to me it is not in the legislation one way or the other. I'm of the belief that if rates go down and we could have rates that were income stratified to some extent, that the amount of disconnection notices that we saw earlier this year would go way down just economically. But I think it would be really a decision of the board. And then I'm also not sure if the Public Utilities Commission if there are any rules on the books because this utility, unlike a lot of consumer utilities in the country, is regulated by the Public Utilities Commission as if it were an investor owned utility.So, there may be specific rules about that already.David RobertsYeah, I would just think though, if you're trying to sell this, making this public rather than private, one of the things you could sell is like we think this is a public right to have electricity on some level.Nicole GrohoskiThe one other thing about it that just comes to mind is that a couple of years ago during COVID, people were especially concerned about the disconnection notices, not knowing if they were going to be receiving a next paycheck but we were told that the disconnection notices were necessary in order to provide certain assistance. So the utilities said, "Oh don't worry, we're not actually going to disconnect anyone but we have to do this to get them into this next program." So, I don't know if that would come into play here but I'm not convinced that the utilities wouldn't have ultimately shut the people off but that was a way that they spun it at least.David RobertsOne more kind of semi-technical question that's a little bit of a side thing but is of interest, I think, to Volts listeners. One of the provisions in the IRA, the Inflation Reduction Act, is that it makes some of the tax credits direct pay, which means you don't have to pay taxes to get it back. You can get it back directly as a check and one of the categories of entities that would qualify for this is tax-exempt entities. So I wonder, has anyone done any thinking, and maybe this is too in the weeds but done any thinking about what advantage it might pose for Maine to have its utility be tax-exempt, whether it will benefit from the IRA through that.Nicole GrohoskiIt is something we're thinking about because we were excited to see that direct pay provision sort of leveling the playing field for publicly owned generation which is another topic I'm very interested in, but I think it remains to be seen. In the case of Pine Tree Power, it is not allowed to own generation and it may be permitted to own some storage as is necessary to maintain the grid functioning. So I'm not entirely sure that that direct IRA provision would help in this case but what I think it does is sort of change the paradigm a bit there that may then also shift to other things. If the federal government says let's have an ITC or PTC for transmission lines, the next step might be —David RobertsPraise be.Nicole GrohoskiWell, let's make sure we set it up the same way we've just done with generation. Yes, I think it's a really important conversation even if it doesn't have a direct immediate effect on the Pine Tree Power Company.David RobertsInteresting. As I think anyone could predict just from what we've said so far, even knowing nothing else about it but what we've said so far, I'm sure people could predict that the private utilities in question are not excited about this happening and have mobilized to prevent it from happening. So tell us a little bit about the campaign against this. Is it as hysterical as one would predict?Nicole GrohoskiYeah, I mean hysterical is one word for it. Deeply troubling is another phrase that comes to mind. But these are utilities, like I mentioned, about the amount of profit that they make and that's just off of their Central Maine Power and Versant holdings. But Central Maine Power is just a small, small fraction of the entire Iberdrola conglomerate. So, yeah, we have seen them spending a lot of money against the campaign. They've put $27 million toward the campaign, both utilities, as of the end of June. So we expect to see more of course.David RobertsNot a small amount in a small state.Nicole GrohoskiNo. And honestly, talking to my neighbors, people are very upset by it. They're kind of irate that they're the people whose power goes out and doesn't come back on for a couple of days. They're the folks who had to spend $10,000 for a generator which isn't part of a clean energy solution last I checked. And there go the utilities putting $27 million toward just running ads.David RobertsYeah, I mean, are they experiencing it as a flood of ads? I mean, $27 million must allow you to kind of dominate the airwaves.Nicole GrohoskiYes, the airwaves are definitely bought up, as far as we can tell. And they have just their two donors, which are the utility parent companies, which are Avangrid and Enmax.David RobertsAre they funding 100% of this?Nicole Grohoski100%, yes. And these utilities, lest they tell you how amazing and green and climate-friendly they are, they are gas utilities, Avangrid and Enmax anyhow. And then on the flip side, we are a smaller organization. We don't have Mainers' pockets to pickpocket on a regular basis.David RobertsI'm guessing you guys haven't hit $27 million yet. How much money have you have?Nicole GrohoskiYou're closer to around a million, I think. And that's over 1000 donors, most of whom are just regular donors giving what they can because they understand these differences. And also I think the big difference is the utilities are putting out a lot of fear, doubt, scare tactic type ads. And on the flip side, what we're offering people is something different and something positive, something that we can all lean into and make sure that it succeeds because it would actually be ours. So I think that's resonating with folks.David RobertsWhat are the scare tactics specifically? Are they saying this will be expensive or what?Nicole GrohoskiYeah, expensive. I mean, you quoted some of their numbers and it's laughable. They're like, "Oh, we're going to get $13.5 billion." Well, they're worth $5.4 billion. That's what they pay taxes on. That's what they filed their official paperwork saying. So I think especially as we learn more and more about how decrepit certain portions of this grid are, they'd be lucky to get a little bit over that. So that's one of them. "Is there a plan? We don't have a plan, but do they have a plan?" is another one. You know what, a lot of it is just to my sensibility is a little insulting to Maine people.You don't know what you're doing, that kind of thing. Meanwhile, we're going to keep the line workers who are doing the work and we're giving them a retention bonus because we value their expertise, because they're the ones that actually know how the grids work, not the CEOs and the CFOs.David RobertsYeah, it is historically pretty easy though just to I mean, when you're fighting against change, you barely even need arguments. You know what I mean? You can just say "Booga booga booga change" and you're halfway there, it seems like.Nicole GrohoskiWell, I think that's why we're in such a unique position in Maine because while that can be kind of an initial gut reaction, I think people here are curious. We've certainly seen plenty of campaigns where one side was outspent a lot by the other and it didn't make a difference. We have led in other policy areas. Ranked choice voting could be one recent example. Clean elections one of the only states that splits our electoral college votes. So I think Maine people, I think we're interested in things that are different if they make sense to us.David RobertsWhere is the public on this? Do we know do we have enough polling or survey data or what have you to know kind of what the level of support is or where the public is on this? Do we have a barometer? Do we have a measure here?Nicole GrohoskiYeah, I think the most recent public polling was probably a couple of months ago. But what it showed was there were people that were solidly in each camp but a lot of undecided voters and it really put us in a dead heat in terms of the people that were decided. And what I think is interesting is folks are not being swayed by Central Maine Power and Versant ads mainly because we don't trust them. They have not been good faith actors.David RobertsAre they creating fake groups like "Mainers for puppy dogs and grandma"?Nicole GrohoskiYes, Maine Affordable Energy is one of them. Yeah, so they sound pretty good, but all you have to do is google that and you find out pretty quickly, because of our disclosure rules, that's 100% utility funded.David RobertsTo the extent that the public supports this, are they viewing it as primarily a green thing, a thing about clean energy? Or is it primarily " Screw these out of state —," you know what I mean? Like a Maine pride kind of thing. Is it a reliability? Do you know what it is about this that the public has taken from it? What it is the public is supporting when the public supports it?Nicole GrohoskiThat's a great question and it does vary depending on the person and their interest and maybe even where they live in the state because the utility rates are the worst where I live compared to all the other districts in the state. So it depends. I think if you're a person who tried to interconnect and you got told you have to wait two years and $10,000, then it might be about greening the grid. But I think for a lot of folks underlying whatever their specific reason might be, it is that question of trust. I think about this all the time we have aggressive clean electricity goals, but 50% of our carbon emissions in this state are coming from vehicles and we are the most heating oil dependent state in the country.So we've got to get people onto the electricity grid in order to have any hope of cleaning it up. But it's really hard for me to knock on someone's door and say, "I really hope you'll consider changing your whole house over to heat pumps, even though we have below zero temperatures sometimes. Or I know that the power went out for a week last year, but would you consider an EV?" So I think that in order to make this transition work, we have to have utilities that people trust and that are providing just basic service. People should not have to think as hard as they're thinking about if their electricity is going to be there for them.David RobertsYes, that's such an important point. And so generalizable too, like if electrification is the thing, then people have got to trust the institutions in charge of electrification and they do not have much public trust these days. So that's an interesting argument in favor, I think, of making utilities more accountable, more public. What about the other big argument against one of the big scare things is you have to buy all these assets, which is like a big bill, a big one-time bill. The other scare story is that utilities are going to immediately sue, that this is going to get mired in the courts, and that it's going to take 4, 5, 6, 7 years to even get it all settled, and until then it will be chaos and no one will know what's going on and blah, blah, blah.So realistically, what's your view of, say, voters approve this in November? What is your view of sort of how that plays out and when and how the inevitable legal wrangling gets resolved?Nicole GrohoskiBasically, the Pine Tree Power Board will offer a certain amount for the utility infrastructure. I don't expect that the utilities will accept that on first pass you're buying a used car, you don't just take the first price. Right. So we would expect some negotiation, but if that doesn't work, then it will go to the courts. And there is a refereed process that's spelled out in the legislation in the Superior Court that then can be appealed to the Supreme Court in the state of Maine. But there are timelines set up. So it cannot go on for years and years and years, because at some point, if you lose or win a case, that's it.You have one appeal. I think it's funny that this argument is coming from the utilities because if there are any lawsuits and if it got dragged out, as they say, even though we've protected against that to the best of our ability, that's coming from them. That is a choice that they are making.David Roberts"Don't make us do this."Nicole GrohoskiYeah, so it's kind of ironic but additionally, one of the things that comes up is how do we know the utilities will continue to invest in the meantime? And it's like the best parallel I could say to that is if I'm going to sell my house, I don't just stop fixing things before I sell it. I keep it up in really good shape. And in fact, utilities would have an incentive to invest more because usually they don't just sell it for exactly what it's worth. There's usually a multiplier. We expect it to be like 1.5 times.So we actually have increased the oversight capacity of the Public Utilities Commission to ensure that there isn't any of that sort of last-minute gold plating going on, because that is actually what we'd expect, not the further disrepair scenario.David RobertsOh, so you think if this goes through, they'll plow a bunch of money into high dollar upgrades just to boost their price that you have to pay for them?Nicole GrohoskiThat's what I would do if I were them. Fortunately, we're going to keep an eye on that on behalf of Maine people. But if you are able to invest a million dollars here and in two to three years time make $1.5 million because that's the multiplier that the courts assign, that's pretty good.David RobertsYeah. So what's your timeline in your head then? What do you envision? At what point is there just the one public utility operating and all this is behind us? Were you willing to predict?Nicole GrohoskiYeah, we're looking at fall 2027, so four years from now, and that includes having the elections for the board members next year. So that's the first major hurdle, which I think is exciting, especially because living in one of the more rural parts of Maine, we don't always feel here that our interests are represented at the Public Utilities Commission, which is folks from southern Maine. And I think this geographic component is really compelling to, you know, so that's our first step. And then basically we have to get a lot of information. I mean, the board would have to get a lot of information from the utilities in order to know what purchase price they should put forward, what's the business plan, what does the revenue bonding look like, and make sure they can secure that financing through a large municipal bond market.So that takes time and we want to make sure we do it right. On the other hand, doing nothing is also a risk that I think sets people in my generation and folks younger than me behind economically and environmentally for decades. So a couple of years to do it right is definitely worth it.David RobertsOkay, final question then. I can see lots of Maine-specific reasons why one might argue that this is a good deal; these utilities are particularly bad, Maine has a particular set of problems, it has a particular sort of public culture, a culture of participation and a culture of civic engagement, et cetera, et cetera. Lots of Maine-specific reasons why you could make the case for this. I wonder, to what extent do y'all have your eyes on other states and trying to make this the beginning of something bigger? Like, do you believe that taking private utilities public is a good idea across the board?Is that something you'd like to see become a national trend or are you just purely focused on Maine? How do you think about the influence this may or may not have on other states?Nicole GrohoskiI think that all the issues we've had in Maine are what led us to looking around for solutions, but it is a structural imbalance that we have with the regulated monopolies when they're for profit. So, I do think it is something that is exportable to other states. We people in our coalition have been working with and talking to people elsewhere in the country who are looking to make a similar transition also elsewhere in the world. It's kind of interesting. The Scottish power is also owned by Avengrid, which owns Central Maine Power, and they are looking to become a public, truly public utility over there.So, in doing this work, we've found a lot of interest for that business model change. And I think as we become another case study, we are standing on the shoulders of other case studies that have happened in this country. And as we become another one for folks, I think that we'll see some opportunities arise. And I would like to see that because I want every American to be able to afford their electricity and to be able to have clean energy and not a lot of hurdles to getting there, because we are literally all in this together as a country and as a world with our climate crisis.David RobertsThat seems like a wonderful note to wrap up on. Nicole Grohoski, thanks so much for coming on and walking through this with us. It's super fascinating and I think it will be an example to the rest of the country one way or the other. However it plays out.Nicole GrohoskiWe're hoping that we're a positive "yes" example. We're working every day toward that. And I want to thank you, David, for having me on and talking about this topic, which is, I think, endlessly important and fascinating.David RobertsAgreed, agreed. OK. Thanks, Nicole. Thank you for listening to the Volts podcast. It is ad-free, powered entirely by listeners like you. If you value conversations like this, please consider becoming a paid Volts subscriber at volts. WTF. Yes, that's volts.WTF so that I can continue doing this work. Thank you so much and I'll see you next time. Get full access to Volts at www.volts.wtf/subscribe

Public Power Underground
*buzzed history* with Mark Ohrenschall, Shauna McReynolds and Crystal Ball

Public Power Underground

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2023 84:35


three energy historians join public power underground for an infotaining and slightly irreverent discussion of the major milestones for the electric industry in the northwest--------------------Mark Ohrenschall, Shauna McReynolds and Crystal Ball join and Paul Dockery to discuss the history of the electric industry in the Northwest from acronyms to statutes and a myriad of institutions along the way. There were three primary texts used for the conversation. NewsData's list of Western Energy Acronyms Public Power Council's excellent guide to Public Power in the Pacific Northwest, the Public Power Chronicle Public Generating Pool's famous Organized Market Retrospective.  The recording ends with Mark Ohrenschall's closing thoughts on his final day as Executive Editor of NewsData.You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Share with friends that are electric utility enthusiasts, like us!03:27 - Acronym Anagrams13:06 - Historian's ranking of major milestones38:13 - Preference48:03 - Whoops56:25 - Energy Policy Acts58:42 - The Energy Crisis1:06:57 - Market Evolution1:21:10 - Mark Ohrenschall's Closing ThoughtsPublic Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, it's work to watch!

sustainabiliME
Ep. 219: Ann Arbor for Public Power

sustainabiliME

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2023 29:40


Today I'll be chatting with Greg Woodring, President of Ann Arbor for Public Power. A2P2 is a group advocating for a 100% renewable, public-owned electric utility for the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Prior to moving to Ann Arbor, I wasn't too familiar with public power systems, but it turns out that they are more common than I thought. Check out today's episode to learn more! Follow us on social media @sustainabiliME.pod Ann Arbor for Public Power: https://annarborpublicpower.org/ Ann Arbor Sustainable Energy Utility: https://www.a2gov.org/departments/sustainability/Sustainability-Me/Pages/Ann-Arbor's-Sustainable-Energy-Utility-(SEU).aspx  

Keen On Democracy
Taming the Street then and now: Diana Henriques on the New Deal, FDR's fight to regulate American capitalism and its relevance in Joe Biden's America today

Keen On Democracy

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2023 46:22


EPISODE 1706: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Diana B. Henriques, author of TAMING THE STREET, about the New Deal, FDR's fight to regulate American capitalism and its relevance today in Joe Biden's America Diana B. Henriques, an award-winning financial journalist, is the author of A First-Class Catastrophe: The Road to Black Monday, the Worst Day in Wall Street History, released in September 2017. She is also the author of The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust, a New York Times bestseller, and three other books on business history. As a staff writer for The New York Times from 1989 to 2012 and as a contributing writer since then, she has largely specialized in investigative reporting on white-collar crime, market regulation and corporate governance. In May 2017, HBO aired its film-length adaptation of The Wizard of Lies, with Robert De Niro in the starring role — and with Ms. Henriques playing herself as the first journalist to interview Madoff in prison. An avid reader and reviewer of financial histories, Ms. Henriques is also the author of Fidelity's World: The Secret Life and Public Power of the Mutual Fund Giant (1995), The White Sharks of Wall Street: Thomas Mellon Evans and The Original Corporate Raiders (2000), and The Machinery of Greed: Public Authority Abuse and What To Do About It. (1986). Ms. Henriques was a member of a reporting team that was named a Pulitzer finalist in 2003 for its coverage of the aftermath of the Enron scandals. She was also a member of a team that won a 1999 Gerald Loeb Award for covering the near-collapse of Long Term Capital Management, a hedge fund whose troubles rocked the financial markets in September 1998. She was one of four reporters honored in 1996 by the Deadline Club, the New York City chapter of the Sigma Delta Chi professional journalism society, for a series on how wealthy Americans legally sidestep taxes. She has explored the expansion of tax breaks, regulatory exemptions and Congressional earmarks for religious nonprofits, and helped monitor commodity markets and money market funds in the financial turmoil of late 2008. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Hartmann Report
Will the Maui Fires be a Wake-Up Call on Public Power?

The Hartmann Report

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2023 56:51


Hawaii needs to move on this quick, before other for-profit utilities get into the act. The corporate raiders will soon be circling, even as Lahaina buries its dead. Is Geoengineering a quick climate change fix? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

gwot.rocks - God, the World, and Other Things!
Secret Prayers Yields Public Power!

gwot.rocks - God, the World, and Other Things!

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2023 3:35


Reading #14:, pg. 183, July 1 (Prayer), Samuel Lee, Puritan Sermons 1659-1689. II:191-194."From the first day that you set your heart to understand ... your words have been heard." (Daniel 10:12)At times it may seem that God is slow in answering our prayers, or absent from the scene all together. These thoughts could not be further from the truth, and undermine our consistency and diligences in private prayer. In times past, the deeply devoted to God spent a great amount of time in private, secret prayer. They referred to this action as meeting with God in your closet. It draws upon the contrast that Jesus points out regarding the hypocritical religious leaders of his day who loved to stand on the street corners in the public spaces and pray out loud great and boasting prayers, all for the purpose of inflated exercises in arrogance. Instead of being public and powerless, God calls us to privacy and power!Meet John Rawlinson for yourself! http://www/youtube.com/@otherthingswith...Buy Voices From The Past volume 2All readings in this mini-series from "Voices From The Past Volume 2" (copyrighted material) are used with permission from the publisher. “Voices From The Past: Puritan Devotional Readings, Volume 2” edited by Richard Rushing. The Banner of Truth Trust. Copyright 2016 Richard Rushing. ISBN 9781848717275. Binding: Cloth-bound, Cloth-bound & ePub, Cloth-bound & Kindle, ePub, Kindle (.mobi). Page-count 432. Banner Publishing Date Dec 9, 2017."Other Things with... " YouTube ChannelCut & Paste Personal Invitation to invite your friends to check out “gwot.rocks” podcast:I invite you to check out the podcast, “gwot.rocks: God, the World, and Other Things!” It is available on podcast players everywhere! Here is the link to the show's home base for all its episodes: http://podcast.gwot.rocks/ (Ctrl+click to follow the link)LIFE HELPSDONATE You can help support this podcast by clicking our secure PayPal account. For donation by check, make payable to Transform This City, P.O. Box 1013, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. “gwot.rocks” is a ministry of Transform This City.gwot.rocks home pageTransform This CityTransform This City Facebook gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.orgThank you for listening! Please tell your friends about us! Listen, share, rate, subscribe!Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian StandardBible®, Copyright © 2016 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. ChristianStandard Bible® and CSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen
A Revolution in Public Power

Keeping Democracy Alive with Burt Cohen

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2023 57:22


It took a lot of persistent steady heavy lifting but New York State now has a new democratically run power authority. Instead of the traditional for-profit monopolies, the public good will determine a greener, less expensive supply of electricity. The post A Revolution in Public Power appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.

SunCast
602: Public Utilities Can Turbo Charge Clean Energy And People Power, with Eric Williams of Omaha Public Power District

SunCast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2023 65:41


The Tech-Driven Solar Workflow:Digital Transformation from a Contractor's PerspectiveJoin us on May 31, 2023 @ 2PM EST for a special live production!https://mysuncast.com/the-tech-driven-solar-workflowOn Today's Episode: Is it possible to keep an electricity grid fueled by renewable energy stable every minute of every day, given the variability of wind and sunlight? Eric Williams, a clean energy advocate and board member of one of the nation's largest publicly owned electric utilities, thinks it is.In a conversation with Nico Johnson, Eric explains his role as one of eight elected directors overseeing the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), which serves 855,000 people in Omaha and 13 surrounding counties in southeast Nebraska. He clarifies how and why public power benefits the energy transition and shares what we can learn from the nation's only 100% public power state. Noting that "intermittent does not mean unreliable," he explains the importance of electing clean energy allies to the governing boards that create the electricity grids of today and tomorrow. Eric has worked to advance clean energy since 2009 as a community organizer, coordinator for a city-operated project and founder of a biofuels cooperative before being elected to the OPPD in 2018. Join us to learn practical insights about advancing clean energy in your community and strategies to ensure your elected officials adopt the right policies to increase clean, reliable, affordable electricity for all. If you want to connect with today's guest(s), you'll find links to their contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.SunCast is presented by Sungrow, the world's most bankable inverter brand.You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today's guest(s) and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 601 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus

Revolutions Per Minute - Radio from the New York City Democratic Socialists of America

Tonight we are going to talk about winning. Earlier this month the Build Public Renewables Act passed through the New York State budget - a monumental victory for the Public Power NY Coalition that has been organizing for four years to pass the bill.No outlet has covered the fight for Public Power in New York more than Revolutions Per Minute. Since day one in 2019, we've had lead organizers of the campaign on the show to speak about why we need Public Power and how we were going to win it.Tonight on this special Best of BAI fund drive show - we'll revisit some of those interviews and hear from the organizers who won socialist climate legislation here in New York. We'll also hear past interviews with Assemblymembers Zohran Mamdani and Sarahana Shrestha If you've been listening along with us since day one, go to WBAI.org right now and make a donation to keep us on the air. You can follow the Public Power NY Coalition on twitter @PublicPowerNYTo learn more about how the Public Power NY Coalition won the Build Public Renewables Act watch BPRA: A Win in the Fight for a Green New Deal 

Ironweeds
184 - All The World's A Flood Zone

Ironweeds

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2023 51:19


Proud Boys are charged with Civil War era crimes. Rent control is under attack. Tucker Carlson is… being normal. Housing insurance is about to become a lot more important under climate change. Public funds yield private profits at Monument Square. And Hurray! A victory for Public Power!   PB convicted of seditious conspiracy: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/04/us/politics/jan-6-proud-boys-sedition.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare   Hudson Valley landlord group appeals Kingston rent control decision https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/news/article/kingston-landlords-appeal-rent-control-18081670.php    Tucker Carlson on how white men fight: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/business/media/tucker-carlson-text-message-white-men.html   Insurers hike prices or drop coverage of climate-doomed homes: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/07/opinion/climate-change-homeowners-insurance-housing-market.html    Reddit thread on public funds to private profits at 1MS: https://www.reddit.com/r/Troy/comments/138ianx/monument_sq_gets_19m_in_state_budget_closing/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_content=1&utm_term=15    WF: Public Power! https://publicpowerny.org/press-releases/new-yorkers-win-historic-victory-for-public-power/