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darreninthenet • today at 1:55 PM • 1 reply • view on HN

Or "investor owned utilities pay out c-level bonuses and dividends equal to 23% of actual costs"


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GuB-42 • today at 2:12 PM

Some of it goes to bonuses and dividends, but 23% is a really big number.

I think a big part of that number is risk, dividends are tied to risk too.

The very idea of investing is that you take risks in exchange for profits. That is, if it fails, you lose your capital, if it succeeds, you become richer. A public provider doesn't work the same way, risk is covered by taxpayer money. If it fails, taxpayers foot the bill, if it succeeds, cheaper service.

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