Why is the power industry stuck in the 19th century?

Electric power is being generated and delivered today exactly the

same way it was when the industry was created more than 120 years

ago. There has been virtually no progress.

Electricity is generated by burning coal, natural gas, fuel oil,

etc., for a gigantic generator that sends its power over scores of

wires to hundreds of customers. A breakdown, therefore, affects

hundreds of households at a time.

Compare that to the automobile industry, which has seen immense

progress since it started more than 100 years ago. The 2003 model

Buick is light years better than the 1903 model Buick. And each Buick

is self-sufficient, so that a breakdown only affects one car at a

time.

So what happened? Why has the power industry remained primitive

while the auto industry has modernized?

Freedom.

The auto industry was left pretty much alone by the government

until the 1960s. But the power industry was seized almost immediately

by the central planners, who took it over and began regulating it

“for the benefit of the people,” of course. Each supplier was given a

government-protected monopoly over a geographic area thus “saved”

from the need to improve by pesky competitors.

Consequently, electricity is still being produced and delivered

the way it was 100 years ago. But a competitive free market has

produced great improvements in comfort, quality and performance of

automobiles.

What better proof that freedom works; central planning and

government oversight does not.

We citizens need to demand that government get out of the power

business and let the market work.

Ambitious, profit-seeking entrepreneurs will build all the power

sources we need, and their competition will hold down prices while

quality, service and the variety of power sources goes up.

DON HULL

Costa Mesa