Should a government ever force a deal between two companies?
There is no real answer to that question. For in fact there are two answers. No, we shouldn’t…..or…. yes we should.
Your answer will depend on which group you think should have the right to trump the other suit, (if you ever played bridge…) Must we give our corporations the upper hand……or must we resolve to keep that right, belonging to the people.
Allow me to rephrase that question. Should corporations be allowed to do whatever they want, even if people get hurt in the process? Or…….should the opposite occur: that the citizenry get their way, even if corporations must suffer some in the process?
From whichever camp you find yourself belonging, that you see things from their perspective, will determine your answer to that question….
If people have the upper hand, then moving forward with an agreement that both sides have agreed to, would be best for each of those persons involved.
If corporations have the upper hand, then people become secondary.
Now from my odd perspective of history, it seems rather apparent that whenever this great country has stumbled on these crossroads, and gives the upper hand to corporations, and allows them or wallow with less restrictions, this country suffers greatly as a result. But when people have the upper hand, then, the best of America comes out.
That is why I’m puzzled to statements that the signing of a simple contract between Bluewater Wind with Delmarva Power, is a slap in the face of business……Perhaps if one frames the argument so it just includes stockholders, I can see where, in that very narrow case, those detractors could have some truth on their side. But they fail to account for the tremendous amounts of hurt that will be experienced by every libertarian minded individual in this state, who still has to breath, fight cancer, and pay his power bill. Within a wider frame that includes all people…yes, all people,….the contract’s signing would do us all good…….
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May 11, 2008 at 2:27 am
Patricia Gearity
Delmarva Power’s not any old private company. It is a regulated utility. The PSC sets a percentage of profit, and that’s it. At least, that’s how things are supposed to operate so that individuals and businesses aren’t gouged by an essential power provider. Grow up, DPL: You have a choice. You don’t have to do business in Delaware at all. DPL had opportunities to stop HB6 2 years ago. It chose not to, because sibling Conectiv was lined up under HB6 to build a big new gas plant at ratepayer expense. If the offshore PPA is approved, Delmarva Power’s business isn’t going to be hurt one bit. They will still provide transmission whether the customer goes with DPL or WGES for their power.
The ironic thing about folks who say, Bluewater should build first and get customers later, is they ignore the fact that Joe Public can’t pick up the phone and order offshore wind directly, for his home or business. So long as Pepco and Constellation are running the profit show into Delaware, they won’t voluntarily invite offshore wind to the party.
May 11, 2008 at 4:44 am
Bob Bashford
Patricia Gearity is correct about Delmarva Power’s business not being hurt
one bit, I became a WGES customer when the cost spiked 59%. Delmarva is still charging me for the right to transmit power to my home. What puzzles me is Delmarva still charges a rate for the first 500 kilowatts and a different rate for the kilowatts above 500. Should they be charging a rate per mile of
transmission line to my house and not the same rate when I was a customer
of Delmarva? They are not providing my power at a varying price per kilowatt hour. WGES provides the generated kilowatt hour and offers 10% credits for wind power which Delmarva cannot provide.