Last month, at a luxury hotel near Miami, bill collectors from energy companies around the country gathered to talk shop. The three-day conference included headshot sessions and cocktail receptions sponsored by credit reporting and debt recovery agencies. During one seminar, representatives from utilities in New York spoke about how they had banded together to influence a forthcoming state policy that would limit when the energy companies can turn off customers’ power during heat waves because of unpaid bills. A day after the seminar, the new policy was announced. The utilities, worth more than $50 billion in shareholder equity last year, got most of what they wanted. But the rules, advocates said, lacked crucial protections for city dwellers, and in some cases removed existing ones. Customers in New York City “lost meaningful safeguards,” said Laurie Wheelock, the executive director of the Public Utility Law Project, known as PULP, a nonprofit that works on behalf of low-income customers.
The discussion covers how the U.S. approach compares to that of allies and partners, and whether Washington should recalibrate accordingly. The group examines feasibility concerns around the Ford-CATL licensing model as a template for managing Chinese technology partnerships and considers whether the current chaotic patchwork of investment screening rules, tariffs, and tax credit restrictions might actually give the United States unexpected leverage. Participants also explore what incentive structures and policy options are available to policymakers, and how Chinese firms themselves are thinking about strategies to enter the U.S. market
It was the reason I had to get out of bed to get them out of the fridgerator and on the stove so they’d have the two hours or so necessary to cook down and make many good meals this week. Pinto beans are my power source of protein, with inflation being so high and all mymoney going into the SuperDuty.
Bike rode fine yesterday without the dork disk, 💿 though I’ve been careful to keep it out of low and I ordered a new dork disk, chain, and cassette, bitching how it’s going to be another $60 with my yearly phone bill due, I don’t know the stupid bedliner on my credit card and soon enough the final payment for the truck cap. Continuing to straighten out and adjust the derailuer but it’s obvious the cassette and chain needs replacing, so I’ll do that when I install the dork disk. I should fix the low range on my bike but I rarely use it even riding trail. 🚲 After dinner, I rode down to Hannaford and got some eggs, milk and supplies. 🥚 Healthier then taking the SuperDuty out and uses a lot less gas. ⛽
Another nice morning before the rain comes, 🌅 and much cooler weather for the weekend. Having eggs 🍳 this morning with lots of spinach, onions, pinto beans. Then it’s off to work on the bike. 🚲 CDTA transferred the $13.11 balance from my now expired bus card to the CDTA app so I can use it that way. Eventually I’ll probably get another Navigator Swiper Card as it’s easier for boarding the bus then loading the app and showing it to the machine, but I figure I’ll use up what I have on the app, though these days riding my bike 🚵♂️ most days to work as a sad desperate person with a SuperDuty it will take a while. Last night for a while I sat back in the bed 🛏️ of the SuperDuty and looked at the stars ✨. Now just waiting for the camper shell to arrive 🚛 and maybe for the black flies to thin out a bit. Decided after looking at price of hood mounts for CB antenna, I should pull the one off the old truck and see if I can make it fit on new truck. And I do like looking at height lights on SuperDuty when I lock the doors after dark. Well I better get in shower, 🚿 and ride my bike to work. 🚲
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