Hi, Frank -
Have been watching the natural gas situation fall apart for over a year now. This is just another deregulation nightmare, at its core. In Alberta (the people we used to call 'blue-eyed arabs' 25 years ago) they have pursued deregulation so inexpertly that they now have insufficient electricity, AND insufficient natural gas.
Companies are going out of business as I write.
I think the ugly side of deregulation, in both the US AND Canada, is beginning to show its face: to completely abandon stewardship of declining resources (i.e., to throw caution to the winds, and say "Let the markets decide!") is madness.
In telecomms, and in power, I think the Euro model would have served us much better: recognize that there is a strong and legitimate public interest in planning. Let the players pursue their strategies within a framework that recognizes that stewardship must lie with the users, and their proxies, the regulatory agencies.
Much good has been done by deregulation, but I wonder, when we face the extinction of fossil-fuel resources in the next 20-30 years, if we can afford to leave the issues that WILL arise, solely to market forces.
I'll append a couple of links that might give some insight into some of the current natural gas problems. The present scarcity is a shame, that need not have occurred.
canadianbusiness.com
canadianbusiness.com
Best regards,
Jim |
