10 thoughts on “Friday Open Thread”

1. Realist, you'll enjoy this…

   To put some of this in some historical context, DMEA was the first cooperative in the US to endorse "25x'25" over a decade ago.  But-not-for their willingness to be a lone wolf at that same time and refuse to be party to an extension of their all-requirements contract with USDA,  Tri-State coops may well have the Holcomb, KS  billion-dollar-boondoggle coal plant hung around our necks.  Tri-State funded the fake and utterly-useless War on Rural Colorado fiasco after passage of SB252.  

   Distributed generation is one of the many ways rural Colorado can contribute its share to meeting our 100% goal set by Governor-elect Polis – but we can't do it without a genuine interest by Tri-State to get there. 

    

   Signaling A ‘Seismic Shift’ In Energy, Delta-Montrose Seeks Exit From Tri State Contract

   “Average member rates have increased by 56 percent since 2005,” said Virginia Harman, chief operating officer of the Delta-Montrose Electric Association. “That's more than double the increase of the Consumer Price Index. And that stands in stark contrast to the overall energy market in which prices have decreased significantly.”

   Harman connects those rising costs to coal-fired power provider Tri-State, which she said isn’t doing enough to replace fossil fuels with cheaper wind and solar. Delta-Montrose is prevented from generating from wind and solar because the Tri-State contract limits local renewable power generation at 5 percent, Harman said.

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   1. Interesting to see 21st century energy providers like Guzman beginning to pick off Tri-State customers – Kit Carson in New Mexico and now DMEA. The landscape is changing, and Tri-State has not yet demonstrated that they can move with customer demand.

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2. Hickenlooper gets a mention in the WAPO article "Democratic 2020 campaign revving up quickly"

   Meanwhile, Hickenlooper isn’t expected to make a formal decision on running until after his term as governor ends Jan. 8. But he’s already started assembling his team and his operation has hired a pollster and national fundraiser.

   The Bennet boomlet was not mentioned.

    

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   1. HICK 2020!

      My only concern is that if he ended up being the nominee, he may not be tough enough to deal with the shit that Donnie's people will drop on him.

      Let's face it .… compared to most pols, Hick is nice guy.

      As for Thurston, I don’t think he is serious about the White House. On one point I agree with Zappy: Bennet is probably just interested in remaining in the Senate indefinitely.

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3. Paul Krugman's take on Trump's Tariff policies:

   Are we going to have a full-blown trade war with China, and maybe the rest of the world? Nobody knows — because it all depends on the whims of one man. And Tariff Man is ignorant, volatile and delusional.

   Let’s be clear: China is not a good actor in the world economy. It engages in real misbehavior, especially with regard to intellectual property: The Chinese essentially rip off technology. So there is a case for toughening our stance on trade.

   But that toughening should be undertaken in concert with other nations that also suffer from Chinese misbehavior, and it should have clear objectives. The last person you want to play hardball here is someone who doesn’t grasp the basics of trade policy, who directs his aggressiveness at everyone — tariffs on Canadian aluminum to protect our national security? Really? — and who can’t even give an honest account of what went down in a meeting.

   Unfortunately, that’s the person who’s now in charge, and it’s hard to see how he can be restrained. So the future of world trade, with all it implies for the world economy, now hinges largely on Donald Trump’s mental processes. That is not a comforting thought.

    

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4. D'oh! Trump advisers fear 2020 nightmare: A recession

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5. Coming around Christmas time in D.C.

   

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   1. Where are Eric and Ivanka?

      And, are you trying to tell me that Baron is innocent? I doubt it. After all, look who is father is. I mean, The Dumpster® thinks it is OK to kill the children of terrorists, right?

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      1. Eric and Ivanka are targets of an NY AG civil lawsuit; along with Dons Sr. and Jr.; over illegal transfer of charitable monies from the Trump Foundation to the 2016 campaign. Suit was filed in June. Was later also referred for possible criminal investigation.

         Baron is a minor child. Tiffany Trump; the other daughter; seems to keep a lot of distance between herself and her three older siblings. 

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         1. Tiffany Trump; the other daughter; seems to keep a lot of distance between herself and her three older siblings

            Tiffany isn't stupid. She doesn't want to be accused of colluding with them. 

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