Young Not Stupid: The Dems' Gov't Takeover of the Power Grid Would Be a Disaster at Home and a Gift to Our Enemies
The United States generally has a reliable power grid, as does most of the developed world.
One of the reasons why the grid has been successfully maintained is the fact that nearly 72 percent of it is investor-owned, according to an Energy Information Administration in 2019.
But progressives in Congress want to see a transition towards federal government-owned utilities, The Hill reported June 3.
Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri and Jamaal Bowman of New York introduced a resolution which would “eradicate” privately-owned “utility corporations and providers.”
The bill cites a “human-caused climate emergency,” “structural racism,” and “rampant biodiversity loss” as key reasons for nationalized utilities.
“I used to use space heaters to heat my home because we couldn’t afford the gas bill. One day the outlet started shooting out flames and nearly burned down my 2-year-old baby’s room. We almost lost our baby. We almost lost our home. Public power could have prevented this,” Bush tweeted regarding her bill.
Today, I’m introducing a resolution to make power publicly owned with @JamaalBowmanNY.
It’s time for an energy revolution. And public power that is renewable and affordable is at the heart of it. We need public power.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) June 3, 2021
It is understandable why someone would want to make things such as electricity and gas public, given that utility companies often find themselves being the subjects of class action lawsuits.
Look no further than California — where the Pacific Gas and Electric Company plead guilty to 84 counts of manslaughter for the role they played in the devastating camp fire.
While there is an argument to be made for increased oversight to prevent incidents, nationalizing the grid is not the answer.
Public power to the people. @JamaalBowmanNY and @CoriBush today introduced a resolution pushing to expand public ownership of utilities and pump up renewables. Full text here: https://t.co/UYeZuAHVtO 1/3
— DSA ? (@DemSocialists) June 3, 2021
” “We need an energy system that is of, by, and for the people — not corporations seeking the largest possible profit. As long as energy is treated as a commodity, not a right, poor people, workers, and communities of color will suffer.” – @JamaalBowmanNY 3/3
— DSA ? (@DemSocialists) June 3, 2021
First and foremost, the slippery slope of putting the government in total control of one of America’s most precious resources is obvious.
Tyranny comes in many forms, and if an authoritarian leader is in the cards for the future of the United States, then it would give their government a massive advantage over the American people.
If this seems too conspiratorial, then consider how a publicly-owned grid would be a gift to nations like China, North Korea and terrorist groups.
Cyber attacks are becoming the new form of warfare, with hackers targeting everything from the Colonial Pipeline to JBS food processing in order to cripple the most powerful country in the world.
Those entities operated within the private sector, but imagine the national security risk if hackers only had a few federal agencies to focus on, as opposed to numerous private companies.
Private sector energy certainly has its flaws, but this socialist-backed proposal should remain a fantasy.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
