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Dec 6, 2023
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Uploaded by LieutenantRock8933
Jacob Levesque
SYST/HIST 202
Class 6 – Energy as a Complex System
Homework Discussion Questions
Nye, Electrifying America
“Electricity for All”: https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/great-depression/tennessee-
valley-authority-electricity/
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Electrification_Act
Tennessee Valley Authority: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennessee_Valley_Authority
Video: REA’s “Power and the Land” (3 parts): (1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-0DZFVjqdk
; (2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeSULQAyWmU&feature=related
; (3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyiIZN9zK1o&feature=related
Please also read “How to Give Rural America Broadband” and “How Railroad History Shaped Internet History”, and be prepared to discuss. 1.
Your boss at the state government wants to know how to balance private versus public investments in infrastructure and has asked for some historical analysis. Write a short memo for her comparing private-company-led efforts to electrify rural America with those led by the federal government. What were their respective goals, and how did they try to achieve them? Discuss, in particular, how each dealt with local communities and electric cooperatives. Which, in your opinion, was most successful and why? Both the federal government and private companies tried to electrify rural America. They came in with different approaches and played significant roles. Private companies wanted to expand electrification into rural areas to increase their customer base and profits. They typically wanted to expand into areas that would have the highest potential for financial return. Private companies had fewer regulations so they could be more flexible in their operations and investments. They were expanding into rural areas but they always favored the more densely populated areas because of profit. The Federal government through the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) and later the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), aimed to provide electricity to underserved rural areas. The federal government wanted universal access to electricity, irrespective of profits. The government wanted to stimulate economic development and improve living standards. Also reducing the urban-rural development gap. The government was giving out low-interest loans to encourage electrification. When it comes to dealing with local communities the private companies would often deal with opposition due to the high connection costs and limited incentives in these low populated areas. The federal initiatives encouraged the formation of electric cooperatives owned and ran by locals. This would empower
communities and improve cooperation. In my opinion the federal government was much more successful in achieving rural electrification goals. They were much more inclusive and aimed for more universal access not for profit but with the economy in mind. The local ownership aspect of
the federal governments approach was much more useful for the country. It fostered much more
long-term sustainability and local commitment. Hecht, “Politics and Reactors in France”
Nuclear Power in France: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_France
(see also links
for CEA and EDF)
Modern views: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/reaction/readings/french.html
“Engineers in Elected Office” in assignment folder. 1.
On pp. 659-660, the author talks about the efforts of engineers to “rationalize” the state economy through planning, by remaining above the “irrational” process of politics. Do you think that engineers must remain above (or outside) the political process for creating projects, either as public works or private ventures? Or, do you think engineers are inherently part of this political process? In other words, should engineers be simply silent advisers to politicians, or should they play a more public, visible role in politics and
media, or something else entirely? Explain
your position using specific examples, either from the article or from other sources. I believe that Engineers should be above politics. They build the infrastructure and technologies of our world. They should operate in total neutrality and only act on facts. When they remain apolitical engineers can better ensure their work meets the highest safety and quality
standards. In the article "Professional Liability of Engineers: Ethical, Legal, and Administrative Issues" by Dr. Lawrence J. Hatab, it is stressed that engineers should avoid political entanglements that could expose them to legal risks. Engaging in politics within their professional roles can lead to conflicts of interest and hinder the ability to make decisions solely for the people. A study conducted by the Pew research center in 2018 found that most Americans believe engineers have a positive impact on society. To maintain that trust with the public they need to stay out of the government especially since it is so toxic.
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