Perhaps utilities should be state owned where any profits are used to offset the tax load on the citizens..

GorbachevyChase 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

They basically are. It really isn’t anything resembling an open market. They are effectively extensions of the state that happen to be funded by user fees rather than general funds.

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fooqux 8 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Because there's this belief that a for-profit company will naturally be more efficient. No idea if that's actually true in practice though. Or if efficiency > the profits the company takes.

I don't know of any large community ran utilities, just small ones. I'm guessing the scale starts being a problem eventually.

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fyrn_ 8 hours ago | parent | next [-]

They can be efficient, but I ly if the incentives align towards the desired definition of efficiency. If you give a company a natural monopoly and protection from competition. Then it's most efficient way to make money is just to raise rates

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AlotOfReading 7 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

TVA and the NY power authority are genuinely massive, government run utilities. Both are also known for pretty low power bills.

	▲	fooqux 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Nice! I didn't know about those. Although it's hard to directly compare rates since cost can be so geographically dependant.