More Americans are getting their power shut off, as unpaid bills pile up

[Ringo]

 

[SaxonJackson]

This is not the sign of a bustling economy. Stuff like this is why Trump's approval rating on the economy has sunk like a rock since he took office again. These are the kinds of things people will be voting on in the midterms.

Soaring electricity prices are triggering a wave of power shutoffs nationwide, leaving more Americans in the dark as unpaid bills pile up. Although there is no national count of electricity shutoffs, data from select utilities in 11 states show that disconnections have risen in at least eight of them since last year, according to figures compiled by The Washington Post and the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA). In some areas, such as New York City, the surge has been dramatic — with residential shutoffs in August up fivefold from a year ago, utility filings show.

MSN

Unfortunately, both sides of the One-Party coin are guilty of putting Americans second. Everyone in D.C. is under AIPAC rule and they all put a tiny nation half-way around the globe FIRST. While Americans struggle, both sides of the Swamp Party will continue sending $Billions to Israel.

If there's any chance of "We The People" getting our nation back, we MUST STOP voting for politicians who accept bribes from AIPAC. Otherwise, expect more of the same.

 

[SaxonJackson]

Nobody owns anything under Socialism either. And there's a difference between large "C" Capitalism and small "c," free market capitalism.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

What is the net worth of average American households?

What is the net worth of average Russian households?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

The average American household owes:

$58,957 in student loan debt

Bullshit. Most American households have zero student loan debt.

 

[Concerned American]

Nobody owns anything under Socialism either. And there's a difference between large "C" Capitalism and small "c," free market capitalism.

The thing that Ringo doesn't take into account is that loans and borrowing are a personal choice and all of us are not beholden to banks. He is correct in his assertion that there are things that we don't, and will NEVER own. One is real estate. Even when it is paid off the gov't taxes it each year and if they so choose, the gov't can raise those taxes to the point that the 'owner' can't pay them and the gov't can take the property from the 'owner' just like communism. Anything else you own is irrelevant--it is fleeting. IMHO, real estate taxes should be illegal.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

This is not the sign of a bustling economy. Stuff like this is why Trump's approval rating on the economy has sunk like a rock since he took office again. These are the kinds of things people will be voting on in the midterms.

Soaring electricity prices are triggering a wave of power shutoffs nationwide, leaving more Americans in the dark as unpaid bills pile up. Although there is no national count of electricity shutoffs, data from select utilities in 11 states show that disconnections have risen in at least eight of them since last year, according to figures compiled by The Washington Post and the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA). In some areas, such as New York City, the surge has been dramatic — with residential shutoffs in August up fivefold from a year ago, utility filings show.

MSN

I just found out that the entity which produced this study is a progressive think tank called The Century Foundation.

And they're full of it.

Minute 4:15:

 

[Nobody911]

Trump's focus on boosting crude oil drilling isn't really aimed in the right direction and probably won't make a big difference anytime soon. When it comes to electricity, it mostly comes from natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewables, not oil. What's really important are things like how natural gas is doing, pipeline issues, demand for exports, and how the market is set up.

Net economic effects depend on the policy goal. Expanding oil drilling gives near‑term gains in fossil‑fuel output, regional jobs, and tax revenue but creates risks and limits longer‑run growth opportunities. Prioritizing clean‑energy investment produces larger long‑term GDP and jobs growth per dollar, stronger resilience to price shocks, and lower climate and health damages.

Analysis

1) Near‑term macro and fiscal impacts

• Oil drilling — positives: Faster boost to extraction, local employment, corporate profits, and short‑term tax/royalty receipts.
• Oil drilling — negatives: Revenues are volatile (prices fluctuate); booms can be followed by busts that harm local economies and public finance.

2) Jobs and labor market effects

• Oil drilling: Creates relatively well‑paid jobs in extraction and services, largely regionally concentrated and often temporary.
• Clean energy: Studies (IEA, academic literature) find more jobs per dollar invested across construction, manufacturing, installation, and O&M, with broader geographic spread and longer‑term employment in manufacturing and grid sectors.

3) GDP and productivity

• Short run: Oil expansion can raise GDP via higher output.
• Medium/long run: Clean‑energy investment tends to deliver larger sustained GDP gains by lowering energy costs, stimulating manufacturing (EVs, batteries, renewables), and reducing volatility from fossil‑fuel price swings.

4) Energy prices and household bills

• Oil drilling: Limited effect on electricity and most home heating bills because electricity depends mainly on natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewables; global oil markets and export dynamics dilute domestic consumer benefits.
• Clean energy & efficiency: More direct path to lower household energy bills (efficiency, renewables + storage reduce retail prices and exposure to fuel‑price spikes).

5) Risk, resilience, and externalities

• Oil drilling: Raises greenhouse‑gas emissions and local pollution, increasing health costs and climate‑related economic damages over time. Exposure to global geopolitics and price volatility reduces economic resilience.
• Clean energy: Lowers emissions and health damages, improves energy security, and reduces macroeconomic vulnerability to fossil‑fuel shocks.

6) Fiscal and investment crowding
- Public dollars spent on drilling subsidies or permitting support tend to subsidize a capital‑intensive, volatile sector. Redirecting support to clean‑energy deployment, grid upgrades, and efficiency generally yields higher economic multipliers and job creation per public dollar.

Bottom line

• If the objective is short‑term fossil‑fuel industry growth and regional jobs, drilling policies have positive impacts but are volatile and produce negative long‑run externalities.
• If the objective is sustained GDP growth, broader and more stable job creation, lower household energy burdens, and reduced climate/health costs, prioritizing clean‑energy investment and efficiency is economically superior.

Key sources: IEA World Energy Investment, academic reviews on employment effects of renewables vs fossil fuels, policy analyses on fiscal multipliers and energy transition (2023–2025).

• Preliminary US Greenhouse Gas Estimates for 2024
• Overview and key findings – World Energy Investment 2024 – Analysis - IEA
• NEW DATA: 14 Million Americans Face Severely Delinquent Utility Debt Due to Rising Energy Costs, Putting Families At Risk Ahead of Winter - Protect Borrowers
• Americans are facing power shutoffs and mounting debt as energy costs surge