miércoles, septiembre 06, 2006

GMH - Hay que Reformar Ley Eléctrica y Luego Aplicar Parte 2

Las posibilidades de la competitividad sistémica parecen estar definidas. Es exactamente como está diseñado por la industria eléctrica internacional. Solamente los clientes grandes tienen ese derecho, sin importar que reciban una parte importantes de los subsidios que no dejan que el CRI suba. Los demás tendrán que aguantar apagones por mucho rato, manteniendo el riesgo político para el Presidente muy elevado. Esa es la percepción educada que tengo y que me recordó lo que dijo Donella Meadows en el 2001 sobre la crisis de California. La diferencia es que aquí el colapso es previo a la acción. Dijo Donella en aquel entonces:

First, electricity restructuring is not being driven by the goal of reducing residential rates. The drivers are technology and industry. New ways of making electricity, such as combined-cycle natural gas generators, and soon fuel cells, allow industrial users to produce their own power at lower cost and with less pollution. One by one they are slipping off the grid, leaving the utilities, with their huge, outmoded, unpaid-for power plants, in a panic.

To save themselves, the power companies meet in back rooms with politicians. They must accomplish three things. First, they must allow big customers to lock in low rates, so they will stay on the grid. Second, they must pay off the debt for their dinosaur plants. Third, they must sell the deal to the public by promising lower rates.

The only way to pull off this miracle is with a public bail-out, called "stranded costs" in the back rooms. Stranded cost payments mean that your electric bill will actually be higher, but a chunk of it will be hidden in your tax bill. This maneuver has nothing to do with a free market. It is perverse socialism. Prop up a dying industry by forcing the people to pay for bad investments. Order utilities to cut rates for awhile to lull taxpayers. Then let the people shop for power in competition with the big guys. That's where the market will come in, but markets aren't kind to little players competing against big ones.

Restructuring has already squeezed out the best supply strategy, namely efficiency. In almost any application, from lighting to water pumps to electric motors, it is cheaper and far better for the environment to install devices that deliver the same service with less power.

El artículo completo se puede leer en este enlace.

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