As someone who lives in an MLP community, please know that public ownership is far from a silver bullet. 14 MLP's, with no public vetting or engagement signed a contract with MMWEC, 2015a. This innocuous title flew under everyone's radar, allowing them to obtain all permits, save one for financing, and quietly plan and start building an oil/gas peaker plant in the midst of an EJ community in Peabody MA. A coalition has been protesting this plant for over 2 years with no results. This is just to say, that ongoing involvement and oversight is constantly needed from the public, even with publicly owned utilities.
As someone who lives in an MLP community, please know that public ownership is far from a silver bullet. 14 MLP's, with no public vetting or engagement signed a contract with MMWEC, 2015a. This innocuous title flew under everyone's radar, allowing them to obtain all permits, save one for financing, and quietly plan and start building an oil/gas peaker plant in the midst of an EJ community in Peabody MA. A coalition has been protesting this plant for over 2 years with no results. This is just to say, that ongoing involvement and oversight is constantly needed from the public, even with publicly owned utilities.