To the editor: Some letter writers have not too long ago voiced the opinion that private electric utilities should be publicly owned. However changing non-public utilities to public possession just isn’t simple.
No massive non-public utility firm goes to promote out willingly to the federal government, so the federal government must use the facility of eminent area. Beneath the legislation of eminent area, the property of a personal utility is taken into account to already be dedicated to a public use.
State legislation requires a authorities entity attempting to accumulate non-public electrical, fuel or water utility property to point out why its public use of the property is extra essential than the prevailing public use underneath non-public possession. This isn’t a simple requirement to satisfy.
Even when the federal government might make the required exhibiting, it must pay billions of taxpayer {dollars} for the utility’s property. And whereas it’s good to suppose in any other case, there isn’t any assure that public possession would end in higher operation and administration.
If a public electrical utility operates in a way that leads to a hearth, any damages can be paid from taxpayer or ratepayer funds. At the very least with privately owned utilities, there are shareholders who can bear the expense, because the California Public Utilities Fee ought to require if the Eaton hearth is Southern California Edison’s fault.
June Ailin Sewell, Marina del Rey
The author is an lawyer with expertise within the eminent area discipline.
