Re: 100 year china
There are more than 3000 electric companies, distribution companies or utilities in the US with three types of ownerships, Invester owned-publicly run or managed utilities. and are connected to a national grid, where surplus energy can be stored for later high need usage or sold.
ownership is made up the following descending ownership; cooperative, municipal, retail power market, investor owned, political subdivisions, wholesale power markets and state owned. (In size descending order.)
All are state regulated as to safety. performance and pricing.
It works fine by me. I've lived in the West, North-East, South-East and now Central USA. Never been without power other than caused by Earthquake, Hurricane, Storm etc. at the most out of power for a couple of days.
Price increases must be approved by either state or local governments, who are not overly concerned at approving higher costs that are of no benefit to them and detrimental if passed.
Most are areas are tied into the national grid, where surplus is stored and sold as in a market. The only exception to this (I think) is Texas, who has its own grid, and the Texans are paying for it now as they have been having problems with massive breakdown. Everywhere else in the country is fine.
My electric bill is high for me now, because I occupy the same space as when my late wife was alive, and the bill is the same for me as it was for the two of us with two incomes coming in. But that's my choice to live in a larger apartment than a regular single person would have. I say bugger it, I'm not paying for it anyway, my heirs are.
Cheers, Rodney
Rodney David Richard Mills
R602188 Gravesend