I saw an article on the local explosion of bit-coin mining operations taking place in our region. Is this not the perfect expression of late-capitalism, a totally abstract, speculative waste of energy and resources which produces absolutely nothing useful yet generates huge profits?
Ans as for that waste, one operator of such a "mine" states he moved here for "cheap" energy and since coal-fired electricity still "competes" on the market he says he is incentivized to use it. To maximize his profit and accumulation. Perfectly rational, right?
Meanwhile, an independent study found that energy customers with net-metered solar on their houses are paying too little per mega-wat, that the "cost" of transmission is being unfairly distributed. the Public Service Commission will use this info to argue these customers should be paying a "competitive" price and the local 350 group will have to argue solar should be subsidized by non-solar customers. Which might not be too popular. NW Energy will just say they are trying to provide the "cheapest, most cost-effective" energy. And around and around they will go.
Once you have locked yourself into capitalist logic/ language ( cheap, competitive, cost-effective, etc) you find yourself in the double-bind house of mirrors. Yes, you can righteously produce studies showing renewables are "cheaper"- but some bean-counter will have his own study showing the "cost" of finance and depreciation and disruption and the population will furrow their collective brows and squint and sigh. As the system is legitimized and mystified at the same time.
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