Structural explainers
How these systems actually function
Long-form pieces, written for a general audience — the scaffolding stays in the research, not on the page.
Published
Colorado won the water fight and lost the water
Interstate compact, monopoly utility, local physical supply — three separate axes of exposure, and why winning one says nothing about the other two.
What a $157 million rate cut still costs you
The Xcel electric case's settlement-to-decision arc, as a case study in how monopoly rate regulation absorbs public pressure without eliminating the underlying extraction.
In progress
- Glen Canyon / Roberts Tunnel vulnerability, updated — needs the original October 2025 draft as a base; the new elevation figures (Powell at 3,517.87 ft, ~28 ft above minimum power pool, down from ~55 ft) are ready to drop in once that draft is located.