AFAIK users have the option of signing up for the fixed rate plan or the variable rate plans when they sign up with their provider. That's why not everyone got hit with the multi-thousand dollar bills during 2021, they had benefitted from the lower pricing in general but were hung out to dry during these spikes.
I think the news is that they paid bitcoin miners to sit idle. The only other choice was to charge them more for power usage.
right, they save that second option for regular consumers.
AFAIK users have the option of signing up for the fixed rate plan or the variable rate plans when they sign up with their provider. That's why not everyone got hit with the multi-thousand dollar bills during 2021, they had benefitted from the lower pricing in general but were hung out to dry during these spikes.
Or just cut power to them. It's hardly on the level of critical infrastructure like a hospital, or 50,000 homes in 110+ degree F heat.
and because of the timing. a blackout or grid failure now would be incredibly deadly to vulnerable populations.