With their generous tax contributions offsetting property taxes in their respective districts, these inefficient old beasts aren’t kept online because of the power they generate.
LIPA’s recent decision to scale back the frequency of meetings allowing ratepayers to air grievances to the board makes sense from LIPA’s perspective: Hey, only 5 meetings where people yell at you, as opposed to 12! But with ever-increasing rates as a backdrop, the symbolic shrinkage of oversight and concern feels ominous.
