tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post1629773931790278523..comments2024-01-12T00:32:20.149-08:00Comments on The Overhead Wire: Electric SurgePantograph Trolleypolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17833159138533550544noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-57284874702398525112009-03-17T12:11:00.000-07:002009-03-17T12:11:00.000-07:00Utility companies cannot also own companies that c...Utility companies cannot also own companies that consume large amounts of electricity. This was a problem before the 1935 Public Utility Holding Company Act- Streetcar companies and utilities were under the same parent, so they could extract high prices.<BR/><BR/>I believe the 2005 Energy Policy Act undid some of this, so maybe a utility could own a streetcar company outside of their service territory, but I doubt they could own a streetcar company within their territory.<BR/><BR/>That said, utilities would be wise to favor municipal transit agencies using more electric (subway, light rail, trolleybus) rather than using diesel buses or favoring autos.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-3636703908126388222009-03-17T09:24:00.000-07:002009-03-17T09:24:00.000-07:00I agree. Arcady is right. This idea about that ele...I agree. Arcady is right. This idea about that electric cars will save us is a bunch of crap. These guys must be thinking that sprawl and autocentricity are salvageable, and that the electric car will supplant the need for electric transit, not just on rails which I am most supportive of, but also trolleybuses.<BR/><BR/>Faith and Begorrah! Luck of the Irish be with you - today is St. Patrick's Day!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-7189912430746928962009-03-17T06:56:00.000-07:002009-03-17T06:56:00.000-07:00Arcady has nailed it again. The problem is the car...Arcady has nailed it again. The problem is the car itself, not what it burns. The electric car is essentially a switch to coal. Regardless of what it burns the car is extremely wasteful and has to be heavily subsidized to exist inspite of market forces to the contrary.fpteditorshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04620275872850435922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-71330369898211246702009-03-17T06:43:00.000-07:002009-03-17T06:43:00.000-07:00This nonsense with electric cars is just more stic...This nonsense with electric cars is just more sticking are heads in the sand and pretending that we can continue our big suburbia party forever. It's over. The sooner we build more electric rail and change our zoning and taxing to encourage walkable urban development on a human-scale streetgrid convenient to a transit line, the better off we'll be. This electric car stuff has been rattling around since I've been in 5th grade, probably earlier but I was too young to remember it.<BR/><BR/>Even if we can solve the huge problems with electric car infrastructure and costs, where will get all that energy? No one really thought that one out. All they want is a magic bullet that will let them keep their car-dependent lifestyle. It's not happening and the sooner we come to grips with that the better off we'll be.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18382275057184120210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-296209344170742062009-03-16T23:56:00.000-07:002009-03-16T23:56:00.000-07:00Man Arcady you're quick on the draw. I was thinki...Man Arcady you're quick on the draw. I was thinking of the addition of transit on top of the electric cars. It's even more energy consumption, even if its less per passenger. But I understand the point.Pantograph Trolleypolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17833159138533550544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-26354768075330193952009-03-16T23:52:00.000-07:002009-03-16T23:52:00.000-07:00"Seems to me electric utilities could be even bigg..."Seems to me electric utilities could be even bigger winners if they built electric transit networks."<BR/>No, they wouldn't, because transit is so much more energy efficient than cars. They'd rather have you buy more electricity than less, and buy it off peak (like when you charge your car overnight) so that they can sell more electricity without building more power plants.crzwdjkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394805356595604336noreply@blogger.com